Raiders vs Chargers: Offensive Grades for 2021 Week 18
By Nico Di Fede
Raiders vs Chargers: Offensive Grades for 2021 Week 18
Quarterback
Finishing the game 20/36 with less than 200 yards through the air, this wasn’t Derek Carr’s best game on the stat sheet. However, the 8-year veteran put up two touchdowns and got it done down the line when the team needed him to, as is characteristic of him.
He did miss a few throws that would have been touchdowns had they been completed. Zay Jones was wide open but overthrown in the first, Waller was underthrown in the 3rd, and again Carr missed Waller in what would have sealed it in overtime. But the positives outweigh the negatives.
In overtime, Carr made two beautiful throws on the sideline where there wasn’t much room at all. These plays put us in a position for Josh Jacobs to pound it out into field goal range and allow Daniel Carson to win the game for Las Vegas.
Carr was sacked three times and faced a lot of pressure but stayed poised and showed why he is the captain of the team. For the first time in his NFL career, he will be able to actually participate in the playoffs, the first playoffs the team has entered since 2016, and this is largely due to the season he’s had, willing Las Vegas there through many setbacks.
Grade: B+