Raiders QB Derek Carr cools his hot seat with stellar performance vs. Chargers

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr quieted reports of disconnect with Jon Gruden with a stellar performance against the Chargers.

With the Raiders losing four consecutive games in large part due to a struggling offense, there were rumors of disconnect between quarterback Derek Carr and coach Jon Gruden.

Carr did his best to quiet any such chatter by turning in a stellar performance against the Chargers, leading his team to a 24-17 victory and keeping the Raiders’ playoff chances alive in front of thousands of Raiders fans in LA.

Carr completed 26 of 30 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. He failed to notch his first 300-yard passing performance but was a perfect 10 for 10 passing in the second half.

The return of wide receiver Hunter Renfrow helped Carr’s cause, especially on third-down plays. The two paired for five completions on that crucial down, including a 56-yard touchdown on the Raiders’ first drive of the game, per The Raiders Wire’s own Levi Damien.

Carr and Renfrow’s on-field relationship was solidifying before Renfrow was injured against the Jets, and Carr acknowledged his rapport with the rookie after the game, telling reporters, “Obviously the chemistry is there. There’s no denying that.” 

Carr also made an impact while running the ball. His hesitation to bolt from the pocket when needed this season is part of the reported disconnect between Carr and Gruden. Carr scored a touchdown on a pass play that saw him roll out to the right and keep running when tight end Darren Waller and fullback Alec Ingold were covered.

After the game, Gruden noted that Carr’s athleticism is underrated and sounded more than pleased with his quarterback’s ability to threaten the defense with his legs. He also reaffirmed he wants more from Carr in that regard.

“I think that was something that we were really looking for and excited about. He is a much better athlete than people know about and we have been trying to encourage him to do more of that,” Gruden told reporters after the game. “It was a bootleg … LA did a nice job to cover it. That’s what you need to be. You need to be a threat to run and that’s what he did today. That was a big play for us.”

That the Raiders were booed last week after losing the last game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum only fueled speculation about Carr’s future with the club. Gruden notoriously has a wandering eye when it comes to quarterbacks, as well.

But Carr executed the offense at a high level against the Chargers — through the air, and on the ground, earning a second chance to succeed in front of a friendly crowd.  If he can do the same next week when the Raiders travel to Denver to face the Broncos, rumors of a new quarterback for the 2020 Las Vegas Raiders will greatly subside.

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