Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos: Players to Watch
By Austin Gayle
Dec 6, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 34-20. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Derek Carr
Coming off easily his worst start of the 2015 season, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is looking to rebound against the Denver Broncos in Week 14. Though he is his biggest critic, analysts and fans alike are looking at this Denver game as an opportunity for Carr to prove that he can rally out of a slump and not string together consistently negative performances.
Against Kansas City, Carr had three interceptions that closely affected the result of the game. Oakland lost the game 34-20 despite leading the Chiefs at the start of the fourth quarter.
Earlier this week, Carr responded to questions regarding his play in the previous week and how he can learn from the mistakes he made. Even though he stated over and over that it was painful to see himself put his team in that situation on film, Carr still understands that he must be the one to make plays in order to win games.
I always want the ball,” Carr said. “I always heard Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant say they missed a lot more game winners than they hit. But, the only ones we seem to remember are the ones they hit. Someday, hopefully that will be the case, that there is a lot more that we make.”
If Oakland is going to get a big upset win over the Broncos on Sunday he is going to need make plays with the ball in his hands. While his offensive line needs to do a good job of keeping him upright, Carr can’t afford to make any simple mistakes on the field.
Though it won’t be easy against the best passing defense in football right now, Carr still understands that he has the weapons and is capable of putting on a show against any defense in the league. Remaining confident in his abilities will serve as a key factor in whether or not Carr overcomes his recent drop in play.