After sputtering for three games, the Las Vegas Raiders offense looked explosive and dynamic against the Dallas Cowboys. One wrinkle the team added was using backup quarterback Marcus Mariota in certain packages. One of the plays paid off as Mariota scored a rushing touchdown from the three-yard line in the third quarter.
However, the part of the play that went viral had nothing to do with the touchdown. During the play, starting quarterback Derek Carr was sent out wide and lined up as a wide receiver. He was matched up with Cowboys star cornerback Trevon Diggs. Carr looked at Diggs and waved him to come closer. The photo of Carr waving at Diggs quickly went viral. The quarterback had a chance to react to the photo.
Unfortunately, fans didn’t get to see what Carr could do as a wide receiver as Mariota took the ball and ran it into the endzone without even looking to pass it. Diggs leads the league with eight interceptions so Carr is the last person the Raiders would use to test the cornerback.
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Carr Showed off His Wheels Against Cowboys
GettyDerek Carr after a first-down run.
Despite being a decent athlete, Carr rarely shows off his running ability. Against the Cowboys, he had his longest run since 2017 on a 22-yard scramble that gave the Raiders a first down. It was a pleasant surprise to see Carr make such a big play with his legs. He revealed that he’s given himself a nickname in honor of Mariota.
“After I ran it, I looked over at Marcus and I gave him one of these,” Carr said Thursday, making the hang-loose hand signal. “I always call myself Carr-iota, and he gets a kick out of that one.
“Any time I scramble in practice or in a game, I come up to him and I go, ‘Carr-iota, bro.’ And he’ll laugh at me, probably just to appease me, but it felt good to be able to pick that up in the running game.”
It would benefit the Raiders offense if Carr would take advantage of open running lanes more so perhaps this latest run will give him some confidence.
“I’d say, over the last couple years, I’ve run for a few first downs here and there,” Carr said. “But that’s probably one of the longer ones I’ve had in a while.”
Raiders ‘Were up Against a Wall’ vs. Cowboys
There was possibly no team in the NFL that needed a win this week more than the Raiders did. After a strong start to the season, Las Vegas had lost three straight games and it was starting to look like they’d fall out of playoff contention. With a win over a very good Cowboys team, the Raiders are still alive. Carr knew his team needed a win.
“We were up against a wall,” Carr said. “There was no doubt about that. That’s just a fact, everyone can see that. The way we fought today and for as long as it took to win — we always say the fourth quarter or as long as it takes to win — we had to do that today and I am very proud of our team.”
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Raiders’ Derek Carr Reacts to Viral Moment With Cowboys DB Trevon Diggs