Fresh off an Oakland Raiders win against the L.A. Chargers, Raider Nation had a strong reaction to a recent viral article by Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
Raiders Fans Have Strong Response To NFL Reporter’s Article
Hours before a much needed win in Los Angeles, La Canfora said in an article published this past Sunday that Derek Carr’s days as quarterback for the Raiders might be numbered.
“Several team sources sensing a growing frustration with the veteran by the coaching staff, and concerns about how much potential for growth remains.”
However, in that same article La Canfora stated that that those same “sources” claim that Carr and head coach Jon Gruden have a “solid relationship.” Adding that the worry lies with “concerns about not extending plays with the legs when possible, and Oakland has also struggled to push the ball downfield.”
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To say that Carr has been beset by criticism would be an understatement. Never has a player in recent memory completely polarized a fan base the way the signal-caller play has managed to this year. Just a few weeks ago, when the team was 6-4, many were stating that Carr had “arrived.” And before last Sunday’s win, many wanted him gone with a capital G.
La Canfora Feels The Wrath of Raider Nation
Winning cures everything in professional sports and while most aren’t exactly all in on Carr once again, the response to La Canfora has been an interesting one. At the Raider Ramble, many readers had varying responses. Some citing the reporter’s accuracy of a previous trade claim before Khalil Mack was shipped off. While others attacked his credibility.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the #Raiders may not keep Derek Carr and explore their options at QB next offseason. What do you think about that, #RaiderNation? Comment down below:
— RaiderRamble.comâ„¢ (@TheRaiderRamble) December 23, 2019
Many readers said that his credibility “is not what it used to be.” And some reminded folks that La Canfora wrote a similar piece last year and nothing came from that as Gruden stuck with Carr as starter. I asked James Arcellana of Black Hole Banter for his thoughts on this development, whether this was “something or nothing.”
Nothing. I think that unless the Raiders are legit playoff contenders, there will always be rumors about Gruden wanting a different QB. I think it says more about who Gruden is than about what might happen.
There’s definitely some truth to Arcellana’s words as it seems that since Gruden took over there’s constant “rumors” on this and that while not much has come to fruition. Someone else who’s been vocal about Carr this season has been the host of the Raider Cody podcast.
Cody seems to believe the article was more about it being published at a perfect time rather than Raiders brass actually looking to make a change, “The timing of the article was perfect for Jason. The Raiders were on a slump, Derek wasn’t playing his best ball, and it gave him an opportune time to start the same conversation that was popular last year.. ‘moving on from Carr’. I’m sure Gruden & Mayock will do their due diligence on QB’s, but Week 15 of the regular season isn’t the time.”
All About the Clicks?
Is it possible this was all done to get clicks by La Canfora? Of course, that’s the nature of the business. However, to simply discredit him would be a disservice. He is the one who correctly predicted the Mack trade whether some fans will admit it or not. For now, Raider Nation will have to patient (or impatiently) wait for the conclusion of the regular season to see what happens at quarterback.
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