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It was ugly, it was sloppy and it was close to a disaster but the Las Vegas Raiders pulled off the last-minute win over the Cleveland Browns. The game was delayed from Saturday to Monday due to a big COVID-19 outbreak for the Browns. Despite the delay, the team only got one significant player in John Johnson back. They were shorthanded but almost beat the Raiders before kicker Daniel Carlson hit the game-winning field goal.
Had Las Vegas ended up losing, it would’ve been a disaster for the team and could’ve led to some serious drama. There was no excuse for them to drop this game considering how many players the Browns were missing. The future of quarterback Derek Carr has been a major talking point in recent weeks as the Raiders mull a rebuild with a new head coach. However, at 7-7, the team is still very much in the playoff race. Carr has heard a lot of the noise regarding him and his team but isn’t ready to give on this year quite yet.
“Pregame shows and all of those kinds of things are on – they’re planning my future and everybody’s future already. … I don’t think that we’re done yet,” Carr said after the 16-14 win. “We have a long way to go, we haven’t been perfect, but we’re still in it.”
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Can Raiders Still Make the Playoffs?
The Raiders may be leaving Cleveland with a win but it didn’t inspire confidence in the team going forward. The offense is still broken. They have scored less than 20 points in six of the last seven games. That’s simply not going to be good enough as the Raiders have a tough schedule to end the year. Each team they face over the next three weeks doesn’t have a losing record.
The Raiders likely need to win out in order to get into the playoffs but that seems like a tall mountain to climb. Anything is possible and star tight end Darren Waller should return soon but it’s hard to have confidence in this team. If the Raiders are going to sneak into the playoffs, they’ll need a herculean effort from Carr to close out the year.
Does Carr Still Have a Future in Las Vegas?
Carr’s future in Las Vegas could hinge on how these next few games go. Had the Raiders not been able to pull off the win, he would’ve been the subject of a lot of criticism due to the late fourth-quarter interception. Fortunately for him, the Raiders eeked out the win so there shouldn’t be too much heat on him this week. But what about the future?
Carr has said he doesn’t want to play for any other team but the Raiders could be entering a rebuild. There are a couple of teams that are a quarterback away from being serious contenders. It’s possible that Carr could be swayed by the New Orleans Saints or Washington Football Team. That said, he could still finish his career with the Raiders. It will be an interesting situation to watch this offseason.
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