The Las Vegas Raiders needed a late drive to win the game against the Carolina Panthers and QB Derek Carr came through once again
In one of the more exciting games of Week 1, the Las Vegas Raiders outlasted the Carolina Panthers thanks to some late game heroics on both sides of the ball. It was a game that featured seven lead changes and it seemed for a while that whoever had the ball last would be the team that wins the game.
After leading in the third quarter by two scores, the Raiders suddenly found themselves down three points to the Panthers with just over eight minutes left in the game. They needed a statement drive from the offense that would put their noses back in front and put the pressure back on Carolina.
This was a situation that Derek Carr and the Raiders have been in many times in his career and as we have come to expect from the veteran quarterback, he delivered when the pressure was on with a surgical drive to take the lead for good.
Let’s take a look at how Carr and the offense came through and what the historical significance is of that performance and win.
Las Vegas Raiders: Derek Carr again comes through in the clutch
How did Derek Carr and the offense deliver?
As we have seen many times in his career, Derek Carr is at his best when the pressure is on and the Raiders need a score to tie or take the lead. Usually this comes in a two-minute drill, but against the Panthers, the Raiders had plenty of time to move the ball down the field after going down late thanks to a Robby Anderson touchdown.
The Raiders got the ball back with 8:29 left in the game and marched down the field with a nice mix of runs and short passes that the running backs did a great job of turning in to big gains. Carr excels at extending plays in these situations and finding targets underneath in space and giving them the space to break loose.
They moved from the Las Vegas 25 to the Carolina 37-yard line exclusively on short throws to both Josh Jacobs and Devontae Booker that they extended into big gains. They were the sort of throws that Carr’s critics lambast him for, but in a situation like that with so much space underneath, why not take what the defense gives you and keep moving the chains?
The next big play in the drive was a pass interference penalty on former Raiders linebacker Tahir Whitehead that was drawn by Carr taking a shot downfield to Hunter Renfrow. It was shortly followed by a quick strike to Darren Waller and a great touchdown run by Jacobs to give the Raiders the lead for good.
It was a classic drive by Carr where he dinked and dunked all the way down the field, using his tremendous offensive line to let plays develop, and giving his receivers space to run after the catch. The Raider defense needed to step up to seal the game for good but it wasn’t possible without that drive lead by Carr.
Las Vegas Raiders: Derek Carr again comes through in the clutch
What does that drive, and win mean for the Las Vegas Raiders?
In terms of historical significance, Sunday’s win was a big one as it was the first win in the history of the Las Vegas Raiders. It was win number 474 since Raiders were founded in 1960, but of course, the first since the big move from Oakland to Las Vegas.
For Derek Carr, it was historically significant as well as he notched his 19th career fourth quarter comeback. Per Raiders PR, Carr holds the record for the most fourth quarter comebacks by a quarterback in their first six years of their career with 18 so this was more of the same for the former Fresno State star.
Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb), the NFL's record holder of fourth-quarter comebacks through his first six seasons (18), strikes again.
— Evert Geerlings (@E_Geerlings) September 13, 2020
Carr registers his 19th career fourth-quarter comeback and the Raiders begin 1-0.#RaiderNation
Also per Raiders PR, Carr now has the most games in franchise history with a passer rating of 100 or more. It is yet another statistical milestone and another record taken over for the most prolific quarterback in team history.
Love him or hate him, when Carr has some talent around him and the Raiders are not actively rebuilding, he usually comes through when the pressure is on. The last time the Raiders made the playoffs in 2016, Carr was responsible for seven fourth quarter comebacks and all of those comebacks were on game-winning drives.
Ideally the Raiders will not need to lean on Derek Carr to repeat that feat in 2020 as they will hope to have opponents put away before the fourth quarter but Raider Nation should take comfort in knowing that he can deliver when put in that position.