Pete Carroll’s first season as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders has been rough, to say the least. The Raiders are 2-10, have dropped six straight, and still face a tough stretch ahead. What’s most concerning is that Carroll’s defensive background hasn’t shown up on the field, with the team sitting in the bottom seven in total points allowed.
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That’s why a reporter recently asked the head man about the defensive struggles. They pointed out his highest usage of the Cover 3 defense in the league, 55% over the last six weeks and 47% overall, and how teams running that scheme are now ranked near the bottom of the league. Carroll appreciated the question and was happy to answer it.
The coach said that Cover 3 is still a commonly used defense and that they are working to improve it.
“You know, there’s still a lot of Cover 3 played around the league,” Carroll told Jesse Merrick. “We’re just trying to get good at some basics and the things that we really count on. Then, we mix in a variety of things throughout. We don’t want to be really predictable, but we also want them to have to beat us. So, we’re trying to learn how to play that way.”
In case you didn’t know, Cover 3 is one of many defensive schemes. It usually involves a safety in the deep middle of the field who drops back as the last line of defense. Two cornerbacks then drop to the right and left, creating a three-man back line. This means the remaining four defenders in coverage are responsible for the middle of the field and the flats.
However, many pundits argue that this defensive scheme is becoming outdated. One of those analysts, Mitchell Renz, weighed in with numbers to support the claim.
“NFL teams running 40% or more Cover 3 are a combined 15-34 this season,” tweeted the Raiders analyst.
Great question Jesse
This proves 2 things:
1. Pete Carroll is living in the pastNFL teams running 40% or more Cover 3 are a combined 15-34 this season (great stat )
2. Pete is sabotaging Patrick Graham’s defense just like he’s sabotaged the 2025 Raiders. https://t.co/T2Ev98yRab
— Raiders Report Mitchell Renz (@MitchellRenz365) December 5, 2025
It’s an eye-opening stat that goes to show how different the NFL is nowadays. When Carroll coached the Seattle Seahawks, Cover 3 was a massive part of his defensive scheme. But today, teams are opting more for the Cover 2 and other packages with heavy blitz rates.
This is most likely because passing is the best it’s ever been in the NFL today. QBs are regularly passing for over 4,000 yards in a season, and offensive playcalling is as creative as it’s ever been as well. This has forced a lot of teams to apply a basic Cover 2 shell package, which stresses limiting big plays.
On top of this, Carroll and the Raiders are among the lowest in blitz rate in the league. They also rotate their players out just 40% of the time. Compare this to excellent defenses like the Seahawks, who sub players out 92% of the time.
At the end of the day, though, the Raiders simply don’t have the best personnel to run a tight ship on defense right now. Outside of Maxx Crosby, there aren’t a lot of household names. But there is a bevy of reclamation projects like Jamal Adams, Devin White, and Eric Stokes.
If these players can continue to grow and thrive in this system, then maybe in a year or two, we will see Carroll’s Raiders make a comeback defensively. But for the moment, it’s going to continue to be a struggle, as they run an unpopular, outdated defense, with players who aren’t skilled enough to master it.
