Randy Mueller, the 2000 NFL Executive of the Year, brings over 30 years of experience in the football business, including stints as the general manager of Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. With Heavy, Mueller breaks down the NFL from a front office perspective. You can follow Randy on Twitter @RandyMueller_
Derek Carr Gives Behind-the-Scenes Look at Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr gave a very unusual look behind the scenes during his emotional Week 10 postgame press conference following a 25-20 loss to the reeling Indianapolis Colts.
“It’s hard, knowing what some guys are doing, like I said, just to practice. What they’re putting in their bodies just to sleep at night, just so we can be there for each other,” Carr told reporters. “And I wish everybody in that room felt the same way about this place. And as a leader that pisses me off, if I’m being honest.”
We have rarely seen that kind of emotion. I’ve heard some ex-players say “welcome to the world of football.” That’s always been the way it’s been.
#Raiders QB Derek Carr got really emotional in his postgame press conference talking about how tough this season has been.
The fact that it’s a struggle for some every day to practice, to sleep, etc. is not the message. For me, the main message and takeaway was the fact that he indirectly called out some teammates for not having the same desire to do their job as he and others.
My guess is he was talking to guys in his own locker room who he felt were not sacrificing their bodies enough to play, in his opinion. Just look at the guys who are not practicing and playing compared to the injuries they have and you’ll find who he was talking to. I’m not going to call out players, I’ll let you do the research.
The other thing for me was, Carr is clearly not having any fun and that it’s a complete drag for him to show up and grind every day. He looked like a broken man who had nothing left. That can come from leadership, losing or a combination of all of the above. They obviously have some internal strife going on.
Blowing multiple 17-point leads can take a toll. Being shut out on offense can take a toll as well. My opinion is, they have got to find a way to identify certain players who may not be “all in” and maybe even a coach or two who are leading with a style that is suppressing morale.
They have to change something short term in order to move ahead and change the demeanor of this team. It shouldn’t be this grueling to show up for work every day.
Josh Allen’s Recent Roller Coaster Ride
I think confidence is a key to being a high performer, no matter what you do in life.
When that confidence borders on arrogance though, that’s when you have issues and Josh Allen’s carelessness has gotten the best of him in games the last three weeks. From Weeks 8-10, Allen threw at least two interceptions per game, including two in the end zone in the wild, but “horrendous” overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Pro Bowler is now up to 10 interceptions on the year with eight games to play, 5 shy of his career-worst (15) in 2021.
I think mentally, from a decision-making standpoint, the Buffalo Bills QB has got to the point he believes he can make any throw and try anything — even physically he has gotten to where he thinks he can run over any other player.
I think it’s being a bit overconfident and a bit of arrogance combined. He might be trying to do too much and mistakes have resulted. He has to dial it back — just a bit in my opinion — and let things happen naturally instead of trying to force them so much.
It may not get easier though, as Buffalo is expecting a “potentially historic” storm that could dump multiple feet of snow on the Bills-Browns Week 11 matchup.
Miami Dolphins Putting on a Firework Show
The Miami Dolphins are the most explosive team in the NFL right now, with a league-leading 3,915 total scrimmage yards through Week 10. Speed changes games and makes everyone rethink how they play you on defense.
Head Coach Mike McDaniel has done an awesome job of scheming his talent but the roster that Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and company have put together makes me smile. I have always been a big believer in the “speed kills” mantra, and with the addition of Jeff Wilson from the 49ers at the trade deadline, they now have multiple backs who can score from anywhere as well.
The important thing to note is Tua Tagovailoa has been criticized for not having the arm strength to throw deep consistently- he doesn’t have to with these weapons, his accuracy and ball placement make the run after catch from anywhere on the field, a real thing for all these speedsters.
It’s fun to watch and if Tagovailoa can stay healthy, the Dolphins will be in the mix for the AFC title this year.
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GM Notebook: Derek Carr Gave Telling Behind-the-Scenes Look at Raiders’ Chaos