No player on the Raiders will be under greater scrutiny on Sunday night than quarterback Derek Carr. He was awful versus the Chiefs. While he did throw for over 200 yards in the contest, the bulk of that came in gross garbage time in the fourth quarter. He had less than 75 passing yards in the first three quarters versus the Chiefs in Arrowhead.
Carr has a chance to redeem himself with one of his best games against the Cowboys in a big spot. A lot of America will be watching this game, probably because two of the biggest fanbases in the NFL will be playing in primetime. By knocking off the Cowboys, Carr could save the Raiders’ sinking season and live to fight for playoff contention for another week.
This game will be at home for the Raiders, so there are no excuses for Carr and company not to show up. To be honest, the Cowboys have played like a better team than the Chiefs this season, even though they have identical 7-6 records. Dallas has had to deal with injuries and suspension, while Kansas City’s issues have been a tad more self-inflicted.
Simply put, all the pressure in the world is on Carr in this game. He doesn’t have to carry this Raiders team on his back, as there are other guys that have played well of late. However, he can’t look like a West Coast version of Blake Bortles on Sunday Night Football. If he can’t perform in primetime, then the Raiders might be in trouble going forward.