Pete Carroll defends field goal decision after backlash from the Raiders' loss to Broncos

HENDERSON, Nev. — Pete Carroll knows his decisions as Raiders coach are especially magnified when they affect the betting line, as happened in Sunday's 24-17 loss to Denver.

He sent Daniel Carlson onto the field to kick a 46-yard field goal with 5 seconds left, and when the ball sailed through the uprights, Las Vegas covered the 7 1/2-point spread at BetMGM Sportsbook. Other books had similar lines.

There was some swift and, in some cases, vicious reaction on social media.

In meeting with the more traditional media on Monday, Carroll said he can't be concerned about the criticism.

“I have to be rock solid on that,” Carroll said. “I can’t bend and twist and go with whatever the public sentiment is, or one person’s sentiment for that matter, regardless of who it is. I just can’t do that and do my job the right way to the best of my ability.”

The Raiders were trying desperately to come back from a two-possession deficit to the Broncos in the closing minutes, and it first appeared Carlson would never get a chance to kick the field goal.

Broncos safety Brandon Jones, however, drew a delay-of-game penalty for not allowing wide receiver Tyler Lockett to get up after a 26-yard gain. That penalty stopped the clock, and officials made the decision to go with 5 seconds remaining.

Carroll lobbied for even more time to be put on the clock.

“I was talking 10 (seconds) with the guy trying to get it back up, and I thought I’d had a chance to plead it and they might give me a shot,” Carroll said. "So that was just competing all the way as well. Fans couldn’t understand, but there was a real clear thought of what we were trying to get down there just to take it down to the very last click.

"It just didn’t work out.”

This is far from the first time Carroll has been down this road in which his decision was tied to how a point spread was affected.

While coaching New England in 1998, the Patriots benefited from a pass interference call in the end zone against Buffalo on a Hail Mary play. Tight end Ben Coates caught a 1-yard touchdown pass on the next play, and the miffed Bills left the field rather than line up to defend the extra point. Carroll then instructed Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri to take advantage of the open field for the 2-point conversion and a 25-21 victory.

“If I remember right — I don’t know how accurate this is — but there was a real uproar because the one point made a difference in the line,” Carroll said. “So I got hammered for that. I never really recovered with a bunch of people for that call, but at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do.”

What’s working

DE Maxx Crosby continues to produce, making a sack and two tackles for loss. He has five sacks and 15 TFLs over the past six games. Crosby already has broken his club single-season record with 25 tackles for loss, and there are four games left.

What needs help

Carroll already fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, so it's uncertain how much more can be done. Poor tackling on a Broncos punt return that led to a touchdown and 14-7 lead was the turning point. There's a lot to like about the Raiders' special teams, but there have been way too many breakdowns this season that have been crucial in some of the losses.

Stock up

Backup QB Kenny Pickett completed 8 of 11 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown after replacing injured starter Geno Smith. It's obviously a small sample size, but Pickett looked more than capable of running the offense if needed. Doing as a starter, of course, is another matter.

Stock down

The Raiders couldn't get off the field defensively. Denver scored 17 points on three drives that went more than 80 yards, two 90 and longer. The time of possession on those series — 8:54, 9:13, 10:17. By the end, the Broncos had the ball for 39:03, which helped limit Las Vegas to just 48 plays. The Broncos had 40 snaps alone on the Raiders' side of the field.

Injuries

Carroll said he wouldn't know more about the status of QB Geno Smith (shoulder) “for a couple of days.” ... CB Kyu Blu Kelly (patella tendon) will be out for the foreseeable future. “We'll see how it goes and what has to take place to get him right,” Carroll said. “You notice, it was in open field. It was just a freak accident that shouldn't happen. You didn't see it buckle or anything. He just planted and sometimes that happens.”

Key number

5 — Number of consecutive games the Raiders have allowed at least four sacks and rushed for fewer than 75 yards, a first in the Super Bowl era.

Next steps

The Raiders visit defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia on Sunday.