The Las Vegas Raiders finally hit the reset button as head coach Pete Carroll turns to a full-on youth movement, giving rookies and young playmakers the snaps fans have been demanding. It’s a long-overdue shift that says as much about the team’s future as it does about Carroll’s.
Carroll continues to speak about the Raiders’ rookies as if he is running a graduate seminar in optimism. The team is 2–10, but Carroll insists the youth movement is thriving. All it takes, apparently, are a few press conference adjectives and the promise of “clean technique.”
What’s going on with Darien Porter?
Carroll opened with praise for cornerback Darien Porter. He called this Porter’s “best game.” He cited a back-shoulder throw Porter defended “perfectly,” noting the rookie missed a pass breakup by “a fraction of an inch.” It was classic Carroll. Celebrate the near miss. Sell the progress. Suggest the system is working as intended. Ignore the scoreboard.
The reality is simpler. Porter is one of the few young players who should have been playing months ago. His growth is encouraging, while his competitiveness is real. His technique does look cleaner. But framing that as a sudden breakthrough feels convenient. Especially when the staff spent half the season protecting rookies from snaps as if live reps were hazardous material.
The Raiders finally remembered that they have Jack Bech…
Carroll then shifted to receiver Jack Bech. He praised Bech’s “solid game.” The coach then highlighted the week of practice. He described a carefully curated series of one-on-one reps that apparently foretold Sunday’s output. It all sounded tidy. Almost too tidy. Bech’s ability was never the question. The real mystery is why he needed a midseason talent show to earn playing time on a roster starving for functional offense.
And then came Caleb Rogers. Carroll congratulated him for “making it through the game.” That was framed as an achievement. It tells you everything about the state of the Raiders’ offensive line. Rogers faced a difficult pass rush. He fought through it. He survived. But this is the NFL, not an endurance hike. Calling a four-quarter appearance a “success” speaks to the larger issue: this staff sets the bar low, then celebrates when players trip over it gracefully.
There was no doubt about what Carroll meant. The system is working. The new players are getting better. The future looks good. But the movie says something else. There is growth, but it is not because of the structure. The young players shone because they finally got to play.
Carroll wants credit for progress. Fans want evidence of direction. The gap between the two remains wide. And no fraction of an inch is closing it.
*Top Photo: Getty Images