Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders will miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season, but the organization appears ready to stick with Derek Carr at quarterback, as Adam Schefter explained on ESPN NFL Sunday Countdown:

"There's no intention that they are willing to move off of Derek Carr at this point in time. Now, Jon Gruden is always looking at quarterbacks and they also have Marcus Mariota under a two-year contract, but Carr played well this year and you have to figure they'd like to stick with him going into next year. No intention to move off him at this time." 

Carr is signed through the 2022 season but has few guarantees remaining on his contract and would leave only $2.5 million in dead cap if he is traded or released before the 2021 campaign, per Spotrac.

The quarterback has remained efficient on the field, however, currently producing a 102.2 rating that would be a career high. He also has 3,732 passing yards with 25 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in 15 appearances.

Despite his improved play, it hasn't led to any more team success.

The Raiders enter Week 17 with a 7-8 record despite a 6-3 start to the season. The squad also began last year at 6-4 before collapsing with five losses in the last six games.

It has led to four straight seasons without a winning record, including the last three with Jon Gruden at the helm. Carr is 46-63 as a starter in his seven years in the NFL with his team only finishing with a winning record once in 2016.

This could cause the Raiders to look elsewhere for an upgrade in the offseason.

The team reportedly went after Tom Brady last year, and there could be experienced players available this offseason, including Carson Wentz, Cam Newton and more.

With just one playoff appearance and no wins since 2002, the Raiders could simply look for a new face of the franchise to help turn things around.

Not much has gone right for the Las Vegas Raiders down the stretch this season, but Darren Waller continues to prove he's a superstar who belongs in the conversation of the NFL's best tight ends.

In fact, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden told NBC Sports' Peter King, "He's one of the best players I've ever seen play football."

Most of the conversations about the best tight end this season start and stop with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. After all, the 31-year-old broke the record for receiving yards by a tight end Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, and he leads the league with 1,416 yards on 105 receptions.

He also has Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball in an explosive offense.

Waller, meanwhile, had a total of 178 yards and 18 receptions in 22 games from 2015-18. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens but had substance-abuse issues that resulted in him being suspended for the entire 2017 season.

The NFL approved Waller's application for reinstatement in August 2018.

On an episode of Hard Knocks in August 2019 (h/t Sports Illustrated's Kalyn Kahler), Waller said he was "plotting to sabotage my way out of the league so I didn't look like a quitter" during his time with the Ravens.

The Raiders signed Waller off Baltimore's practice squad in November 2018, and he was a breakout star last year with 1,145 yards receiving on 90 catches with three TDs.

He has been even better this season with 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns on 98 catches. He also became the fourth tight end ever to have at least 200 receiving yards and two TDs in a game when he hit that mark in the Raiders' 31-28 win over the New York Jets on Dec. 6.

After a wild Saturday night game that ended with the Las Vegas Raiders' elimination from playoff contention, head coach Jon Gruden didn't regret settling for a field goal on their final offensive series. 

"We felt the play was to eliminate all the clock and all the timeouts," Gruden told reporters after his team's 26-25 loss to the Miami Dolphins. "I don't regret it one bit. I just regret the results."

Following a Dolphins touchdown, the Raiders took possession trailing 23-22 with 2:55 remaining in regulation. 

Las Vegas was set up at Miami's 22-yard line following a 49-yard pass interference penalty call against Byron Jones. A combination of four Josh Jacobs runs and a Kyle Van Noy offside penalty put the Raiders at the 1-yard line with 1:05 left on the clock.

Jacobs had a chance to get into the end zone on 2nd-and-goal, but he opted to slide before crossing the plane to keep the clock running. Daniel Carlson kicked a go-ahead 22-yard field goal that seemed like it would win the game with 19 seconds left. 

Instead, Miami picked up 49 yards on its next offensive play thanks to Ryan Fitzpatrick's 34-yard completion to Mack Hollins and a roughing the passer penalty against Arden Key. 

After a Fitzpatrick incomplete pass, Jason Sanders kicked a 44-yard field goal that gave the Dolphins a win.

The fourth quarter featured both teams scoring a combined 22 points, four lead changes and one tie. Five straight possessions ended in either a touchdown or field goal. Four of those possessions went at least 71 yards. 

The Raiders have played with fire all season, with mixed results.

They came within two minutes of beating the Kansas City Chiefs twice, capitalized on New York Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' decision to send an all-out blitz in the final seconds, lost to the Los Angeles Chargers in overtime last week when the defense couldn't get Justin Herbert off the field and then lost to the Dolphins because they played for a field goal when they were one yard away from scoring a touchdown. 

Gruden seemed like he had the Raiders trending in the right direction when they were challenging for a playoff spot, but five losses in the past six games have derailed what was a once promising season. 

Derek Carr is likely to play Saturday against the Miami Dolphins after they did not list him on their final injury report, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday.

Carr left the first quarter of Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers with a groin injury and was replaced by Marcus Mariota.

"Both quarterbacks have prepared to play," head coach Jon Gruden said Thursday, per The Athletic's Vic Tafur.

Carr was a full participant in practice Wednesday after he was originally slated to be out for up to two weeks with the injury.

The return of the Raiders' starting quarterback, who has started all but two regular-season games since he was drafted by the team out of Fresno State with the No. 36 pick in 2014, would improve their chances of making the postseason, but they are still a long shot.

At 7-7, the team needs to beat Miami this week and the Denver Broncos next week, and then hope the Dolphins lose against the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills in Week 17. The Raiders would also need the Baltimore Ravens to lose their last two games (vs. NYG, @ CIN).

Carr, 29, has thrown for 3,396 yards and 24 touchdowns—his most since 2016—on 303-of-445 passing this season. But if he isn't at his best, Mariota could be a viable option, at least for one more game. Against the Chargers last week, Mariota had 314 total yards and two touchdowns in a three-point loss.

The team may also be boosted by the return of wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who was also hurt Thursday when he suffered a concussion early on.

Derek Carr's groin injury is expected to keep the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback sidelined for 10-14 days, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

The news leaves backup Marcus Mariota in line to start against the Miami Dolphins next week if Carr doesn't show much improvement. Rapoport noted Carr hopes he'll be ready to go by next kickoff, but the injury is significant. 

The Raiders fell to the Los Angeles Chargers 30-27 in overtime on Thursday Night Football with Carr exiting after just five pass attempts. 

That brought in Mariota, who Las Vegas made the highest-paid backup in the league this year specifically for this reason. The former Tennessee Titans starter agreed to a two-year, $17.6 million deal with the Raiders last offseason to serve as an insurance policy for Carr.

While the backup performed admirably Thursday, passing for 226 yards with one touchdown and an interception, the loss moved Vegas outside the playoff bubble and dropped the club to 7-7 on the season. As talented as Mariota is, it may be too late for the Raiders to recover.

With games remaining against the Dolphins and Denver Broncos, Las Vegas will need some help if it's going to return to the postseason for the first time since 2016. 

Carr, meanwhile, may be forced to watch from the sidelines amid a solid season. The QB has tallied 3,396 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a career-best 102 passer rating. 

The Las Vegas Raiders out-Chargered the Los Angeles Chargers during a Thursday night affair most would like to forget. In doing so, the Raiders' once-promising season came to a screeching halt with only a slight mathematical possibility and plenty of help needed to reach the postseason. 

A month ago, the Raiders held a 6-3 record coming off impressive victories against the Cleveland Browns, Chargers and Denver Broncos. 

Everything has fallen apart from that point, with Thursday's 30-27 overtime loss essentially sealing the Raiders' fate. Las Vegas has lost four of its last five games. 

The only win came courtesy of a Gregg Williams brainfart—the New York Jets should have captured their first win of the season only to let Henry Ruggs III race behind the defense (with no safety help) for one last shot at the end zone so the Raiders could secure a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Williams lost his job the following day. The Raiders should reassess where they stand moving forward as a 7-7 squad that may be missing its franchise quarterback for the next two weeks since Derek Carr suffered a groin injury during Thursday's first quarter and didn't return. 

Head coach Jon Gruden told reporters that Carr's injury is "significant," though he doesn't believe the quarterback actually tore the muscle. 

Marcus Mariota entered the contest and played relatively well. The expensive backup brought the Raiders back from a touchdown deficit twice and even led a potential game-winning drive in overtime that resulted in a field goal.

The second-string quarterback provided 314 total yards, including 88 rushing yards, after entering the game in the second quarter. His presence helped open up the offense because the Chargers had to account for his mobility, which made it much easier for the Raiders to move the ball. 

Yet Las Vegas didn't fully capitalize on Los Angeles not preparing for Mariota to take over the offense.

With 4:30 remaining in overtime, Gruden ran Josh Jacobs twice between the tackles before trying a simple play-action pass in a compressed zone from the 5-yard line. The head coach then chose to kick a field goal instead of attempting to end the game right there with a fourth-down touchdown. At worst, the Chargers would have been pinned near their own end zone if the offense couldn't score a touchdown. 

"If it was a little bit closer, I would have considered going for it," Gruden told reporters. "But to take the lead with three minutes left I thought was the play to make at that time."

The Raiders deserved to lose because they weren't playing to win.

While playing with its backup quarterback and missing multiple starters, Las Vegas had a chance to steal a game that Los Angeles dominated throughout. Instead, Gruden played it safe and lost anyhow. 

"It's on me," Gruden told reporters. "It was tough. I'm really proud of our coaches and our players. We did a lot of good things tonight. But you've got to win these tight games. And often times, that's a reflection on the head coach."

Conversely, the Chargers let their standout rookie take over the contest with the game on the line. Herbert threw three straight passes to begin the Chargers' overtime drive, the third of which was a long completion to the 2-yard line. Three plays later, the quarterback snuck the ball into the end zone for the winning score.

During the final drive, Herbert became the first rookie ever to throw for 300 or more yards and run for the winning score in overtime, according to Stats Perform. Herbert is a star in the making and the front-runner for the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The Chargers kept the ball in his hands throughout the extra frame. The Raiders chose not to do the same with their quarterback who placed them in a position to win. 

But one loss doesn't define a season. The Raiders' problems are much bigger. 

This bad stretch started with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but the Raiders had no reason to hang their head. They competed hard and even had a late fourth-quarter lead. But Las Vegas seemed deflated coming out of that contest. 

A week later, the Atlanta Falcons, who were playing with interim coach Raheem Morris after firing Dan Quinn, stomped the Raiders by 37 points. The Jets followed, and the Raiders nearly fell prey to the league's worst squad. The Indianapolis Colts racked up 44 points this past weekend. 

The Las Vegas defense, in particular, has been excruciatingly bad. According to the Associated Press' Josh Dubow, opponents have had 17 drives (not including kneel-downs) over the last two games. During that stretch, the Raiders have allowed eight touchdowns and four field goals, and their opponents have missed two more field-goal attempts. Las Vegas has forced only three punts with no turnovers.

The group struggled in crunch time Thursday. The Chargers scored quickly before the end of the first half with only a minute remaining when they gained possession. Gruden admitted his secondary blew two coverages. 

"It's been a problem in past years and it's hard to admit it again," the coach said. 

With or without Carr in the lineup, the Raiders offense showed it can move the ball. It doesn't matter if the defense fails to do its part, though. 

Now, the Raiders are a game-and-a-half behind the 8-5 Miami Dolphins and 8-5 Baltimore Ravens for the AFC's seventh playoff seed. A win next weekend against Miami would certainly go a long way, but it probably won't be enough.

The Dolphins could enter their meeting against the Raiders with a full two-game advantage if they beat Patriots this weekend. 

The Ravens are positioned the best out of all three teams with upcoming contests against the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals. 

Maybe the 9-4 Cleveland Browns falter down the stretch since the Raiders hold the tiebreaker between the two after beating Cleveland earlier this season. However, the Browns simply need to win one game against the Giants, Jets or Steelers for that not to matter. 

For all intents and purposes, the Raiders season is over, and the team is 18-28 since Gruden took over in 2018. What makes matters worse is the organization fell apart late last season, too. The Raiders finished the '19 campaign by losing five of their final six contests. They could have another late-season 1-5 stretch by losing to the Dolphins next week. 

Some serious soul-searching needs to happen in Sin City. What happens in Vegas shouldn't stay in Vegas if this is how the Raiders continue under Gruden's supervision. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski. 

Much like Ron Burgundy's propensity to read whatever's on the teleprompter, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden will wear whatever hat you give him.

During his team's 30-27 overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, he was spotted wearing an "Oakland" Raiders hat on the sideline.

"I will say I apologize for not having the right hat on," Gruden told reporters after the game. "Somebody played a pretty good trick on me."

Gruden eventually switched hats to correctly identify the Raiders' current home. And in his defense, the hats were almost identical, so it's easy to see how he could've slipped it on without thinking.

The joke may not have been funny for fans in the Bay Area still upset about the franchise's relocation, though.

Gruden will have to make sure a staffer doesn't slip a "Los Angeles" Raiders hat into his game-day wardrobe for Las Vegas' Week 16 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said quarterback Derek Carr suffered a "significant" injury during the team's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers Thursday night (h/t Tashan Reed of The Athletic). 

Carr exited the game with under two minutes left to play in the first quarter after a scramble play on third and goal from the Chargers' 2-yard line. The 29-year-old grabbed his groin as he ran out of bounds instead. 

Marcus Mariota, who is guaranteed $7.5 million on the deal he signed with the Raiders this offseason, made his first appearance of the year after Carr's injury.

The former Tennessee Titans starter threw for 226 yards on 17 completions with a touchdown pass and an interception. He also added 88 yards on the ground and a touchdown on nine carries and ended the night as the team's leading rusher.

Before he left the game, Carr completed three of five passes for 53 yards. A second-round pick by the Raiders in 2014, Carr has missed just two regular-season starts since his career began—a broken leg sidelined him at the end of 2016, and he was out for one game in 2017 because of a transverse process fracture in his back.

The seventh-year star has added 3,396 passing yards and 24 touchdowns for the 7-7 Raiders, whose playoff hopes have all but evaporated in a tight race for a wild card spot.