HENDERSON, Nev. -- Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll defended Geno Smith after the starting quarterback recorded his 13th interception in the team's 33-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on "Monday Night Football."
"I continue to really believe in him," Carroll said Tuesday. "I have no hesitation in telling you that. He's an incredible player, and he's busting his tail, and he's working really hard at it. He has not backed off one step throughout the process. ...
"He'll come through for us."
Carroll thought Smith played well for the most part despite the circumstances. Smith played behind an offensive line that featured backup left tackle Stone Forsythe and backup center Will Putnam with starters Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson on the injured reserve list.
Smith completed 27 of 42 passes (64.3%) for 238 yards, a touchdown and a passer rating of 77.3. He was sacked four times and pressured on 16 of 49 dropbacks.
The Raiders' game plan reflected Carroll's confidence in Smith. They went with a designed pass on 84% of their plays -- the team's highest rate in a game since 2012. Las Vegas ran the ball only 12 times for 27 yards.
Smith's interception came in the second quarter when he tried to force the ball to tight end Brock Bowers down the field. Cowboys linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. tipped Smith's pass, and then the ball was intercepted by Cowboys safety Markquese Bell.
Carroll said Smith should've checked the ball down to rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who had a ton of open space to work with.
"There was a chance there for a 10-yard play, probably," Carroll said. "But he thought he could get [the ball to Bowers], and the linebacker got a hand on the ball. ... He's got that kind of competitive nature about him, but there was a better decision to make than that on that play."
Smith is tied with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the most picks in the league and most by a Raiders quarterback through the team's first 10 games over the past 30 seasons.
Smith, 35, is 29th in passer rating (80.9) and 31st in QBR (32.6), trailing New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields -- who was recently benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor.
"For me, again, I just gotta play better. I keep saying this, if something [doesn't] look right out there, blame it on me," Smith said. "That's all you can do. Blame it on me. If your kids mess up at school, blame it on me. Car breaks down going to work, blame it on me."
Carroll has been protective of Smith throughout the Raiders' 2-8 season. But if these issues carry into the final seven games of the regular season, the 74-year-old coach could be forced to make a tough decision at the position now and for the future.
Backup quarterback Aidan O'Connell (wrist) was designated to return from the injured reserve list on Oct. 29. Carroll said the team will soon decide whether to activate O'Connell to the active roster or keep him on IR for the rest of the season.
On Tuesday, Las Vegas waived safety Chris Smith II and released offensive tackle Leroy Watson IV from the practice squad, which could open the door for O'Connell to join the 53-man roster. Kenny Pickett has been the team's second-string quarterback thus far.
"We've been getting [O'Connell] some work against the [first-team defense] and all that to bring him along as fast as we can," Carroll said. "He's had quite a bit of practice opportunity to get going, so he's done all right with it, too."
Las Vegas is on track to have a high pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The Raiders are projected to have the fourth pick, according to ESPN's Football Power Index.
They have an 8.9% chance of securing the top pick and a 62.5% chance of drafting within the top five, meaning the team could be in position to select one of the top quarterback prospects. The Raiders have not drafted a quarterback in the first round since taking JaMarcus Russell at No. 1 in 2007.
Smith signed a two-year, $75 million extension after being traded from the Seattle Seahawks. He has a dead cap hit of $18.5 million and doesn't have any guaranteed money remaining on his deal after 2026.
The Raiders will likely be in the quarterback market in the offseason. For now, Smith remains the guy.
"We just got to help him out more, got to protect him better," Carroll said.