Las Vegas Raiders Week 15 Studs and Duds: Mariota shines
Raiders Studs: Marcus Mariota
When Derek Carr went down in the first quarter, the cameras panned over to Marcus Mariota warming up, and he did not look too enthusiastic while getting ready to go into the game. Some may have seen this as Mariota not being ready to go, but he has always been the type of player who kept his cool and poise, that is exactly what he did in this game.
The Raiders ultimately fell short, but Mariota battled all the way until the bitter end, and made several plays with his arm and his legs, looking like a top draft pick yet again. Mariota ended the night with 226 passing yards and 88 rushing yards, racking up two total touchdowns to lead the Raiders to within a few yards of winning the game.
His ability to extend plays with his legs and throw on the run was on full display in this game, and his performance perhaps put to bed those concerns that Raiders fans had about paying him so much money. Having a player like that available off the bench for you when your starting quarterback goes down is invaluable, and though the Raiders did not win, they would not have been in the game with someone like Nathan Peterman running the show.
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It is unclear if Derek Carr will be able to return for the next game, but if he is forced to miss more time, then at least the Raiders are in great hands with Marcus Mariota. He adds a new dimension to the offense that Carr does not, thanks to his athleticism, and his poise in big moments is a huge asset to a young team.