Bruce Irvin on Derek Carr Returning: Like Jesus Rose from the Dead
Oakland Raiders linebacker Bruce Irvin likened quarterback Derek Carr’s return after a finger injury to the Resurrection of Jesus.
In terms of things that are unsightly to watch, seeing a quarterback with a mangled finger is up high on the list. However, after Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr raised up too quickly on a snap in Week 12, that was the case. Carr dislocated his pinky, was clearly in a ton of pain, and had to go back to the locker room for a drive. Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers erased Oakland’s 18-point lead. However, Carr ultimately returned.
Wearing a glove on the injured hand, the MVP candidate struggled to get back into his groove as he saw his team go down 32-24. Once he found it, though, it was lights-out in the fourth quarter. With key throws to Michael Crabtree and then a gorgeous throw to Clive Walford for a touchdown, Carr then found Seth Roberts for the game-tying two-point conversion. After stopping Carolina, Carr got the ball again.
He drove once again down the field deep into Panthers territory. Though he couldn’t find the end zone, he did set up the go-ahead field goal. Oakland’s defense came through once again with a game-sealing strip sack by Khalil Mack. Another fourth-quarter comeback notched by Carr of course.
Everyone was raving about Carr’s gutsy return and clutch moment for the Raiders. However, no one was raving as much as linebacker Bruce Irvin. When Irvin was asked after the game about his return, he had this to say (per Michael Wagaman of Silver and Black Illustrated):
Bruce Irvin on Carr coming back into game: "Like Jesus rose from the dead."
— Michael Wagaman (@MWagaman) November 28, 2016
Well that’s certainly one way to go about praising your quarterback.
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Obviously we’re not going to go that far, but this does show just how highly the Raiders think of their quarterback. Time and again, he’s been at the helm with his team needing him to step up. And even with a mangled pinky and glove, he led them to another victory on Sunday. Maybe Irvin is going a bit far, but it might be time to start thinking about another moniker for Carr: MVP.