Las Vegas Raiders Derek Carr Week 12 Update
In this story:
HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders find themselves entering their Week 12 game against the Seattle Seahawks with a 3-7 record, and looking for their first winning streak of the 2022 season.
The Silver and Black's Derek Carr spoke about his team and moving forward.
You can watch the entire press conference below, and read the transcript:
Quarterback Derek Carr
Q: When you guys go up tempo like you did at the end of regulation and overtime, how comfortable are you and would you like to see that maybe more often during the course of the game?
Carr: “It's something I've always loved, maybe it's because that's how I played in college, just playing as fast as possible. There is certain tempos in college that I don't think you need in the NFL, but playing fast has always been fun for me, and I enjoy it, and there's a time and a place for it. I'm not so wise to know when that is; coaches study those things and he [Josh McDaniels] would know better than I do. He's looking at the whole team aspect of it. So, for me, I've always enjoyed it. I've always loved it. So, if he ever wants to, I'm always excited. He knows that I love doing that. I just always think about the mental part – if you can think fast and process fast, then you can have an advantage. But also, when you huddle and do things different ways, you can get in different shifts and different kinds of things that you can't really do up-tempo. So, it depends on what you want to do."
Q: Is there a level of understanding of the playbook that needs to be there, not just for you, but across the board to be able to communicate at the line of scrimmage like that?
Carr: “Oh, yeah. And you would hope that in OTAs and training camp, you figure those things out. There have been times this year where coach goes fast, and sometimes when we don't. So, I think he feels comfortable when we do. I can't speak for him, but there's a time and a place for it, for sure."
Q: You guys haven't had a bad weather game this year, you might get rain on Sunday. What's the importance for the offense to get some work with a wet ball this week in practice?
Carr: “I mean, I've practiced more wet ball drills than I've played in games. Even if there's a chance, even if it doesn't say it on the radar six days from now, or whatever it is at that time, you still practice it and get ready for it. So, I'm always doing that. This week is no different. Anytime you go to Seattle, places like Seattle – you go to Miami, for some reason in Miami, it always rains during the game at some point – you always practice those things and get ready for it just to be ready. But it's not something that I do every single week, but it's something that I definitely prepare for ahead of time."
Q: Do you get a hose out and spray the ball, or is there a bucket you dunk it in?
Carr: “ I have seen a lot of things. I’ve seen some pretty crazy things happen. But for us, I'll take a water bottle and just make sure I spray it, spray my hands; make it as hard as possible. For the receivers, they spray their hands, and we do our drills, and I do it with the center and the running backs and all that. You want to make it as tough as possible so that when you get to the game, you're like: 'Oh, it's not even that bad.'"
Q: Is it more the snap? Is it getting the ball to where you want it to be in your hand, or is it the actual throwing? What is the biggest challenge?
Carr: “It really depends. Sometimes it depends on the football. But really, just making sure that the operation – the snap and those kinds of things. When you go to throw the ball, you try your best to be as pinpoint as possible, knowing that in that kind of weather it might veer a little bit here and there. But you make sure the operation of handling the ball, handing it off – all of those things – is clean."
Q: You've thrown a lot of touchdowns to Davante Adams, however that touchdown against the Broncos was a game-winner. When you look at your on-field memories with Davante, where does that touchdown rank?
Carr: “I mean, it's got be up there, probably No. 1, because we did it in the NFL. I think he has 10 touchdowns now in the NFL with me this year, and that's something that we haven't done since college. So, there's nine years of a gap there. So, definitely that one felt good because it was a win. But I have different fun ones – he caught the career touchdown record breaker at Fresno State, his record breaker at Fresno State. His first touchdown was a slant. There's certain memories that I have with him, but definitely doing it in the NFL is probably our favorite."
Q: You had big completions to Keelan Cole and Foster Moreau to set up that game-winning touchdown, how important is complimentary play-making from guys around Davante Adams?
Carr: “Absolutely. You have to be able to do that, those guys stepping up and making those plays, because it shows teams that – of course they want to take Davante away, of course everyone wants to do those things – when they do, they know that they're leaving themselves susceptible to somebody else, and those guys have been making plays. And when they can make plays like that, it doesn't only help Davante, but it helps our team. It makes playing quarterback a lot easier, that's for sure."
Q: When you have a receiver like that, who sees the game so well, how valuable is that for a quarterback?
Carr: "It's very valuable. I wouldn't say it's rare, but the best ones are the ones who can see it like a quarterback. I've played with a lot of receivers in my nine-year career and a lot of smart guys. But Davante, he can see it like a quarterback. I've said that about Hunter [Renfrow] also. [Michael] Crabtree was another one; [Amari] Coop [Cooper] was another one. I'm going to stop naming people before someone gets upset. But there's guys that come to mind that, I'm like: 'Hey, if they play this coverage,’ and they're like: 'Yeah, I got it, no problem.' It's like, you don't have to explain it and the why and the reasoning. They get it. And Tae [Davante] is one of those guys where you really don't have to say anything. He knows the coverage. He knows where I'm trying to put the football, and we're starting to get on the same page with some of that stuff. We don't have to talk about certain things, we kind of just know already, and it's showing up in games for us."
Q: Did you know that he's going to run the route that he ran on that game-winning touchdown pass?
Carr: “Yeah, absolutely. It's something that Coach [McDaniels] drew up and Tae put his own thing on it. We had run across the field and hit a 24-yarder earlier, and he broke to the right on that one, and that's the play coach called. And you've got to give Josh credit give, give Tae credit, especially the O-line; we wouldn't even be talking about it wasn’t for them."
Q: What has stood out about Tariq Woolen?
Carr: “When I watch him – obviously at that stadium, the first thing you think is Richard Sherman. I'm not comparing him to Sherm or anything like that right now. But when you turn the tape on, you see a really tall corner who's physical, he can run, he stays on top. A really good football player. Sherm is a Hall of Fame type player, and he's obviously a rookie. He has a long way to go. But when you turn the tape on, he stands out, he’s extremely talented at catching the football. When the ball is in his area, it doesn't look hard for him to make plays on it. He's very talented out of his breaks for being that long and to be able to transition that way that he does, is very, very impressive. Absolutely."
Q: What's your go-to food on the Thanksgiving table?
Carr: “Mashed potatoes. My mom, growing up, she used to make everyone mashed potatoes, and then she'd make me my own little pot because that was my favorite thing. So, shout-out to Mom. Thanks."
Q: What do you avoid at the Thanksgiving table?
Carr: "Oh, goodness. I try and avoid the green beans. I eat healthy enough as the season goes on, so I try to avoid them, but my wife won't let me."
Q: Were you aware of what Jakob Johnson was all about prior to him getting here? How important has he been? And did you know he doesn't have a carry in his career?
Carr: “I didn't know he doesn't have a carry. I know he has a touchdown on a pass. I know he had that. And yeah, we knew about him. The first thing I knew about him was his toughness. With some of the things he's played through, and tried to play through, and the injuries he's had and coming back. I mean to still do what he does, at a high level, and the violence that he plays with is impressive. But he's also another guy that's so valuable to our offense. Having a guy like that, when they respect that, that's why Tae was able to get open on the first touchdown. Guys lighten up on the run and everyone's doing their job, but he's another guy that does that. If you all talked to him, he's having a little bit of a rough day with the World Cup. Be nice to him today."
The Raiders' game on Sunday is in Seattle and kicks off at 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST. You can see that game on CBS.
Watch the Silver and Black live when you get your Raiders tickets from SI Tickets HERE
Please make sure you tell us your thoughts when you like our Facebook Page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Want to talk about this? Want to air your opinion about all things Las Vegas Raiders? Maybe you like to talk about other sports that aren't Silver and Black related? We got your back. Join our 100% FREE message board, a brand new option, when you CLICK RIGHT HERE.
