Pete Carroll Makes History With Raiders’ Opening Win
The Pete Carroll era in Las Vegas has officially begun, and it could not have started in a better way. On Sunday afternoon, the Raiders went on the road and defeated the New England Patriots 20–13, giving Carroll his very first win as the team’s head coach. At the same time, history was made—Carroll, who turns 74 next week, officially became the oldest head coach in NFL history.
Now, Carroll is no stranger to winning, but this one carried a little extra weight. It was his first victory with a team other than the Seattle Seahawks since 1999, back when he was coaching the Patriots themselves. That full-circle moment was impossible to ignore, especially since his Raiders handed Patriots’ new head coach Mike Vrabel a loss in his very first home game at Gillette Stadium.
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The game itself started hot for the Raiders. Quarterback Geno Smith wasted no time, connecting with Tre Tucker for a 26-yard touchdown on the opening drive. While the Patriots clawed back to take a three-point lead at halftime, their offense sputtered badly in the second half. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, fresh out of Boise State, powered in a short touchdown, and Daniel Carlson added a couple of clutch field goals to extend the lead.
Smith had himself a strong afternoon, throwing for 362 yards with a touchdown and just one interception. That lone mistake came when he tried to force a ball into triple coverage, leading to New England’s only touchdown of the game. Still, he bounced back, leaning heavily on second-year tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers had 103 yards on five catches, including a highlight 38-yard grab. For perspective, this was already his third 100-yard game in less than two seasons, putting him in rare company for a young tight end. Raiders fans did hold their breath when he left briefly with a knee scare, but Bowers later confirmed he was fine.
The Patriots made a late push behind rookie quarterback Drake Maye. He moved the ball quickly with some big completions to Kayshon Boutte, who finished with 103 yards himself. But New England had to settle for a late field goal, and after the Raiders recovered the onside kick, the game was sealed.
For Carroll, this win was more than just a Week 1 victory. The Raiders are coming off a 4–13 season, and the franchise has been searching for stability, cycling through multiple head coaches since relocating to Las Vegas in 2020. They haven’t won a playoff game since the 2002 season, a drought fans are desperate to end. Carroll, despite his age, was brought in to bring order and belief back to the team.
Starting the year with a gritty road win across the country feels like the perfect opening chapter. The Raiders have a long climb ahead, but with Carroll’s experience and leadership, Sunday’s result made one thing clear: this new era in Las Vegas is already off to a promising start.
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