Most Seattle Seahawks fans likely don't want Pete Carroll to suffer the way the team's former head coach is suffering with the Las Vegas Raiders. Maybe more don't want quarterback Geno Smith to do well (and he isn't), but Carroll was always a nice guy with Seattle, and a positive human being.
But this season, his first in Vegas, has been rough. His team, littered with former Seahawks that are not playing well (except, oddly, Jamal Adams), is 2-7 with one of the worst point differentials in the NFL. There is little chance the team will suddenly improve.
Things somehow got even worse in Week 10 on Thursday Night Football against the Denver Broncos. One of the strengths of the Raiders was supposed to be their offense, as Smith was expected to revitalize a dormant unit. Instead, the QB leads the league in interceptions with 12, and is ineffective in nearly every aspect.
Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll struggling through year one with the Las Vegas Raiders
Against a good Broncos defense, Las Vegas picked up only 10 first downs, but they had even more penalties with 11. In an odd positive, Denver had the same number of first downs and the same number of penalties. It was the first time in the NFL since 1976 that two teams had played where each had more penalties than first downs.
The previous time involved the Seahawks. 49 years ago, Seattle played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Seahawks had 14 first downs but 15 penalties. The Bucs had 18 first downs but 20 penalties. Seattle won the game 13-10 to move to 1-5. Tampa Bay would go winless that year.
The catch is that in 1976, both Seattle and Tampa Bay were in their first year of existence. Expansion teams aren't supposed to be good, and neither team was. At least, they had the excuse of that.
The Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos do not have the same excuse. The teams simply had wretched offenses in an ugly game that the Broncos won 10-7. The sad part for Seattle Seahawks fans who are still fans of Pete Carroll is that the game could be one more step toward Carroll not being retained after the season. A terrible way to go out for a legendary coach.