Geno Smith and the Raiders are playing some of the worst football in the NFL right now — and that may have kept the quarterback from getting benched.
Raiders coach Pete Carroll told reporters that he was ready to pull his starting quarterback in the midst of a 40-6 shellacking delivered by the Colts on Sunday, but opted not to, given how much improvement is needed.
“Yeah, I was thinking that if there was a reason to do that,” Carroll told reporters afterward when asked if he considered a change at quarterback during the game. “But here’s the reason why I didn’t do that – we need to stay out there and keep practicing.
“We need the reps. We need the turns. We need to run the system. We need to feel it. We need to see you guys get their opportunities that it takes to improve. That’s not like a big change is necessary. I thought about it, you know, because it was there.”
While Smith stayed in the game, the reason may not be much of a relief, and the veteran could be in a precarious spot as three of his five performances have been dreadful this season after signing a two-year, $75 million contract extension that includes $66 million guaranteed.
Carroll and Smith have a history together from their time in Seattle, and the coach may feel some loyalty to the 34-year-old.
The Raiders acquired Kenny Pickett from the Browns for a fifth-round pick before the season, and he would step in if Smith was benched.
Smith threw two interceptions against the Colts, who are missing their top cornerback, Kenny Moore II.
The quarterback now leads the NFL in interceptions with nine, ahead of two of the worst performers at this position that are not true starters in the league: Jake Browning (eight) and Joe Flacco (six).
It’s not all on Smith, though, as the Raiders fell apart in every possible way in the second quarter.
After taking a 3-0 lead to end the first quarter, the Raiders allowed a touchdown to the Colts before having their punt blocked, and swiftly gave up another touchdown.
Smith then threw a red-zone interception after the Raiders drove inside the Colts’ 15-yard line, and the Colts cashed that in for another score.
The Raiders missed a field goal to end the second quarter and walked into the halftime with a 20-3 deficit.
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“As the quarterback of this team, I hate where we are. I hate how it looks,” Smith said as the Raiders dropped their fourth straight after a season-opening road victory against the Patriots. “(What) the outside world (thinks) — it cannot get to me. On the inside, I know what we’re doing and where we’re going. We just have to stay focused.”
The Raiders will actually have a chance to win next week when they face another horrific squad in the Tennessee Titans, where Las Vegas is a 5.5-point favorite.