3 Reasons the Las Vegas Raiders will earn a Wild Card spot in 2023

3 Reasons the Las Vegas Raiders will earn a Wild Card spot in 2023

The arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo

As a big defender of Derek Carr, even going so far as to write editorials defending him back in 2020, I can say that it was best both sides got a fresh start. Carr's success and downfall were never really attributed to his talent level, but primarily to the front office and the refusal to give him the tools to succeed.

This offseason, the Raiders made the big move and put Carr on the trading block and made it known he was available. As I had suggested, teams just waited until the deadline for the roster bonus and figured the Raiders would release him and they did.

Eventually, Carr would sign with the New Orleans Saints and get a fresh start.

That new beginning also occurred in the Las Vegas desert with Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo had come from the former neighbors in San Francisco and was riding high on the success of multiple playoff berths and a Super Bowl appearance. Garoppolo found a good home in the San Francisco Bay and the fans turned on him like the Raiders did to Carr.

Garoppolo was a very sought-after free agent and was rumored to be in talks with the Colts and even the Jets as well. The team would eventually announce the signing and this gave the Raiders a quarterback they could get behind. The former 49ers quarterback left the team with a quarterback rating of 99.2 and had nearly 10 yards per attempt, both are second-all-time team records.

In 57 games, Garoppolo's record was 38-17 including an NFC Championship berth and a Super Bowl appearance.

Garoppolo brings a winning attitude and a knowledge of what it takes to be successful in the NFL. Pair him with Davante Adams and now with the return of Josh Jacobs, this offense looks to be able to put points up from all over the field.