1. Derek Carr Pulls the Team Out of the Hole
The Las Vegas Raiders had quite the hole to dig themselves out of after throwing an interception on their first possession, and really had to go deep to make something happen. Fortunately for the Raiders, Derek Carr made up for his misdeeds by nailing a nine-yard pass to Darren Wallner to tie the game up 7-7
While the Raiders initially had some trouble moving the ball during this drive, Carr connected with Henry Ruggs III for a 28-yard gain that put them in the Red Zone. Now it is worth mentioning that the Raiders were up against the worst team in the league and still messed up, but it s nice to see Carr get his team out of a hole here.
2. Trayvon Mullen picks off Sam Darnold in the second half
The Las Vegas Raiders were down by three late in the second quarter of the game, and they needed to get momentum swinging their way. Then, it happened! Trayvon Mullen picked off Sam Darnold on the second down and put the Raiders back in scoring range. Although it wasn t a score, it was crucial to staying competitive in the game.
3. #3 Derek Carr to Darren Wallner for a 38-yard touchdown.
Now, Nelson Agholor deserves a lot of credit for collecting over 40 yards during this drive, but it was Darren Wallner who finally got the team back into the end zone. Keep in mind that Derek Carr didn t throw one incompletion during this drive and somehow hit the same receiver three straight times.
If nothing else, this helps prove that Agholor is a useful weapon for getting downfield. As for Wallner, the tight end is finally starting to show just what he is capable of.
4. Derek Carr scrambles for a two-yard score
It s no secret that Derek Carr has many critics hoping his career in Las Vegas comes to an end. However, Carr flipped the script this week and brought his team down the field right after halftime. This eventually resulted in a two-yard scramble for a touchdown to put the Raiders up 24-13.
5. #1
You want elite? How about Derek Carr driving his team down the field in the final minutes of the game and down by four? Is that elite enough for you? Whether Derek Carr critics want to admit it or not, his 48-yard missile to Henry Ruggs III won the Raiders the game and prevented them from being eliminated from the playoffs.
Now, the Jets are the worst team in the league, and the Raiders should have been able to do better than this, but that s not the world we live in. Instead, we must focus on the positive that the Raiders managed to win the game and keep the team’s playoff chances afloat. Sure, it wasn t in dominating fashion, but you got to take wins how you can get them at this point in the season.
