Derek Carr left Thursday night’s AFC West matchup early because of what Jon Gruden called a “significant” groin injury. The veteran Raiders quarterback’s rest-of-season status can be considered in doubt. Carr is facing a 10- to 14-day return timetable, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes. This puts his availability for next week’s pivotal Dolphins game in question, though Rapoport adds Carr will push to return for what could be an elimination game against another fringe AFC contender. Carr has not missed a game due to injury since 2017. The former MVP vote-receiving passer has only missed two regular-season games in seven years. Marcus Mariota played well in relief of Carr on Thursday, and Carr’s status going into next weekend stands to give the Dolphins some extra work due to the differences in the Raiders QBs’ skill sets.
Here is the latest from the West divisions, moving first to another team’s quarterback situation.
- Drew Lock has shown some potential as a long-term answer this season — including last week in Charlotte — but ranks 28th in QBR and has thrown 13 INTs in 10 games. The Broncos sat out this year’s veteran QB market, but Troy Renck of Denver7 notes the team is likely to bring in a veteran to compete with Lock (or potentially replace him) next year. A similar batch of vets — Andy Dalton, Cam Newton, Jameis Winston — on track to be available again would qualify as competition, and the Broncos were also high on Sam Darnold in 2018. A trade for Matthew Stafford, a scenario Renck mentions, would be to replace Lock. The Broncos have used four different Week 1 starting QBs since Peyton Manning‘s retirement, moving from Trevor Siemian to Case Keenum to Joe Flacco to Lock.
- Sean McVay is not ruling out an Andrew Whitworth regular-season return, and it sounds like the Rams having their left tackle back for the playoffs is realistic. “Andrew is doing great,” McVay said. “He continues to amaze me. He’s somebody we could potentially really push to have him play whether it’s the (Week 17) Cardinals game or next week. If we’re fortunate enough to get an opportunity to play after the regular season, I think that’s the goal, but nothing’s guaranteed for us.” Whitworth suffered MCL and PCL tears Nov. 15 but was believed to be ahead of schedule on his recovery timetable.
- A Rams positive COVID-19 test resulted in offensive lineman Bobby Evans and safety Nick Scott landing on the reserve/COVID list; they will miss Week 15, McVay said (via ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry, Twitter links). The Rams also held starting center Brian Allen and rotational pass rushers Justin Hollins and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo out of practice Friday, though McVay expects the latter trio to play Sunday.
- The 49ers‘ Arizona arrangement will extend through season’s end. Santa Clara county extended COVID-19 restrictions that have prevented the 49ers from playing at Levi’s Stadium, but the Cardinals will permit their division rival to use the stadium for their Week 17 game against the Seahawks, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com notes. The 49ers will also be in Glendale next week but will do so as the road team against the Cardinals.
Dolphins are in, at the moment. If they weren’t, they would be called a fringe team.
True, I’m hoping they get in over Baltimore. Unfortunately Baltimore plays Jags, Giants, and the Bengals. About as soft of a 3 games you can have.
I’m a fan of Niners not being able to play at Levi Stadium, but I understand why various county DPH officials are taking strict measures.
At the risk of generalization…are football players less disciplined than basketball or baseball players? I hope there is a playoff bubble(not likely) for the NFL.
The NBA and NHL seemed to operate under the bubble well. Maybe NFL needs should adopt a format like MLB. Limit playoff games to FL, TX, AZ, and SoCA while ensuring no team has an obvious home field advantage.
A football team has so many more people around it than either of those sports do, especially basketball. And football necessitates clustering of people more than baseball even just in meetings, let alone in any kind of practice or playing. It’s less about discipline than about logistics, but also, greater numbers create more opportunity for one person’s lapse (or bad luck) to affect a whole team.
You make strong points. Considering roster size and the coaching and support staff, those are likely greater obstacles in minimizing the number of Covid cases.
Bubble would be easy.
They could have the AFC in JAX and NFC in MIA and never leave the state as SB is in TB
They could literally play the first week of the 8 playoff games in two locations.
Friday night(1)
Saturday(2)
Sunday (2)
Monday night(1).
I am still ticked about the Broncos getting rid of Case Keenum. He would be watching film immediately after the game and had the skills to get the job done. Not his fault the Broncos didn’t know how to best utilize him.
are you kidding me? the guy is terrible. good backup at best.
I’m curious how it would have turned out if the Vikings kept him instead of signing cousins
Nothing would change. They are both pedestrian.
Keenum is worse. Cousins has at least had more then one good year.
Prediction: Carr has played his last game as a Raider.
I hope you’re wrong. Carr is a good QB. The coach in LV is the problem, along with an awful defense.
I wouldn’t go so far as to blame Gruden for the team’s current downsides, but the defense has been bad for the last couple of years. If the Raiders had a little pass rush, even, they would be better. The defense as a whole has cost them more than the offense has. That said, they are not a bad team necessarily at the moment. They’re just not quite good enough. If this offseason is handled the right way, Las Vegas could be competing for the division within a season.
My issue with Gruden is two-fold- I feel like he has a lot of say in personnel when he’s not always the best evaluator of talent in certain areas, and there has to be something he’s doing that always leads to these late season collapses. Gruden likes his grinders, which is fine… but is he wearing on his teams by November or December? I don’t know. I don’t think he’s the main issue, but I do think he should look in the mirror a bit.
I do agree with you that LV isn’t that far off from being good. The offense is there. They’ve just got to do something about the defense. They can’t generate pass rush and the secondary needs help.
I can agree with that analysis.
Lock looks awful the first three quarters of the game, and then displays incredible grit and leadership towards the end. He has a rare love of football that is noticeable in his competitiveness on the field, and is an obviously effective leader who his teammates play hard for in return. His arm talent is incredible, and his athleticism and toughness make him a valuable movement threat.
However, the guy just makes the same hairbrained mistakes over and over again. He can’t resist forcing balls into coverage, particularly deep balls, constantly throws across his body or off his back foot, and has no idea when to give up on a play or take a small gain via checkdown. If Lock is in trouble, he goes deep. Defenses know that. If he is pressured, he tosses the ball up for grabs. Defenses know that too. The problem is that when you watch him, you see what feels like the same play on repeat over and over again. That’s what’s concerning-the repetition of the mistakes.
I don’t know if Lock will ever learn to not be careless with his throws, set his feet for his throws, throw the ball away, or to take his time going through his reads, but I do not have confidence in Mike Shula to tutor him into a quarterback who does. Nor do I have confidence that Pat Shurmur can reinvent a quarterback into something that he was not previously. I know Denver wanted a veteran coordinator after the Rich Scangarello disappointment, but I am also am not convinced of the current regime’s quarterback tutoring abilities.
Smart post
Thank you, sir.
Broncos knowing they have Lock on board next season should bring in Sam Darnold and draft some protection in the O line.
They have Sutton, Jeudy, Hamler and Fant which make up the young receiving core. In order to give the two young QBs a good chance they should add some protection and then let these two battle it out for they starting spot.
I’d also look into a new OC, with such a young group they really need a OC that can help develop them and run plays which suit them. I’d try get Chip Long the OC for Notre Dame. He’s got heaps of experience and is due for a promotion to the big leagues. With two young QBs and a bunch of talented young receivers he would have a great time drawing up how to get the best of everyone
I’m big on upgrading the line and I liked Darnold coming out of USC. He looks terrible too but then again, the Jets haven’t helped him much.
“The former MVP vote-receiving passer”
LOL…that vote must have come from Sam.
Matt Stafford has made it pretty clear he intends to retire as a Lion so I would just ignore any reports from this Troy Renck guy.
I think he is implying that the choice may not be up to Stafford.
Exactly how can you keep Matt from retiring if he rather do that than play elsewhere? He’s in total control of his own future.
True, but I think we both know “retire as a ” is said much more often than it happens. I am saying that a trade is not totally unlikely under a new regime. Besides, I seem to remember a year or two ago that Stafford was putting out feelers for a trade. I could be wrong.
Are you saying that Stafford would retire before being traded?