The Raiders end a 4-game skid by dominating on defense to beat the Titans 20-10

LAS VEGAS (AP) — It was Devin White and Maxx Crosby and Jonah Laulu and seemingly every defender wearing Raiders silver and black.

Las Vegas' defense, which allowed at least 40 points in two of the past three games, came at Tennessee in droves on Sunday.

The result was a suffocating 20-10 victory over the Titans.

The Raiders (2-4) ended a four-game skid, and the Titans (1-5) missed an opportunity to win consecutive games for the first time since November of 2022, a 47-game stretch.

“We've been talking like we want to play good football for a long time,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said. “It just hasn't come together yet. The last time we won was such a long time ago, we can't even remember it, but (the victory is) really important for us. These guys deserve to feel like they feel right now.”

Neither of the struggling teams did much on offense. They combined for 451 yards.

Las Vegas won fairly easily despite pedestrian numbers from Geno Smith (174 yards and one touchdown passing) and Ashton Jeanty (75 yards and a TD on a 3.3-yards-per-play average).

Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the top overall pick in the NFL draft, was 26 of 38 for 222 yards. He connected with David Martin-Robinson for the second-year tight end's first career TD.

The Raiders set the tone in the first half, when they shut out the Titans. It was the first time Las Vegas has blanked an opponent in a half since the second half against New Orleans last Dec. 29.

The teams combined for 2.39 yards per play in the first half, the lowest since Baltimore and Jacksonville combined to average 1.80 on Oct. 24, 2011.

It didn't help the Titans that they lost wide receiver Calvin Ridley in the second quarter to a hamstring injury. He was coming off a five-catch, 131-yard performance a week ago at Arizona.

The day belonged to defense, at least on the Raiders' side.

White resembled the player who was a top defender for Tampa Bay earlier this decade, finishing with nine tackles, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble. He joins Khalil Mack in 2016 and Trace Armstrong in 2002 as the only Raiders players since 1999 with a sack, forced fumble and interception.

“I don’t know anybody could put up more numbers than Devin White did today,” Carroll said. “Geez, it’s a stat line.”

The Raiders pressured Ward consistently and sacked him six times, tying the QB's season high. Las Vegas sent pressure on 36.4% of dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats, a season high.

That strategy seemed to surprise the Titans.

“They did a good job mixing up some coverages,” Tennessee coach Brian Callahan said. “They pressured a lot more this game than they had going into it. They zero blitzed us (with no deep safety) a few times, which is not something they had done a lot of.”

Crosby had two sacks. He has a nine-game streak with at least one tackle for loss, the longest for a Raiders player since 2008. Laulu recorded his fourth sack in six games, the first Raiders defensive tackle to accomplish that since Bill Pickel in 1986.

“This is a good feeling knowing we go to work every day and we practice really hard,” Laulu said. “You guys should see the stuff we do out there as a D-line. It's just us coming together collectively and pushing each other. Our mindset is to be the heartbeat of the team.”

Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons picked up another sack, extending his streak to three games.

Carroll won his 171st game, moving him into a tie for 17th with Bill Parcells.

The Las Vegas Aces, who won their third WNBA championship in four years on Friday when they completed a four-game sweep of Phoenix, were honored before the game. They received a video tribute and lit the Al Davis memorial torch as fans roared. Davis' son, Mark, owns the Aces and Raiders.

Titans: K Joey Slye (calf) did not play. He was replaced by Matthew Wright, who was signed to the practice squad this week. ... OLB Femi Oladejo (calf) was injured in the third quarter.

Raiders: TE Brock Bowers (knee) missed his second game in a row. ... P AJ Cole (ankle) played after getting injured the week before. ... RB Dylan Laube (hamstring) was hurt in the second half.

Titans: Host New England on Sunday.

Raiders: Visit AFC West rival Kansas City on Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) celebrates after sacking Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jonah Laulu (96) pressures Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll celebrates after Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) scored a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Leki Fotu (95) sacks Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the the Tennessee Titans during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans fired coach Willie Green on Saturday on the heels of a 2-10 start to his fifth season in charge.

Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars, who announced the coaching change, named top assistant James Borrego, a former Charlotte Hornets head coach, as interim coach. The Pelicans next play at home on Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors.

“It really wasn’t the won and lost record as the ultimate determining factor,” Dumars said. “We have to establish who is going to be here in New Orleans going forward and I just did not see that happening.”

Rather, Dumars saw a team “losing the same way, over and over again.”

“That's not improvement,” he continued. “We have to establish that we're going to play hard every night. Before you can become anything in this league, you have to establish that first ... and that's still what I'm looking for right now.”

Team owner Gayle Benson, who has come under increasing public pressure during recent difficult seasons for both the Pelicans and the NFL's Saints, often spoke glowingly of Green and his family but said she trusted Dumars "to make the right decisions for our franchise.”

“I have tremendous admiration and respect for Willie Green, and I truly appreciate all he has done for our organization over the last few years," Benson said. “This is a tough business and these are difficult decisions."

Borrego was head coach of the Charlotte Hornets for four seasons from 2018 to 2022, going 138-163, including 43-39 in his final season. He also served as interim head coach with Orlando during the 2014-15 season.

“It's a tough day,” Borrego said. “I've been fired. Willie believed in me, trusted me, brought me in. ... We all own it. It's not just on him."

Dumars said he expects Borrego's promotion to last at least through the rest of this season but couldn't guarantee whether “unforeseen” circumstances might change that.

Borrego “has sat in the head-coaching seat before in the NBA and understands the job,” Dumars said. “So, we have great faith and confidence in James.”

Borrego noted that he's taking over with 70 games remaining in the regular season.

“There's a lot of basketball to be played here,” he said. “We have time to improve.

“We got to be a more resilient, tough physical group — period — whatever that looks like,” Borrego said. “It's just a very fluid situation right now.”

Green, hired to his first head coaching job in 2021 by former Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin, went 150-190 in four-plus seasons.

His Pelicans teams made the playoffs twice, losing in the first round to Phoenix in 2022 and Oklahoma City in 2024. The Pelicans qualified for the Western Conference play-in tournament in 2023 but were eliminated by Oklahoma City.

“Everybody here still has respect for Willie. So, it's not one of those things where you're happy to see somebody go,” wing Trey Murphy III said. “But we understand, too, that it's time to go with James Borrego.”

Green's job in New Orleans was made more challenging by star power forward Zion Williamson's frequent injury absences. Williamson — the 2019 first overall draft pick out of Duke who has averaged 24.6 points per game during his career — played in just 134, or about 39%, of the 340 regular season games Green coached — and none of the playoff games.

Williamson has missed seven games this season, hampered first by a bruised foot and then a strained left hamstring.

Dumars, hired to take over for Griffin this year, chose in the offseason to stick with Green, who was entering his final season under contract.

“I'd seen some of the Pelicans when they were fully healthy a few years ago and it seemed that Willy was doing a good job. I thought it was only fair to give him an opportunity,” Dumars said. “It was just as simple as: He's been here, give him a chance to have a fresh start with me.”

Dumars provided Green with a roster that included the additions of veterans Kevon Looney, Sadiq Bey and Jordan Poole, along with two first-round draft picks — Jeremiah Fears (seventh overall) and Derik Queen (13th overall).

The Pelicans opened the regular season with a six-game skid that included three 30-plus-point losses. Green briefly seemed to be finding his footing when the Pelicans won two straight, but they have since lost four in a row, including a 118-104 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night in NBA Cup play.

“We’re not status quo people. We’re just not,” Dumars said. “We can’t sit on our hands and we can’t sit here and go, ‘Well, it’s going to get better one day.’"

Although Borrego was in his third season on the Pelicans' staff, he said he expects to explore many potential changes now that he is in charge, perhaps even placing Queen in the starting lineup, given the rookie's greater-than-expected contributions early this season.

“If you put anybody in this seat, it's going to have a different feel and flavor,” Borrego said. "We're different human beings. We tick differently. We see the game a little bit differently.

“I could give you the same menu, but you're just going to use the menu differently, no matter who it is,” Borrego added. “You've got to put your imprint on it. You've got to be who you are — and I'm very comfortable with who I am.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green calls out from the bench in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green talks to a player during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Phoenix Suns Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green reacts from the bench in the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green reacts to an official in the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)