SEATTLE — Seattle represents a proving ground for Pete Carroll and Geno Smith.

Carroll, especially, left an indelible mark on the Seahawks by coaching them to their only Super Bowl title. Smith quarterbacked the franchise to winning records the past three years.

Now Carroll and Smith head back to the Pacific Northwest, returning to their former home Thursday night representing the Las Vegas Raiders when they open their preseason schedule against the Seahawks.

Carroll took over the Seahawks in 2010 after winning two national championships at Southern California as part of a seven-year run of double-digit victories.

His return to the NFL was a little bit of a leap of faith for Carroll after previous stops in which he went 6-10 in 1994 with the New York Jets and 27-21 in 1997-99 at New En

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