The Las Vegas Raiders have done the impossible this season in the worst way imaginable. Following a shutout loss to the New Orleans Saints last week, it looked like the team would bounce back in a major way and took a 17-0 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, this is a Raiders team that doesn’t know how to hold a lead and quickly squandered it. After scoring zero points in the second half, Las Vegas lost 27-20. It’s the third time this season that Las Vegas gave up a lead of 17 or more points.
The defense was not good but still gave the offense a chance to win in the end. They were rewarded with two straight ugly drives from quarterback Derek Carr. This was the year that Carr was supposed to take another leap and return to MVP form. He looked that way in the first half as he went 16 for 21 with 238 yards and two touchdowns. He only threw for 28 yards the rest of the game.
Trading for Davante Adams and giving Carr an elite No. 1 wide receiver clearly wasn’t enough to get him to the next level. He’s been a polarizing player among the Raiders fan base for years but now it appears that many are done defending him. He got torn to pieces following the loss to the Jaguars.
Derek Carr sucks.
Derek Carr stinks
Anyone that defends Derek Carr now is either a family member or just has an unhealthy obsession with him.
Count your days Derek carr
Some fans went so far as to suggest that it’s time for the Raiders to move on.
Send Derek carr to jail.. I’ve had enough
Derek Carr gotta go 💯
Derek Carr needs to go. Josh McDaniels needs to be fired. This team is complete garbage. #raiders
Is It Finally Time to Make a QB Change?
Carr has survived multiple coaching and general manager changes over the years but his time may be running out. Yes, the Raiders’ offensive line is bad and the defense can’t stop anybody but that doesn’t excuse the fact that he’s been missing open wide receivers all season and isn’t doing his part to help the team win.
Head coach Josh McDaniels has left a lot to be desired as a head coach but he’s only been with the team for eight games while Carr has been with them for nine years. At a certain point, owner Mark Davis is going to look at Carr and force the issue. When the Raiders handed the quarterback a three-year contract extension in the offseason, the hope was that he’d be their starting quarterback for a long time. However, the team did make it possible to cut Carr in the offseason without taking a huge dead cap hit. It seemed unlikely that they would exercise that option when he signed the contract but now it’s looking like a necessary move if the season doesn’t turn around in a major way.
Raiders Shouldn’t Bench Carr This Season
Carr hasn’t been good this year and it’s fair to question if he still has a future in Las Vegas. That said, there’s no reason to bench him during the season. He’s still the team’s best option to win games. Jarrett Stidham is the backup and he’s never started an NFL game before. Rookie Chase Garbers is on the practice squad but there’s no reason to believe he’s ready to start NFL games.
If Carr can improve his play, it might help any potential trade value when the season is over. He has a no-trade clause in his contract but perhaps the two sides can find a mutually beneficial deal. Regardless, Carr’s future in Las Vegas is becoming murkier by the week.
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Raiders Called on to Move on From QB Derek Carr