When the Oakland Raiders try to get their second win of this season Sunday against the Colts, Derek Carr – as always – will be center stage.
That’s the way it is for quarterbacks in the NFL.
But this Sunday may be a little different.
Carr goes into Sunday’s game as the leader of a 1-5 team, a quarterback tied for third in the NFL in interceptions (with eight) and recently the subject of reports that he may have lost the confidence of his teammates. He’s also lost his most talented wide receiver, Amari Cooper, who was traded away over the team’s bye week. Carr himself has been the subject of trade rumors as new head coach Jon Gruden goes about the business of tearing apart the roster.
But since the story surfaced this week that Carr may have lost his teammates’ respect – reportedly because of his reaction to an injury to his left arm late in the loss to the Seahawks in London – his teammates have publicly rallied around him.
“Attacking him as a leader on this football team is a joke,” tight end Lee Smith told reporters this week. “I hope everyone hears me loud and clear what a joke it is. It’s frustrating, annoying and it’s laughable and not fair to him when it is obviously not coming from inside this locker room.”
Smith said he’s not worried about Carr being distracted by the reports.
Raiders
“If anybody can handle it, it’s Derek Carr, based off the person he is and the character he has,” said Smith.
Carr, in fact, told reporters he’s laughing off the story that he cried after he suffered the injury vs. Seattle, which supposedly had teammates questioning his toughness.
“No, never,” Carr said of whether he shed tears in that London game. “I broke my back, I broke my ankle (in other games in his career). I didn’t cry then.”
Carr has said he’s obviously disappointed by the Raiders having to go through tough times this season, but says it’s just part of the game and as a player he just has to fight through the bad times.
“A lot of people don’t like going through tough times, but I tell you what, I love it,” he said this week in a radio interview. “I actually embrace it. I think the people that can get through those times, the people that can still be the same person as they go through those times, those are the ones that make it out better. And I’m definitely one of those. I’m here and I’m going to be here.”
The Raiders will take on the 2-5 Colts at O.co Coliseum Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. Oddsmakers have the Colts listed as 3-point favorites.
