Marcus Mariota success helps Las Vegas Raiders in many ways
By Brad Weiss
Great insurance plan for Derek Carr
Outside of all the head coaches, offensive coordinators, and weapons that Derek Carr has had to work with during his seven seasons as the starter, one thing he has not had is a solid backup. On Thursday, Marcus Mariota proved that he is the best backup Carr has ever had, and the team would be in good hands if he goes down due to an injury.
In 2016, when Carr played his best football and had the team humming heading into a Christmas Eve battle with the Indianapolis Colts, the Raiders had a decent backup in Matt McGloin. Unfortunately, McGloin got injured in Week 17, and they had to roll with a player making his first NFL start in the Wild Card round against Houston.
Moving forward, if Carr goes down again, at least for the 2021 NFL season, the Silver and Black have an outstanding insurance plan in Mariota.
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Thursday was one game, and Mariota has yet to prove during his time in the NFL that he is can be a consistent starter. There have been flashes of brilliance, as we saw last night, but he is a great backup, and with a few more solid starts, would be an asset to the franchise on or off the field moving forward.