Derek Carr choked back tears talking about how difficult the Raiders 2-7 start has been

Sorry for being emotional. I’m just [expletive]-off, you know, about some of the things that a lot of us try to do just to practice.

The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-7. This is not the start they envisioned after last year’s surprising trip to the playoffs.

The Raiders bolstered their offense by adding Davante Adams to the roster and head coach Josh McDaniels to the sideline. Instead of building from last year’s 10-win campaign, Las Vegas has drilled downward in search of new lows.

Week 10 not only brought a third straight loss but also saw McDaniels get out-maneuvered by Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday, who’d never coached at any level above high school before Sunday’s game. The Raider defense couldn’t handle a 37-year-old Matt Ryan and its offense couldn’t finish off a last-ditch drive that petered out in the red zone in a 25-20 home defeat.

That followed a 24-0 Week 8 loss to the New Orleans Saints and a 27-20 Week 9 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars where the Raiders blew a 17-0 lead for the third time in eight games. And if that all sounds like a lot, well, Derek Carr’s postgame press conference Sunday helped assure us all that is really, truly is.

“I love Josh [McDaniels]. I love our coaches. They’ve had nothing but success. Way more success than I’ve ever had.

“I’m sorry,” Carr continued while stifling tears. “Sorry for being emotional. I’m just [expletive]-off, you know, about some of the things that a lot of us try to do just to practice. What we put bodies through just to sleep at night.

“And for that to be the result of all that effort, [expletive] me off. [expletive] a lot of guys off. It’s hard, knowing what some guys are doing … just so we can be there for each other. And I wish everybody in that [locker] room felt the same way about this place. And as a leader that [expletive] me off, if I’m being honest.”

Carr is the longest-tenured member of the roster as a former 2014 draft pick. He’s had to weather the storm of losing seasons, winning seasons struck down by the broken leg he suffered late in 2016, Jon Gruden’s horrible drafting and abrupt resignation, and last year’s heartbreaking playoff loss. 2022 was supposed to be the start of something better. Instead it’s been as bad as it’s ever been for the Raiders.

It’s hard not to feel for Carr, an overlooked veteran who has toiled on some bad teams but always put in the work. He was supposed to thrive alongside his college teammate Adams. Instead, he’s playing on the second-worst team in the NFL for a coach whose job security gets worse each week. Carr’s had enough of his team losing — but with McDaniels’ uninspired playcalling still a feature, it’s hard to see that changing in the foreseeable future.

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