Derek Carr Positive for Future After Raiders Playoff Loss
Injured Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was optimistic when offering his thoughts after his team’s playoff loss on Saturday.
Frankly, the Oakland Raiders didn’t stand much of a chance in their AFC Wild Card matchup against the Houston Texans on Saturday. With starting quarterback Derek Carr’s season ending in Week 16 with a fractured fibula, even pulling off an upset would be an uphill climb. That hill was too steep as third-string quarterback Connor Cook and the depleted Raiders were outmatched.
After going 12-4 in the regular season—12-3 with Carr as the starter—the Raiders made their first playoff berth since 2002. However, it’s hard not to feel a bit bad for the team and their fans for the season ending like it did. To see all of the work and team-building be thrown by the wayside due to injuries is tough. With that said, it’s not breaking the spirit of their injured quarterback.
In the wake of the loss to the Texans, Carr took to Twitter to express his end-of-season thoughts. And as he’s been throughout his time recovering from the injury, he was exceedingly optimistic. The quarterback talked about his love and thanks for the team and the fans, but also hinted that there’s more to come from this group of Raiders:
Well it didn't end how I thought it would, but I am so motivated to come back stronger and even more locked in than ever. #MambaMentality
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 8, 2017
So thankful to play with this team. Love my teammates and how hard they work! Can't wait to get back with them and get to work!
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 8, 2017
Despite the hard-to-swallow conclusion to this year for the Raiders, Carr is 100 percent right. Oakland may have looked like a polished group of veterans this season. For the most part, however, they’re a young bunch that will only improve moving forward.
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This team has plenty of decisions to make going forward about addressing offensive line depth and continuing to shore up their defense. That’s where free agency and the 2017 NFL Draft come into play. Even still, with Carr coming back healthy next season, don’t be surprised to see the Raiders right back in this position (namely the playoffs) again next year.