On Thursday, the Las Vegas Raiders will take on the Los Angeles Rams on primetime. With several Thursday Night games under his belt, these are the best moments Derek Carr has had on the NFL’s mid-week slot.
While the Raiders’ season has certainly not gone as planned thus far, they have rebounded in a huge way recently. After winning three in a row, they have improved their record to 5-7. Of course, this is hardly a sterling record but it does give them an outside chance of getting a playoff spot.
Up next on the schedule is a date with the Rams in Los Angeles. A team marred by injuries to nearly all of their star players, the Raiders are going to be the favorite despite being on the road. This is another solid indication of how far Las Vegas has come in the last month. As many members of Raider Nation always believed, this is a team that is better than their record says.
With the next match-up taking place on Amazon Prime in the form of Thursday Night Football, it is always interesting to take a trip down memory lane with quarterback Derek Carr’s career. Amid his ninth season with the Raiders, he has played in eight such games.
While there are certainly lots of moments to choose from, these games in particular stick out as the most memorable of the franchise quarterback’s career.
Raiders: Derek Carr’s Best Thursday Night Football Moments
Getting a big win on Thanksgiving
The timing of this game was a difficult one for the Raiders. After starting the 2021 season 5-2, they were dealt an unfathomable blow when Henry Ruggs, their top wide receiver was arrested for manslaughter mid-season.
Losing their big play wideout obviously led to massive changes in the offense, not to mention the tremendous dent it put into the teams’ morale. As such, the team would go on to lose their next three games putting them at 5-5 before a Thanksgiving battle with the Dallas Cowboys. With their playoff hopes on the line on a massive stage, it was up to the Raiders to respond.
With 373 yards and a touchdown, Derek Carr didn’t light the world on fire but was incredibly effective throughout what was arguably his best game of the season. To make it even better, he rallied the team in overtime to secure the win and return to a record above .500.
As all Raiders fans know, the team has played no shortage of exciting games in Carr’s tenure. This one, on a national holiday against “America’s Team”, is up there with almost any of them. Of course, the team would win the last four games of the 2021 season and secure a playoff spot for the first time since 2016.
Raiders: Derek Carr’s Best Thursday Night Football Moments
Securing his first NFL win
When Carr was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the then-Oakland Raiders were one of the league’s worst teams. Fortunately for him, this would give him the chance to secure the starting quarterback job as a rookie, which he did.
It was a rocky road for Carr in his rookie season as the team got off to an 0-10 start and fired head coach Dennis Allen mid-season. Not yet a difference-making quarterback, however, Carr was not able to overcome the dreadful team that surrounded him.
Despite the teams’ record, there was a different energy on Thursday Night in Oakland. With the rival Kansas City Chiefs in town, it felt like the Raiders had a chance to get their first win of the season. With a long early touchdown run from Latavius Murray, this felt even more like a reality for the Silver and Black.
As the game went on it was clear that it was going to come down to the wire. When Carr hit the veteran receiver James Jones in the endzone to secure the lead, Raider Nation got a glimpse into a future that held many similar plays off the arm of their young quarterback. When the game was finally sealed, the relief on the face of Carr was evident.
Raiders: Derek Carr’s Best Thursday Night Football Moments
A Legendary Night In Oakland
After a playoff berth in 2016, expectations were incredibly high for the Oakland Raiders. This was especially true for an offense that featured one of the league’s best receiver duos in Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, a big tight end addition in Jared Cook, the return of future Hall of Famer Marshawn Lynch and an MVP vote-getter in Derek Carr.
Following two wins to start the season, the wheels completely fell off. With four straight losses, the Raiders were 2-4 going into a Thursday night game with the Chiefs who were 5-1. In a game that the team needed to keep their playoff hopes alive, Carr had one of the best games of his career and showed fans a glimpse of the offense they were promised.
With a whopping 52 pass attempts, Carr racked up 417 passing yards and three touchdowns in a dominant performance just three weeks removed from breaking several bones in his back. As usual, it would take a clutch drive from the veteran quarterback to secure the win. Down by six, a Carr Hail Mary landed in the hands of Cook and gave the offense the ball at the one-yard line.
After numerous plays erased by a penalty, Carr rolled to his left and delivered a perfectly thrown ball to Michael Crabtree for the touchdown. Giorgio Tavechio would hit the extra point for the walk-off game-winner.
Simply, this is one of the most exciting games in the history of the Raiders. Taking place on the national stage of Thursday Night Football, Derek Carr had one of his best games with the team’s playoff hopes on the line. This week, against the Rams, the franchise quarterback will be faced with the same scenario.