Las Vegas Raiders Derek Carr Week 14 Update
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HENDERSON, Nev.--The resurgent Las Vegas Raiders (5-7) took out their AFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers, 27-20, on Sunday, and with the win, they saw their NFL Playoff dreams come back into focus.
Now the Raiders head to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. We spoke to quarterback Derek Carr about the team's state and looking ahead.
You can watch the entire press conference below and read the transcript:
Quarterback Derek Carr
Q: I'm not sure if you heard, but the Rams are bringing in Baker Mayfield. As a quarterback, do you think it’s possible for him to be ready to play on Thursday?
Carr: “Yeah, I'm not sure the systems that he's been in, the terminology and all that kind of stuff. There are some systems that you could possibly do that and all those things. More power to him, but I'm focused on their defense, because their defense is pretty good.”
Q: Obviously, some of the names have changed over on that side of the ball. Aaron Donald doesn't look like he's going to go. But what do you see on film for the Rams defense?
Carr: “I mean, they still are playing really good football, they're flying around. They have obviously some of the biggest names on the defensive side of the ball that you could ever see on the football field. And they've got guys playing at high level, last week especially. They didn't get the win, but they're still doing a lot of really good things. And so, it's going to be a really good challenge for us, a really good challenge for all three levels for us as an offense. You see them flying around, you see the disguise, and certain things that they're able to do because of the group they have had play together and all that kind of stuff. So, it's going to be a great challenge for us.”
Q: Since the Saints game, you are pretty much top 10 in all the quarterback stats. Is there anything in particular that’s improved since then?
Carr: “I think we're just executing better. I think that the offense, we're running it smoother. I think that as a unit, we're better because it's more time on task. And so, those are the expectations for us, always. And it's hard to do that right off the jump, especially learning something new. It's different than anything I've learned before, but once you get a feel for it, you play football and you start to put your spin on it and you play football, and then those kinds of things can happen. But most important thing is that we win, because when we win all that other stuff takes care of itself.”
Q: What kind of challenge does Jalen Ramsey present?
Carr: “Oh, I mean, Jalen is not just one of the best corners, he’s one of the best football players in the NFL. I've seen him line up at linebacker, see him line up at the SAM spot, the MIKE spot. I've seen him line up in safety spots, in the star spot, the outside corner, left and right. I mean, the versatility that he has, not just as a DB but as a football player, is unbelievable. He blitzes. He covers. He plays man coverage; he plays zone coverage. He can do everything. And not just at the corner spot, I'm talking about everywhere on the field. And so, I've known Jalen for years now, and we have great respect for his game and for him. He's someone I talked to him this past off-season, in off-seasons before that. He's a guy I've always respected and admired, and watched from afar, so to compete against him will be a lot of fun.”
Q: When you go on a run like this, I think people are always looking back like what was the turning point. I know it's not that simple and it's a lot of little things. People point toward your words after the Colts game, but I've heard a lot of guys in the locker room talk about the message Duron Harmon gave during the film session about just having more energy and being more excited at practice. I'm wondering if you remember that? He's maybe the only guy on this team who's been in the league longer than you, have you learned stuff from him?
Carr: “Yeah, I learn from all my teammates, whether they're older than me or younger than me. If I admire something about someone, I try and add it to my game, as an athlete. Just trying to always improve and be better. That's something that Ollie [Greg Olson] always taught me – never-ending self-improvement. And so, I've learned that as a rookie, and now in my ninth year, as you look at a guy like Duron, who's won championships and has played at the highest level, you'd be silly not to learn things from him. I remember the moment. I remember he's had a few moments like that, where he's one of the leaders on this team. Guys voted that way, guys believe in him, guys listen to him. And they respect him because of what he does every day. And so, he's absolutely someone I've listened to and would learn from, absolutely."
Q: On pretty much every play, you’re pointing and calling something out at the line of scrimmage. Is it something that's helping out the offensive line? Is that something for you personally? What does that kind of do for the offense?
Carr: "Yeah, I mean, there are different calls that are made based on that. That's a good question, and it's a big question, that I could go down a long rabbit hole of stuff about. But really, it's just helped to get communication and for everyone to get on the same page and things like that."
Q: You've had a few flea-flickers this season. What's your favorite thing with that call and what's the biggest challenge for you with that call?
Carr: “The biggest challenge is being patient because you want the ball, especially once you see it open. I want the ball, then you start seeing them figure it out that it's a flea-flicker, and then all eyes come to me and all that stuff. So, I think the one in Seattle I caught running forward because the guy was coming. But I think the challenge it puts on the defense is that we're literally giving the ball to Josh [Jacobs]. He's leading the league in rushing, he's playing extremely well and he's running so physical, that if you don't come downhill ready to hit him, he's shown that he’ll run through people. So, I think the challenge for them is when we stick the ball in his stomach, it's like a big play action for us. And so, if we can execute them at a high level in practice, then it doesn't feel like a trick kind of play for us, or anything like that. It just feels like another play we're calling. But I think any time you can give the ball to that guy and it's believable, and it's something they have to respect, we can have big plays like we've had so far."
Q: Do you have one eye on Josh Jacobs and one eye on Davante Adams on the field? How is your mental clock going?
Carr: "I've got progressions on all of them. Sometimes I have a safety I'm looking at, sometimes I have a route that I'm looking at first, and then that guy, then the next guy. And so, as I do certain things, there's certain guys I'm looking at and things like that. So, it just depends on which one."
Q: Bobby Wagner has been doing this a long time. When you turn on the tape right now, is he still playing at a pretty high level?
Carr: "Yes. Bobby has been playing at a high level since my sophomore year (when we played him at) Utah State, when we played him at home (Fresno State), and he made every tackle in the football game. And so, at the time, I didn't know his draft position, or ranking, or any of that kind of stuff. But all I knew is like this guy finds the football. And now he's put together a Hall of Fame type career, and it's fun to see him. There's not many of us from the WAC Conference anymore and so to see him still playing at a high level like he is, especially last week, I mean, my goodness. He literally did everything all over the field. I'm not shocked, I'm not surprised. But it was really fun to watch. It'll be fun to compete against him, it always is, because he's one of the best linebackers to ever play our game. Going against him is always a tough challenge, and it'll be fun."
Q: How big of a stage is Thursday Night Football for you guys this week?
Carr: "Man, to be honest, for us, it's important because it's our next game. And because of the way that we didn't win certain games early on in the season, every next game is the most important. And so, for us, it's this week's game, it's a new challenge. Like you said, defending champs, stars all over the field on their side of the football. And so, it's a tough challenge for us, but it's what I'm excited about. Our fans usually travel well to L.A., so I'm excited about that."
Q: What's the biggest challenge for you on a short week?
Carr: "The biggest challenge is I have to fit my whole my schedule into only a few days. There really is no break and so with everything that I have to watch and a have to get done to feel prepared like I usually do for every game, yesterday was just crammed. Today is again crammed to make sure I get in everything that I get in. That way on Wednesday night and Thursday, I can always go back and do my routine how I go back and think through things and all that kind of stuff instead of cramming all the way up until kickoff. And so, I think that's the biggest challenge for me, just as quarterback. We're putting the game plan in and all that stuff, but getting the film in, getting the studying in, really knowing the opponent, knowing that defense; that's always a big challenge."
The Las Vegas Raiders have a quick turnaround as they play again on Thursday Night Football this week against the Los Angeles Rams at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. That game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. EST/5:15 p.m. PST and can be seen on Amazon Prime.
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