PFF Recap: Oakland Raiders vs. Houston Texans
By Austin Gayle
Reaction and analysis to the Pro Football Focus grades of the Oakland Raiders in Week 11.
Two days removed from the Oakland Raiders’ comeback win over the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football, Raider Nation is sitting on a relative high going into Thanksgiving weekend, for it will be the first time in a long time that the Raiders’ season is still relevant when the turkey comes out of the oven.
In an effort to take a close look at Oakland’s performance in Mexico, we dive into ProFootballFocus.com’s single-game grades of the Raiders’ top performers.
Derek Carr Remains Poised Through Adversity, Again
With the MVP race tightening, Raiders third-year quarterback Derek Carr pushed aside all doubts surrounding his campaign, as he single-handedly willed Oakland back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter to push the Silver and Black to their best 10-game start since 2001.
Nothing was clicking for Oakland’s offense entering the second half of the contest, and Carr added to the dismay by throwing an ugly interception on the Raiders’ first offensive play of the third quarter, leaving the Raider Nation with a lump in their throat.
Carr soon put their stress to rest.
With just under 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Carr capitalized on the Texans’ blown coverage with a 75-yard touchdown strike, and he never looked back.
On the following drive, Carr completed three of four passes for 82 yards and what would be a game-winning touchdown to sophomore receiver Amari Cooper.
"“We got punched in the mouth, for lack of a better word, and we were throwing them back and it was 10-10, tie game, tough game at half,” Carr said when asked of the Raiders’ fourth quarter comeback. “We weren’t doing things the way we usually want to do things, executing wise. But there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that we were going to come back and win the football game.”"
Despite his interception, Carr stood above the rest as the Raiders’ top offensive performer (87.3), per PFF.com.
With his performance on Monday night, Carr separated himself from the pack. He had enough ability and poise to ignite an offense that failed to show a pulse through 50 minutes, a feat only accomplishable by the elite.
Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio praised Carr for his efforts, highlighting his poise as a quality that stands out above the rest.
"“Having that trigger man that can make those kind of plays is everything,” Del Rio said. “He did a great job tonight staying poised. I thought that’s one of the keys, is the poise he’s playing with, kind of unstoppable. He stays the course, keeps making good decisions, keeps putting balls in a good spot, accurately, and then we started making some plays at the end.”"
Carr’s ability to remain unstoppable will be put to the test against the visiting Carolina Panthers this Sunday, but it’s unlikely he has any doubts.