Buster: Derek Carr

Let’s talk about that slide that was ruled out of bounds, because it’s been bugging me. Not because it was a bad call. It was a terrible call. But, you know, I can’t help but wonder how that call happened in the first place.

We already covered that the Raiders shouldn’t have put themselves in the situation where they needed it so desperately. But Carr could easily have slid inbounds or dove inbounds and stayed there, taking any sort of judgment call away from the officials. He had the blocking. He even could potentially have turned inside and gotten a few more yards if he wanted to. But he didn’t. Getting flagged for delay of game while arguing the call only made things worse.

While we’re talking about judgment, what about on the first play of the next possession? With 27 seconds left, needing to push the ball down the field and Carr rolls out left and… throws it away??? That’s the one thing he should not do in that situation. You either take a shot downfield or you take off and run it to get what you can and get out of bounds if you can. That play elicited a considerable rain of boos.

Carr several times didn’t see the open man in the game. Yeah, he had some drops too, but that’s always going to happen. The second possession ended with him overthrowing a covered Darren Waller while missing a wide-open Zay Jones underneath that would have been a first down and the Raiders settled for the first of three field goals.

The third field goal drive, Tyrell Williams had a step on his man with open field in front of him and Carr didn’t take the shot, instead throwing too high for Josh Jacobs behind the line.

Early in the fourth quarter he again missed a wide-open Zay Jones, and again chose to throw to a back behind the line, this time it was caught for a loss. Carr was sacked on third and long and they punted it away again.

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