The Las Vegas Raiders enter the final stretch at 7-7, and after his performance in Week 15, Marcus Mariota could force a QB battle in 2021.
With the playoffs out of the question for the Las Vegas Raiders, we should all be looking forward to a possible quarterback battle between Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota. Raiders head coach Gruden still has much to play for, in particular, he has to evaluate the quarterback position.
Derek Carr has had another efficient season, but playing with a terrible defense continues to hinder him from achieving success. When ‘4’ went down last week versus the Los Angeles Chargers, the offense breathed new life with their backup quarterback under center.
Marcus Mariota extended plays with his legs and nearly rushed for 100 yards himself. Rushing offense aside, Mariota’s passing numbers were also solid, with 17 completed passes and a 60.7 completion percentage.
Our own Khaleb Abdallah pointed out that Gruden was more aggressive in his playcalling with Mariota at the helm. So what does this mean as we head into Saturday’s matchup?
Derek Carr is still the man… For now…
Make no mistake, this is still Derek Carr’s team, for now, as he’s been adequate all year maintaining a 102.0 passer rating. Despite suffering a groin injury against the Chargers, he practiced on Wednesday per Vic Tafur of The Athletic, which is a good indicator of someone’s availability for that week.
More than likely he’ll get the start on Saturday barring him reaggravating his injury, and he still gives the Raiders the best chance to win, if he is healthy. However, Raider Nation has now seen a sample of what Mariota can bring to the table, and while maybe he won’t be as efficient or calculating as Carr, Mariota will make things happen as he did last week.
And judging from fans’ reaction, this notion gets them excited.
Context is important though, Mariota came in place of Carr after his injury, meaning Anthony Lynn’s team wasn’t prepared for him. How would Mariota perform with defenses zeroing in on him week in and out? We do not know, but we do know that Mariota looked like an NFL quarterback Thursday night, and that is good for the Raiders no matter how you look at it.
Do the Raiders need a quarterback battle?
So do the Las Vegas Raiders need a quarterback battle heading into next season? The answer depends on who you ask, as if you were to ask Carr supporters, it would be an emphatic no. In fact, said supporters were gloating on social media once Mariota went down with an injury and was a non-factor for most of the season.
Then there’s the media issue, as a quarterback battle makes for great headlines, but can also be a huge distraction. Maybe Gruden doesn’t want that and decides to move on from Mariota.
Also, with the NFL Draft coming up in April, there’s no way the Raiders use a pick on a quarterback, not with so many holes on defense needing to be addressed, it wouldn’t make sense. Why not save Carr from more potential injury and roll out Mariota in these last two games.
Let’s face it, any stats gained by Carr in this final stretch would fall under the category of ‘garbage time.’ Does it really mean anything if the team goes 7-9, but Carr gets his 27 or 28 touchdown passes?
Gruden would be better off positioning himself for next year by having two veteran quarterbacks duking out for the starting gig. Only good things can come from healthy competition, Carr’s a competitor and Mariota is a ‘team player.’ Let’s see if camp in 2021 looks like what 2020 should have.
If Carr wins the job, but Mariota shows he is an NFL starter, he brings the team value as well. A legitimate battle is great for business if you are the Las Vegas Raiders.