Are the Las Vegas Raiders really considering benching Derek Carr?
By Kenny King
The Las Vegas Raiders have once again squandered a strong start to the season, but are they really going to bench starting quarterback Derek Carr?
The Las Vegas Raiders have had a significant fall from grace over the past eight weeks, as the team that started out with a 5-2 record has now dropped five of the past seven games and is currently one game below .500. While there is a plethora of reasons and excuses for why the Raiders have failed to secure victories in recent weeks, fan frustration has reared its ugly head again as a small percentage of Raiders fans has called for Mariota to step in.
Could the Raiders bench Carr?
It was reported on CBS Sports Radio by Brandon Tierney and tweeted by Steve Tannen (@SportsTalk953) that the Raiders could bench Carr in favor for Mariota to get “an extended look”. That said, it does not seem likely.
Carr has played very well this season and has weathered many of the storms that the team has gone through. With the Raiders currently sitting at 6-7 and still in the midst of a playoff hunt it wouldn’t be wise to bench the quarterback who is one of the league leaders in passing.
What would make sense is giving Mariota more playing time and using creativity in the offensive scheme if Las Vegas truly intend to do whatever it takes to make the playoffs. In recent weeks the Raiders offense has been plagued by the inability to run the ball and create explosive plays.
Utilizing Mariota in situational offenses allows for the team to be more proficient at running the ball and establishing the play-action which in turn allows for more downfield plays and opportunities to score.
The addition of another dimension on offense is more attractive than benching one of the most accurate passers in the league in order to “take an extended look” as typically when you are having the conversation of getting a look that entails that the team has packed it in and has given up on the season. With Las Vegas going into Cleveland this Saturday they have a prime opportunity to get back on track and control their destiny.