Oakland Raiders: 3 Bold predictions vs. Lions, Week 9
By Steve Rivera
2. Carr continues strong performance
One drumbeat that seems to have quieted down is Derek Carr and the possibility he won’t be with the Raiders in 2020 when they pack up and move to Las Vegas.
Carr has been an interesting player to watch since Jon Gruden came back to the Raiders. During most if not all of 2018, Carr was rumored to be on his way out. During the run-up to the draft, many thought Oakland might take a quarterback in the first round. Instead, Gruden and Mike Mayock made smart moves, stuck with Carr, and the payoff looks to be evident.
However, that doesn’t mean a bad second half, especially a second half of the season playing teams Oakland can perform well against, wouldn’t spell doom. Gruden can be particularly hard on quarterbacks, and with a QB deep class coming online for the 2020 NFL Draft, Gruden’s eye could wander.
Carr has been sound this season. Against the Texans, he kept his offense in a position to win. As a matter of fact, he’s done that for the majority of the season and battled hard in losses. In Houston, and against a good defense, Carr went 18 of 30, for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Oakland still came up short, losing 27-24.