The Dallas Cowboys play the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, but Brian Schottenheimer has already begun the mind games against Pete Carroll’s unit. Schottenheimer essentially highlighted that the Raiders’ head coach is one-dimensional and relies on what worked in his previous gig.

“I’ll start offensively on Ashton Jeanty, a draft pick, who just tells you a lot about what you need to know,” Schottenheimer said to 105.3 The Fan. “Pete is used to having big backs, physicals. You go to Marshawn Lynch, people like that, you can turn around and hand the ball 30 times, things like that. He wants to do that.”

During Carroll’s tenure at the Seattle Seahawks, he had running backs weighing 215 lbs, like Marshawn Lynch. A similar signing by the team to a four-year, fully guaranteed contract for about $35.9 million has Ashton Jeanty underway with the Las Vegas Raiders. The sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, weighing 208 lbs, has posted 547 running yards and four touchdowns on 143 carries this season.

“[Jeanty’s] ability to make plays when it doesn’t look like there’s [anything] is there, Marshawn did that throughout his career,” Carroll said per ESPN’s Ryan McFadden after the signing. “There’s a special makeup in Ashton.”

His strength and weight extend his role beyond the backfield. Potential to break tackles and catch out of the backfield adds a new dimension to the game. Jeanty, like Lynch, has shown a physical running style and creative instincts, making him an effective running back.

“One of the first guys I watched really closely was Marshawn Lynch because I just liked how hard he ran and the physical style,’ Jeanty said when speaking of his inspirations.

The statement reflects in his play on the field. The running back has exploited space rather than running into a wall of defenders and turned short-yardage situations into significant runs.

Yet, despite the ability, their offense can’t keep up. Schottenheimer, on the other hand, thoroughly studied his opponent, mentioning the aspects of the defense Carroll has tried to replicate that increase the heat around his role at the Raiders.

Carroll is on the hot seat in Las Vegas

Schottenheimer could add to the tension around Pete’s role at the Raiders by having an effective game plan in place to improve the Cowboys’ playoff picture for the week-11 fixture.

“The biggest thing for me is that I am used to seeing Pete and his spot-drop-cover-through. They were the best in the world at that, and they still do that,” Schottenheimer said.

Spot-drop-cover-through is the cornerstone of the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense. Instead of just reacting, Carroll’s strategy employs a fundamental Cover 3. 

Their front-line tacklers, led by Maxx Crosby, lead with five sacks so far. In an attempt to replicate Carroll’s pattern-reading model, linebackers and safeties drop into curl-flat and hook zones. Carroll’s system, once dominant, is now showing cracks. Opponents are gashing the Raiders on the ground to the tune of 87.4 yards per game, and the defense is bleeding nearly 25 points per contest, numbers that put Carroll’s philosophy directly under the microscope.

Given the Raiders’ lackluster start, Pete Carroll’s coaching position is under scrutiny, and this aligns well with his outlook. Simultaneously, Schottenheimer, who was an offensive coordinator during Carroll’s tenure at the Seahawks, has the Cowboys prepared on what to expect.

The Dallas Cowboys look forward to bringing in the newly acquired right defensive tackle, Quinnen Williams. Weighing 303 lbs, Williams could target rookie Ashton Jeanty to limit his physical running style.

This brings Carroll’s past success with the Seattle Seahawks and his reputation for constructing great teams under the spotlight. Carroll now needs the offense, aided by Jeanty, to show improvement. A loss to Dallas could escalate doubts about his future with the team, as the odds favor him to be one of the most likely coaches who could be fired next.