Oakland Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Players of the Game

Nov 8, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass under pressure from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats (55) during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 38-35. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Derek Carr

Though his mistake in the fourth quarter had a relatively negative impact on the game’s outcome, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr still put together yet another impressive performance and served as the primary reason why Oakland kept this game so close.

While Carr did manage to have his lowest completion percentage in a game this season at 54.5, he still threw for 301 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. Due in large part to his offensive line, Carr was also able to stay upright for a majority of the game, as Pittsburgh rarely got hits on Carr and finished the game with zero sacks.

According to ProFootballFocus.com, Carr finished the game with +8.8 grade, the highest overall grade of any Raiders player on Sunday.

On the interception, Oakland’s offense faced a 3rd and 10 on Pittsburgh’s 11-yard line when Carr tried to fit a pass into rookie tight end Clive Walford in the end zone on a deep out route. Pittsburgh safety Will Allen was behind in man-coverage, which seemingly left Walford open in the end zone, but cornerback Ross Cockrell kept his eyes on the quarterback rather than sticking with Seth Roberts in the back of the end zone, and in turn, was able to jump in front of the pass to make the interception.

Though Oakland eventually ended up tying the game with a touchdown, if Carr were able to get a score or even a field goal in that situation the outcome may have went in the Raiders’ favor.

Excluding Carr’s hiccup in the fourth quarter, the sophomore quarterback demonstrated outstanding poise late in the game and did everything he seemingly could to get Oakland the win on Sunday. Given the lack of experience Carr has had, mistakes like that are to be expected, but it’s Carr’s ability to bounce back from mistakes that will determine how Oakland performs moving forward.

Rather than putting the blame on Oakland’s defense, Carr will likely take it upon himself to learn from his mistakes and continue to be a top performer within this offense.

Next: Players of the Game: Antonio Brown