The Las Vegas Raiders‘ playoff chances are down to nearly zero as they drop to 5-8 on the year. To make matters worse, that was one of the most boring games of all time, all jokes aside.
Now that it has been more than 24 hours (plenty of time to digest it all), let’s get into this week’s knee-jerk reactions. We’ll start with a painfully familiar face.
Nick Mullens Haunts The Raiders Once Again
For most of the game, it seemed as though the Minnesota Vikings were not going to be able to get anything going against the Raiders. Then, with just over nine minutes left to play, Raider Nation was sent into a collective panic as they watched Nick Mullens trot out onto the field in place of Josh Dobbs. For any other fan base, there would be no concern over a Journeyman backup coming into the game.
For Las Vegas, Mullens is the Boogeyman.
We were first introduced to Mullens back in 2018, when he was still with the 49ers. Despite being a rookie and making his NFL debut, he carved up the Raiders defense in a Thursday Night Football blowout. Three years later, the Raiders ran into Mullens again in Cleveland. While this game was much closer, he looked poised to break the hearts of Raider Nation once more after leading the fourth-quarter touchdown drive to take the lead. Fortunately, the Raiders were able to march down the field for a game-winning field goal.
That brings us to the year 2023. Mullens was able to give his team the lead late in the game once again. This time the Raiders were unable to answer, and this random backup quarterback got the better of the Silver and Black once again. Who knows, maybe things would have been different if the Raiders still had the same quarterback that they had in 2021.
Seriously, The Raiders Would’ve Been Better Off With Derek Carr…
I get that bringing this name up at this point is divisive and unhelpful. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that the Raiders would have a better record right now with Carr at quarterback. Regardless of how you feel about him, you cannot watch this game and not come away thinking that Las Vegas could at least score a touchdown with him under center. This is not the first game in which you could make the case that Carr could have made the difference between a win and a loss. Las Vegas probably beats Detroit with him too. Two games may not seem like much, but it would have the Raiders at 7-6 and firmly in the playoff mix.
Many will be quick to point to Carr’s struggles in New Orleans this year. The Saints have an even better defense than the Raiders and play in a weaker division, but they sit at just 6-7 and will be in a dogfight to make the playoffs. Carr’s play has been a major factor. Nonetheless, Carr’s mediocre play would still be an upgrade over what the Raiders have had this year. So far this year, he has thrown for more yards, more touchdowns, and less than half as many interceptions as all of the Raiders quarterbacks combined.
To be clear, this is not to say that the Raiders should have kept Carr going into this season. His play last year was simply not good enough to warrant not exploring other options. That being said, the Raiders were foolish to bank on Jimmy Garoppolo, and the rookie fourth-round pick was going to be an upgrade. Now it appears as though the Raiders’ quarterback need is more urgent than it has been in over a decade.
Las Vegas Must Draft A Quarterback Early In 2024
No more half-measures.
That means no more striving for average play at the game’s most important position. It is time to swing for the fences. The next draft pick that the Raiders make must be a quarterback, and it must be one that has the potential to be great. The Raiders need to do whatever it takes to get their guy. Performances like today are intolerable, and steps must be taken to ensure that they don’t happen again.
The Raiders are currently looking at picking somewhere in the back-end of the top ten in next year’s draft. That is likely too far down to get one of the consensus top-two quarterbacks in this class, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. However, they are close enough to make trading up feasible.
Yes, that will be costly and risky. Typically, those moves do not pan out very often. After today, it is clear that drastic measures must be taken. The Raiders haven’t drafted a quarterback in the first round since taking JaMarcus Russell first overall in 2007. That disastrous experience should not deter anyone from trying again. If anything, it is long overdue.
*Top Photo: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
Coaching Legend Tom Coughlin Plus Adam Gase Sitting In With Raiders HC Antonio Pierce