Derek Carr hit the bench on Wednesday in preparation for the final two games of the 2022 NFL season. Jarrett Stidham will take over as quarterback, bringing Carr’s time in a Silver and Black uniform to an end. What about the new head coach in Josh McDaniels?
Did the wrong guy get “benched?”
McDaniels is partially responsible for the 6-9 record that the Las Vegas Raiders currently hold. McDaniels is partially responsible for the Raiders blowing four leads of 13 points or more. The Raiders’ head honcho is also responsible for the terrible offensive play calling we’ve seen this season. All of this is correct, but it does not absolve Carr of responsibility.
Carr led the league in interceptions prior to being benched, and in the last few games he played in, he was supposed to be proving he deserved his job, but instead, he basically talked himself out of it with his performance. But should McDaniels bear some of the blame? How many third and long play calls were determined (in a bizarre fashion) to result in a screen pass to Ameer Abdullah? Too many. How many were successful?
Josh McDaniels and Derek Carr have both been underwhelming
McDaniels was handed the keys to the “offensive castle” this offseason. Now, to be fair, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow were hurt a lot. At the same time, they weren’t out for the entire season. McDaniels may have used Davante Adams well; let’s recognize that. That led to another 1,000-yard season with 12 touchdowns, but McDaniels didn’t do the most important thing, which was to win games.
Looking back, the Green Bay Packers used Adams in a variety of ways. He was extremely effective with his catch radius, ability, ball security, and propensity to secure additional yards after the catch. One of McDaniels’ main issues with the Raiders offense in 2022 was an inability to move the chains and secure first downs. Aside from the aforementioned bizarre third and long play calling, we were forced to witness an array of bizarre McDaniels calls. Watching the Raiders go for it on fourth down in the first quarter of the game or sending Adams on a go route on fourth and two with Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs on the sideline was among many questionable decisions made by McDaniels.
“You don’t put cheap gas in a Lamborghini”
What fails to hit home in this situation is that changing the quarterback position when the Raiders have a top-5 offensive roster is mind-blowing. Sending Carr packing could result in Adams requesting to leave the desert, or even if he stays, a rookie quarterback or substandard veteran quarterback won’t be able to use these weapons effectively. You don’t put cheap gas in a Lamborghini.
McDaniels needs to have a master plan to turn this around, and not in a five-year rebuild, but quickly. Adams and Waller are not getting any younger, and the team has invested a significant amount of money in beefing up this offense. Getting rid of Carr to “start over” when the personnel you need are already in place is ludicrous. In Denver this year, the Broncos’ play-calling was poor, and the quarterback play, by a veteran, was substandard. In that situation, the first-year head coach lost his job and the quarterback remained (obviously, contracts come into play in that scenario). Raiders owner Mark Davis has elected to do the opposite.
Josh McDaniels vs. Derek Carr: Did Mark Davis choose wisely?
Let’s see if McDaniels made the right move in this situation by jettisoning Carr from the Raiders. Carr had the Raiders within one point of beating the Kansas City Chiefs two months ago. Will the new quarterback finally make the Raiders consistently competitive with the Chiefs? We can all pass judgement in February 2024 and see if Davis should’ve dumped McDaniels instead of Carr.
Derek Carr “Stans” Having A Meltdown After Benching News Drops
*Top Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports