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Plenty of hope for Raiders to return to the playoffs next year

By Mario O. Tovar

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 02: Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis walks on the field before the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 02: Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis walks on the field before the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OHIO – JANUARY 15: Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders calls a play in the first quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO – JANUARY 15: Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders calls a play in the first quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Plenty of hope for the Raiders to return to the playoffs next year

The Raiders are set at quarterback for another year

One of the most overlooked reasons why the Raiders should be back in the playoffs is, in fact, Derek Carr. Fans often forget that franchise quarterbacks don’t grow on trees. Is Carr perfect? No, he’s not. However, to lay the failures of Saturday’s game squarely on No. 4 would be foolhardy.

Carr had to overcome terrible play by his offensive line, as penalty after penalty stifled the Raiders’ offense. The offensive play calling was downright terrible at times and lacked aggression in key moments. The dreadful officiating in the game also hindered much of the Raiders’ work. In fact, they cost the team the seven points that ended up making a difference.

A quarterback can only do so much with all of these obstacles, but Carr did as best he could. He threw for 310 yards and one touchdown on Saturday. Let’s not forget the precision and efficiency he showed in the regular season as well.

In a division with so many talented quarterbacks, the Raiders cannot afford to lose their starting quarterback. At least not yet. The quarterback class is at best weak in 2022, and the likelihood of landing Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers just isn’t plausible. If, say, Jim Harbaugh was to come in, Raider Nation should be salivating at that possibility. Harbaugh won right out of the gate in San Francisco with Alex Smith.

Need I say more?

Hire an offensive-minded coach with a proven track record of good play-calling and Carr will continue to be one of the most underrated NFL quarterbacks and would certainly help lead the Raiders back to the playoffs.

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