Raiders loss to Steelers signifies end of Derek Carr era in Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Raiders went into Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve with two goals in mind; keep their playoff hopes alive by winning and for Derek Carr to prove he should remain the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. Neither of the two goal were accomplished.

Carr finished the evening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (final score 13-10) with a stat line of 16 completions out 30 attempts for 174 yards with one touchdown and 3 interceptions. The most memorable play of the evening when the Raiders were scrambling to tie the game or win in the final thirty seconds of regulation down by 3 points. Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow was open in the middle of the field which would have put them in range at least for a tying field goal however the pass was off target and was intercepted. On the fifty year anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception” to Raiders fan it was more of an Immaculate Dejection.

The Raiders playoff hopes are all but gone and Raiders fans are done with quarterback Derek Carr. As a life long Raiders fan this is the most united fans and analysts have been when it comes to Carr. After nine years and two playoff appearance, with two first round exits, everyone is over the Carr experience in Las Vegas.

Derek Carr has had to deal with an extraordinary amount of adversity during his time with the Raiders and he may be one of the best leaders in the NFL. When it comes to his talent he is very capable of being a starting quarterback in this league however it’s becoming clearer that he may not be good enough to take the Raiders beyond what he has accomplished in nine years.

This season Carr is tied for 7th in touchdowns with 24 but he is also the leader in interceptions with 14. Carr was a critical factor to luring Davante Adams away from the Green Bay Packers but Adams has such an up and down season that he may even be ok with a change at quarterback. Adams was excited to play with Derek Carr again after their success in college but going 6-9 with two games left in the season likely is not what he imagined.

Are there other reasons Carr could be struggling? Absolutely. Carr is learning yet another offensive system, similar to when Gruden took over and Carr went 4-12 in their first season together. Does some of the blame rest on the shoulders of the new head coach, Josh McDaniels? It definitely does.

The Raiders lost four games despite having a lead of 13 points or more at halftime. Is it fair to place that failure on Carr? In some instances yes; in the Steelers game the defense held the Steelers forcing missed field goals and “3 and outs” but Carr continued to go 3 and out himself putting zero points on the board in the second half. One field goal or one touchdown in the second half would have sealed the win for the Raiders. But some of the play-calling and overall ability of the defense falls to defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Eight of the Raider’s nine losses were by a margin of 7 or less points. The Raiders lost to the AFC West Champion Kansas City Chiefs by one point. Is there a chance the Raiders could be successful in 2023 with Carr as the quarterback if Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler drafts properly? Definitely.

But there may be too much damage done at this point for Carr to remain. This season has been marked by embarrassing losses that make the fans ashamed to support this team. Losing to Baker Mayfield who was the Rams quarterback for less than 48 hours before the game stands out, as well as losing to interim Colts head coach Jeff Saturday who never coached in the NFL before that day. Getting blown out by the New Orleans Saints led by Andy Dalton ranks up there as well. The Raiders were supposed to have a “Return to Greatness” after moving to Las Vegas for a fresh start however with another season record of less than .500 that Raiders have “Maintained Mediocrity” since the early 2000’s.

The fans are tired of supporting the team and Carr and analysts are tired of hyping up the Raiders when they continue to prove them wrong. It seems inevitable at this point that the Raiders (currently with the 9th pick in the draft) will opt with a rookie or another veteran quarterback in 2023. The loss to the underperforming Franco Harris-inspired Steelers seems to be the nail in the coffin as Raiders fans will once again watch other teams compete in the playoffs in January. Those fans watching other fans live out their dreams of possibly seeing their team will win a Super Bowl this year will stew and and their blame will justifiably focus on Derek Carr.

Carr’s passion, leadership, and professionalism can never be called into question but his ability to elevate the team to perform at the level required to win a Super Bowl is leading many to doubt him. It may finally be time to say goodbye to the Derek Carr era with the Silver and Black.