After years of disappointment, Derek Carr is making his playoff debut with the Las Vegas Raiders. He led the team to a wild card spot in 2016 but an injury kept him out of the playoffs. With the team’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Carr set himself up for his first playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
To say that the quarterback is hyped up would be an understatement. When the Chargers game ended, Carr was as fired up as he’s ever been. However, the work is far from over. Getting to the playoffs is great but the Raiders are about Super Bowls. In the 1980 season, the Raiders became the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl. They now found themselves in a similar position and while a Super Bowl may seem farfetched, Carr clearly has his eyes on the prize.
Ahead of the matchup against the Bengals, the Raiders quarterback dropped an epic hype video.
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Carr Talks Making 1st Playoff Appearance
It’s been a long road to this moment for Carr. The Raiders haven’t exactly been the most cohesive organization in the NFL. A lot of other quarterbacks would have already given up on the team. Carr has remained committed and he’s just thankful to finally get over the hump but he’s not content yet.
“Obviously, it’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was drafted,” Carr said Tuesday. “That’s all I want to do is get to the playoffs and try and win a championship. And the fact that we’re in the tournament, it’s really cool.
“Again, like I said, I’m super thankful. I’ve worked my tail off. I’ve prayed that I could experience that one day and I get to. It’s cool. But at the same time, my goal wasn’t just to make the playoffs … you always have bigger goals and bigger dreams and you’re always trying to achieve more.”
There’s perhaps no player in the NFL who needed a playoff appearance more than Carr. He’s now going to get a chance to show what he can do after the disappointment of 2016.
It’s been a long road, but I wouldn’t trade any of it. A lot on my mind in these pictures. Keep grinding, keep that chip on your shoulder, and never let anyone tell you what you can’t do. We made it back #RaiderNation now let’s have some fun!
Carr Praises Team for Not Quitting
There was a point just a month ago when the Raiders were 6-7 and had lost five of six games. It looked like the season was pretty much over. Instead, the team reeled off four straight wins to end the year and secured a playoff spot. Carr admitted that it hasn’t been easy but praised his team for never quitting on the season.
“We didn’t quit,” Carr said. “Lord knows there’s been many times I’ve gone home after talking to you all, and your human emotions are just like ‘Why do I even do this?’ And you instantly remind yourself of the reasons why you do it.
“So, to accomplish something no one thought — if you said you thought we were going to do this, I’m going to kick you. … No one thought that, but the people in the building did and we acted like it.”
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Derek Carr Releases Epic Hype Video Ahead of Raiders Playoff Matchup