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Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll.
Much of the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos was free of drama. It wasn’t a close game, there weren’t any fights or controversial plays on the field and none of the penalty calls had a huge effect on the game.
However, it ended up becoming one of the most controversial games of the week. That was due to the fact that head coach Pete Carroll decided to kick a field goal at the end of the game. The Raiders were down 24-14, and the hope was that kicking a field goal would at least give the Raiders a second or two to make something happen on an onside kick.
The problem is that the betting line was at -7.5 in favor of the Broncos. By kicking that field goal, anybody who bet against the Raiders covering lost their money. Carroll explained why he decided to kick a field goal in that spot.
“I knew it was going to look stupid, like you couldn’t figure out why we were doing it,” Carroll said Monday. “But there was a clear thought of what we were trying to get down there, just to take it down to the very last click. That might not be good enough for you, I understand that, but I think you can see what we were trying to do, but it just didn’t work out.”
Carroll Responds to Backflash
Many people were very upset with Carroll kicking the field and ruining their bet. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy went so far as to call for the coach to be murdered, which he later apologized for.
It’s hard to imagine the 74-year-old Carroll had any clue what the betting lines for the game were. He made it clear that he has no interest in trying to satisfy what the public thinks is best for him to do.
“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,” Carroll said. “I just can’t do that and do my job the right way to the best of my ability.”
Carroll Talks Shedrick Jackson Touchdown
Another person who made the Raiders covering the spread possible was wide receiver Shedrick Jackson, who caught a fourth quarter touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett. It was his first career catch and touchdown.
Carroll spoke about what went into getting Jackson involved.
“Shedrick – we told him Wednesday, or whatever it was, that he had a chance to play, and I was really fired up for him, to be able to tell him that because he knew that he was getting some reps, but he didn’t hear it from me yet,” Carroll said. “And you can just tell the uplift that happens. … He really rose to the occasion and had a really impressive week of practice, and so we weren’t hesitant to go to him or give him a chance. And that was really one of the favorite stories in the game. It just gives other guys hope as well and keeps hope alive.”
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
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