Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.
The rivalry between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs is one of the most historic in the NFL but as Derek Carr said earlier in the week, it hasn’t been much of a rivalry lately. Since 2013, the Raiders had gone 2-12 against the Chiefs prior to Sunday’s game and they hadn’t won in Kansas City since 2012. That changed in Week 5 as Las Vegas was able to pull off the upset of the season so far.
Nobody saw them winning this game but the silver and black did it off the back of a number of explosive plays. Carr was asked if the rivalry was back on after the game and had a strong response.
“I think we’re back. … It’s the world champs, man, and what we were able to do today – so proud,” Carr said after beating the Chiefs in Kansas City for the first time in his career.
Now, the Chiefs are still formidable and the Raiders are hosting them later in the season. They definitely can’t get overconfident now. The AFC West is still the Chiefs’ division and the Raiders are going to have to earn it from them.
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Carr Praises the Defense
Perhaps the most shocking thing about Sunday’s win was how the defense stepped up for the Raiders. Patrick Mahomes was sacked three times and the defensive line consistently brought pressure for the first time all season. The Chiefs don’t have a bad offensive line, so it was a stunning thing to see. Carr praised defensive coordinator Paul Guenther after the win.
“Hope they give Guenther a lot of credit,” Carr said. “He had a tough week … I’ve had some tough weeks. That’s just part of the business.”
Many have called for Guenther’s job after a bad defensive start to the season but he definitely gained some favor after the Chiefs win. Though they did score 32 points, the team held arguably the best offense in the NFL to only eight points in the second half. That’s not an easy task and Guenther deserves a lot of credit for adjusting after a bad first half.
Jon Gruden Shouts out Carr
Carr has been the target of a lot of criticism over the last few years and the fact that he’s played so badly against the Chiefs has been a major talking point. Well, he thoroughly outplayed Mahomes on Sunday and proved once again that he can be a franchise quarterback.
“I am just happy that Derek got a big win,” head coach Jon Gruden said. “I know that Carr takes a lot of criticism. We’ve been playing pretty good, honestly.”
The quarterback has finally gotten the monkey off his back and announced to the NFL that he’s still one of the better throwers in the league. The Raiders still have work to do but this season is already starting to feel like the team’s breakout year in 2016 that ended in a playoff run.
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