Raiders coach sees ‘nothing but upside’ despite loss to Bears

Pete Carroll wasn’t sure how to feel about the Raiders’ 25-24 loss to the Bears on Sunday when he sat down to watch the game again.

Carroll knew the Raiders mishandled a winnable game by turning the ball over four times, including three interceptions by quarterback Geno Smith and committing a cardinal sin by allowing Josh Blackwell a free path off the edge to block Daniel Carlson’s potential game-winning field-goal attempt with 38 seconds remaining.

The wounds of those errors were still fresh when he cued up the game film.

But the more Carroll watched, the more he could see past the bad and recognize the good.

For the first time all season, his offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage by blowing open lanes for rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who gained a career-high 138 yards rushing, and giving Smith safe pockets. They ran for a season high of 240 yards and didn’t give up a sack.

The defense limited the Bears to 13 points off the turnovers and allowed just 69 rushing yards on 26 attempts.

By the time Carroll hit the stop button, a whole new perspective had emerged.

“I saw nothing but upside,” he said Monday.

From a micro level, the sting of Sunday’s loss could be felt throughout the Raiders’ facility Monday morning. But from the macro perspective of what Carroll is trying to build in his first season as coach, there was a sense of growth. It’s a message Carroll relayed to his players when they met later in the day.

“By the time I get with our guys and show them what we’re talking about, we’re going to have a feeling of what we are going forward,” Carroll said. “The effort and the mentality and the willingness to hang with it no matter what happened was demonstrated. That’s the mark of a team that I recognize and that I’m trying to build.”

Carroll has plenty of scars to show for the initial pain and frustrations of trying to rebuild a culture. Before turning USC into a national power, his Trojans stumbled to a 1-3 record in his first four games.

Before stringing together multiple playoff appearances and a Super Bowl championship in Seattle, his Seahawks had back-to-back 7-9 seasons.

Carroll remained optimistic in each situation, insisting his players heed the lessons of their mistakes but also recognize the positives.

Sunday’s loss offered a chance to do both. And Carroll was not about to dismiss growth from the run game and run defense by focusing solely on the result.

“The ability to run the football … allows us so much better a chance for balance in what you present to your opponent,” he said. “And that’s what I’ve always been seeking. And I thought that was the first time it really felt like that.”

Jackson Powers-Johnson shines

The offensive line’s progress coincided with the return of right guard Powers-Johnson, who missed two straight games with a concussion.

Powers-Johnson had a 76.1 game-grade from Pro Football Focus — the third-best mark on the team — and did not allow a sack, pressure, hurry or quarterback hit.

“He played with terrific effort, played tough as hell,” Carroll said. “Really went for it knowing that he’s competing, too, which brought out a really bright side of his strengths.”

Powers-Johnson was moved to right guard after getting beaten out at center by Jordan Meredith. He’s competing with Alex Cappa, but might have taken control of that battle with his performance Sunday.

“He deserves a chance to go again,” Carroll said.

No update on Miller

Carroll did not provide an update on Kolton Miller, the team’s starting left tackle who suffered an ankle sprain late in the game. If he can’t play Sunday at Indianapolis, Stone Forsyth could get the start.

The other option would be rookie Charles Grant, a third-round pick out of William &Mary.

“He’s capable of playing,” Carroll said of Grant. “He’s done really well for us, but we’ll look after him in giving him his opportunity to start.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.