Raiders need Derek Carr to play like he did last time against Carolina
Carr was terrific that Sunday
As he was for the entire 2016 NFL season, Carr was terrific that Sunday, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns against that Panthers defense. Not only was he terrific in terms of the stat sheet, but he was extremely clutch, hitting Clive Walford midway through the fourth quarter to pull the Raiders within one.
Down 32-30, Carr and the Raiders decided to go for two, and when he connected with Seth Roberts for two, the Silver and Black had gotten all the momentum back. A Sebastian Janikowski interception would seal the deal, but it was Carr’s clutch play that led the team to their third straight home victory.
In 2020, the Raiders are hoping to get more of that Carr, who seemed to put his team on his back late nearly every week. He played with a fearless demeanor, willing the Raiders to victories, and that led to him becoming the highest-paid player in the NFL, albeit only for a short period of time.
He has the talent around him to dominate in 2020, and it will all begin on Sunday.
The hope for the Raiders in Week 1 is that they can come away with a victory against the Panthers once again, but hopefully it will not take late-game heroics. This team is the better team heading into this matchup, and if they can get out to a fast start, they should be able to come away with the rare East Coast victory.