The Answers Raiders' Pete Carroll is Desperately Looking For
The Las Vegas Raiders must find a way to get back on the winning side of things.
Eric Edholm recently ranked every team in the National Football League heading into Week 11. Edholm ranked the Raiders as the 28th-best team. That is a fair ranking considering how the Raiders have played this season.
"It’s sad that the Raiders’ best defensive effort of the season -- by a wide margin -- went to waste in the 10-7 loss last Thursday in Denver. The offense just hasn’t done enough this season, with or withouton the field. Bowers played Thursday, hauling in the team's second-longest catch of the game early in the second quarter … and then wasn’t targeted for the rest of the game," Edholm said.
Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll before the game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
"I mean, come on. Geno Smith is up to 12 interceptions and clearly hasn’t proven to be the guy. Ashton Jeanty had a 32-yard run called back, and the Raiders were down to two backup guards by game’s end, but Chip Kelly has to find solutions fast, or this unit could look vastly different a year from now."
The Raiders have lost three games in a row and seven of their last eight games. If the Raider had not played and beaten the Tennessee Titans, they would be on an eight-game losing streak with a potentially ninth consecutive loss looming.
Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
Still, at 2-7, this year's Raiders are not much different than last season's Raiders, which got Antonio Pierce fired. Luckily,
“I thought our guys responded really well and played really hard the other night, on Thursday night, and I really liked that we were able to do that because it's a unique situation that you're in, and we got to learn from those times when we get them,” Carroll said.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
“But this will help too. This gives you a little bit of a break on the legs. We'll get a good full week, plus. Half a day today and a full day tomorrow. So, we have nothing to complain about. We got a lot of time to get better."
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Seattle Seahawks Defenders Tariq Woolen, Boye Mafe Listed as Top Free Agents
Through the first 10 weeks of the NFL season, it is clear that the Seattle Seahawks are one of the best teams in the league.
If anything, they have made a strong claim as the most complete team in the league. Seattle is top five in points scored and points allowed per game, has the second-highest point differential in the NFL (+105), and enters Week 11 as the top-ranked team in total DVOA.
This Seahawks squad looks the part of a championship contender. Their impressive roster depth is a big driver behind their success.
Sure, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Sam Darnold grab the headlines, and deservedly so. But Seattle would not be
Most of the Seahawks’ key players are under contract entering 2026. However, two high-level defenders — Tariq Woolen and Boye Mafe — are in line to enter true free agency, and Seattle may not be able to match their highest offers. After all, the NFL is a salary cap league, and teams have to prioritize who to re-sign and who they let walk.
ESPN NFL writers Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler ranked the top 25 upcoming free agents on Nov. 12, and Woolen and Mafe made the list. Here’s what they had to say about each Seahawk defender:
Tariq Woolen is Likely in his Final Season in Seattle
Woolen came in at No. 18 in Bowen and Fowler’s list. The lengthy cornerback is in his fourth season with the Seahawks, and after some rough moments early in the season, his name popped up in trade rumors.
He was never worried about getting shipped out of Seattle, but the noise was out there. One could also argue that he was made expendable when Josh Jobe took his spot as a starting cornerback.
These things lay the bedrock for trade speculation. Add in his incongruent role in the Seahawks’ defensive structure, and it makes sense why he might leave in free agency.
“Woolen’s elite traits and Pro Bowl talent should create a strong market. His two pass breakups Sunday against the Cardinals were a good reminder of that,” Fowler wrote on ESPN.com. “Expect Woolen to hit be available in free agency as opposed to a re-signing with Seattle, which hasn’t been a scheme fit for him under coach Mike Macdonald. But for teams that need man coverage help, he has tremendous upside.”
The speedy Woolen had six interceptions and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2022. He has five interceptions over three seasons since then.
Boye Mafe Could Also Leave the Seahawks This Offseason
Mafe, another member of Seattle’s 2022 draft class, appears like he may not be in Seattle’s future plans.
The sturdy Seahawks linebacker has drawn interest from around the NFL. He is a solid overall outside linebacker and really popped as a pass rusher in 2023 when he had nine sacks.
ESPN ranked Mafe as the 22nd-best upcoming free agent, and Fowler thinks he’ll have a strong market:
“Mafe had interest at the trade deadline. His numbers are down — one sack in 2025 compared to 15 through his first three seasons,” Fowler wrote. “But as one NFL coordinator said, ‘He can win one-on-one in pass rush, he’s strong at the point of attack and versatile enough to drop in coverage.’ Others think he needs to get stronger against the run. The Chiefs were among the teams inquiring last week. Perhaps they will make a move for him in March.”
With such a loaded defensive front already in place in Seattle, Mafe could be the odd man out this offseason.
