Derek Carr Reacts to the Raiders' Loss to the Cardinals
LAS VEGAS, Nev.-No one was more disgusted by the collapse of the Las Vegas Raiders in their loss to the Arizona Cardinals than Derek Carr.
Win or lose, the Raiders' QB stepped to the microphone to answer the questions presented after the Raiders blew a 20-point.
As is his custom after a loss, Carr took the blame (rightfully or wrongly) and presented the steady face of the franchise that is expected.
His answers were straightforward, there were no excuses. Whether or not you like Derek Carr, that is one thing that should be appreciated.
You can watch the entire press conference below, and read the transcript:
Quarterback Derek Carr
Q: Can you talk about the dominant first half and what happened in the second?
Carr: "I agree with Coach [McDaniels]. We have to learn how to win, and it starts with me. It always will. For the execution that we had in the first half, we did not execute each play with the detail I think that we should have the way that we did in the first half. Just one thing here, one thing there and it looks like a bad play and we're this close to having another good half. There were a couple of times [I was] looking for someone downfield, or this, or that; and one thing messes up and that's a bad play. It goes back to a Coach [McDaniels] says, ’Do our job. ’No matter what the score is, if you just do your job at the end, it'll take care of itself. I'm sure when we watch the film – over and over again – that'll be a theme."
Q: With a 20-0 lead, what do you think changed offensively in the second?
Carr: "I think it goes exactly back to – when we go back and watch it tomorrow – we're going to see, this play or that play, and this play and that play. It's just one thing, one detail, that we talked about over and over again, and if we would just do right, all the time. That's easier said than done. It takes years; it takes time. It takes all that kind of stuff to do it. But that's the demand, that’s what it is. We're going to watch it and it's going to be hard for some guys. It's going to be hard for everybody. Last week was hard for me to watch, but the more that we can take it – with me being optimistic – this crap isn’t over. We feel crappy right now, but we are still a good football team. Making sure we keep that mindset not, ‘Oh no, it's over.’ I've been doing this a while, man. I know we have good guys that work hard and care, so I know that we can pull ourselves out of it, but it's going to take us doing it the right way."
Q: When drives are on the line, is it easier to rely on the run game or the pass game as compared to what the opposing defense is doing?
Carr: "Sometimes they can load a box. It's hard to run those plays. That's going to take nine guys on the same page, right. Same thing in the pass game, if they want to empty it out, make a light box, you hope to be able to run those, and run them efficiently. And Josh [McDaniels] has such a great feel for the game. I really enjoy his communication with me during the game because he sees that, and he sees all those things, and he's got a beautiful mind, man. He's super smart and it's fun to play for him because he can he has a good feel for all that stuff."
Q: To start overtime, the team had been off the field for close to 30 minutes, does that play a role in the outcome?
Carr: "I'm not sure. I definitely started to get cold, so I got up and I just kept warming up. There were a couple times I had to get up, warm up and throw, and just make sure you're ready. Even when they're reviewing the two-point, you can't sit there and hope that it's incomplete. You have to get ready to play. Then if it's incomplete, it's incomplete. I just tried to keep that mindset. It's just stuff I've learned over the years personally, just always staying ready for [anything]. You don't ever think what'sworse, but you have to be ready to be ready for the game. I don't know, I thought we went down, we hit a couple plays – a nice run. We hit Hunter [Renfrow], we were moving it down there, getting into Daniels [Carlson] range and I thought we had a chance, man. It's just hard the way that it went at the end."
Q: What goes into improving with the season?
Carr: "Just as a pro, we're going to get corrected. Everyone tomorrow, in the NFL, is going to get corrected. No matter how good or bad it went for somebody. And what I've learned is you have to take it, and like I said, you don't just write it down like, ‘Okay, got it. Yes sir.’ You have to take exactly what they're saying and do it in practice. If you can do that over time, you get better. From where I was my rookie year to where I'm at now, I've tried trusted that process, and I feel like a better player now than I was then. I can understand more, I’m more accurate – this, that, whatever it is. I think that goes for any player or any position, you have to be able to take it, and it's not personal. You can't take it personally, Coach [McDaniels] is just trying to help the team, help us get better. And if you can take that and do it in practice, I think that's where the improvement comes. So, do I think we can improve? Absolutely, I think we can. In fact, I know we can. But we have to do that when it comes to practice on Wednesday."
The Raiders (0-2) will kickoff next Sunday at 10 AM PDT in Nashville, Tennessee against the Titans. You can watch the game on FOX.
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