The Las Vegas Raiders underwent plenty of changes during the offseason, most notably at head coach and quarterback, with Pete Carroll and Geno Smith taking the reins in Las Vegas. So, the Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots was the first opportunity for the duo to prove themselves to the fanbase, and they delivered with a 20-13 victory.
Smith completed 24 of his 34 passing attempts for 362 yards, a touchdown and just one interception, leading the offense to an efficient performance on a rainy
afternoon. Meanwhile, the defensive-minded Carroll helped keep the Patriots’ offense to one touchdown in the entire contest and just three points in the second half, on top of managing the game to come home with the ‘W’.
As a result, the Raiders begin the season 1-0 and have some confidence heading into a big Monday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers next week. But before that, let’s check in on how the internet reacted to Smith and Carroll getting their first win with the Silver and Black.
Smith’s comments on getting the first win out of the way.
Age is just a number. Carroll will turn 75 on the day of the Chargers game next week and is the oldest head coach in NFL history, making him the oldest 1-0 coach in NFL history.
Carroll talks about Smith’s performance.
Smith’s first touchdown pass as a Raider came on the opening drive, a nice ball to Tre Tucker for a 26-yard score.
Also, getting the win over Josh McDaniels makes it even sweeter for Raider Nation.
Better than the “experts” predicted.
Are the Raiders back? Maxx Crosby thinks so!
A few other standouts from the game are mentioned here. Who
Isaiah Pola-Mao’s interception was huge; it flipped the momentum of the game. Las Vegas has struggled to get turnovers in the past. Could this be a sign of what’s to come?
The defense was the big surprise of the game for me; a lot of guys stepped up.
For a couple of injury notes, Elandon Roberts has a sprained elbow, and Brock Bowers said he’ll be “fine” after suffering a knee injury.
Of course, we have to end with the first victory plunge of the year!
