Raiders: Derek Carr’s Best Thursday Night Football Moments
By Jason Willis
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.