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Joe Burrow, Bengals Snap NFL Playoff Drought with Win Over Derek Carr, Raiders

Jan 16, 2022
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 15: Quarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after throwing a first half touchdown pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the AFC Wild Card playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 15: Quarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after throwing a first half touchdown pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the AFC Wild Card playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

At long last, the Cincinnati Bengals are playoff winners.

Cincinnati defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19 in Saturday's AFC Wild Card Round at Paul Brown Stadium. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase led the way for the victors, who won a playoff game for the first time since the 1990 season.

A solid showing from Derek Carr was not enough for the Raiders, who remain without a postseason victory since the 2002 campaign.

Las Vegas had an opportunity to force overtime in the final two minutes, but Carr's fourth-down throw near Cincinnati's end zone was intercepted by Germaine Pratt.


Notable Player Stats

  • Joe Burrow, QB, CIN: 24-of-34 passing for 244 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
  • Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN: 9 catches for 116 yards
  • C.J. Uzomah, TE, CIN: 6 catches for 64 yards, 1 TD
  • Derek Carr, QB, LV: 29-of-54 passing for 310 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
  • Zay Jones, WR, LV: 5 catches for 61 yards, 1 TD
  • Josh Jacobs, RB, LV: 13 carries for 83 yards; 4 catches for 44 yards

Joe Burrow's Fast Start Enough for Bengals

While relying on someone to be a franchise savior is a lot to ask, these are the moments the Bengals selected Burrow for with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft.

He looked more than ready for the challenge during Cincinnati's opening drive as he targeted Chase down the field until he found C.J. Uzomah for the game's first touchdown. It was something of a statement for the young signal-caller in his first playoff game after he announced himself as one of the best in the league during his second regular season.

While the Bengals failed to completely put the game away early by settling for field goals with short fields after a turnover and special teams blunder from Las Vegas, Burrow continued his excellence by fitting throws through tight windows and evading pressure with his legs.

His second touchdown pass came as he scrambled to the right and unleashed a throw to Tyler Boyd in the back of the end zone right before stepping out of bounds on a play that featured an errant whistle but still stood in controversial fashion.

To Las Vegas' credit, its defense bounced back in the third quarter and kept the Bengals out of the end zone to remain well within striking distance. It also put Burrow firmly under the spotlight for the fourth quarter, especially after Daniel Carlson's third field goal cut the lead to seven.

Even when Burrow responded with a monster third-down conversion to Chase and another strike to his No. 1 wide receiver to get into scoring range, the home team once again had to settle for a field goal. It at least pushed the advantage to two scores again, but there would have been far less doubt if even one of Evan McPherson's four field goals turned into a touchdown.

It turns out that was enough thanks to a strong showing from Cincinnati's defense, but the offense will need to convert more of its chances to continue advancing in later rounds.


Missed Chances, Mistakes Cost Raiders 

While the Raiders came in as underdogs on the road, few teams entered the playoffs with more momentum.

After all, Las Vegas won its final four regular-season games to rescue its playoff hopes after it looked nothing like a postseason team with a 6-7 start. However, that momentum was nowhere to be found for much of a first half that was defined by missed opportunities and self-inflicted mistakes as visitors fell behind by double digits early.

Carr's fumble on Trey Hendrickson's strip-sack set the Bengals up with a short field, as did a 3-and-out after Peyton Barber grabbed a kickoff as it was heading out of bounds at his own 2-yard line.

The Raiders also stalled for multiple field goals on promising drives and appeared well on their way to a blowout loss, but Carr turned things around right before intermission with an 80-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Zay Jones. That cut the halftime deficit to 20-13, and, perhaps for the first time all game, put some apprehension in the crowd.

That apprehension continued when Josh Jacobs found success between the tackles with injuries to Hendrickson and Larry Ogunjobi along Cincinnati's defensive front, but the Raiders continued to undercut their own comeback efforts by settling for field goals instead of touchdowns throughout the game.

Las Vegas had plenty of opportunities, especially in the second half when its defense kept Burrow and Co. out of the end zone, and it created another one when Carr found DeSean Jackson for a key fourth-down conversion. Still, even that drive ended in another field goal and the offenses continued to mirror each other with field goals instead of touchdowns.

It was only fitting that the game ended on yet another missed opportunity in scoring position for the Raiders, and Carr's final throw was intercepted right outside the Bengals' end zone.    


What's Next?

The Bengals advanced to the divisional round and will play the top-seeded Tennessee Titans if the favored Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills win their games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, respectively.

Derek Carr Rumors: Raiders Expected to Discuss New Contract with QB After Playoffs

Jan 15, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 09:  Quarterback Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders lines up for a play against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of a game at Allegiant Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 35-32 in overtime. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 09: Quarterback Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders lines up for a play against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of a game at Allegiant Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 35-32 in overtime. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly prepared to discuss a contract extension with quarterback Derek Carr following the team's playoff run.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on NFL Countdown that Saturday's wild-card round game against the Cincinnati Bengals is a key moment for Carr, who has one season left on his current five-year, $125 million contract:

2022 is scheduled to be the final year of Carr's contract, and there are expected to be contract discussions between Carr and the team this offseason. That has been the plan all along to address it during the offseason. But there have been so many quarterbacks with speculation linked to Vegas in the past. We heard about Tom Brady, we heard about Russell Wilson. The fact of the matter is, with Derek Carr making his first [playoff] start today, he can take another step to cementing that job.

Carr's numbers dipped a bit in 2021 compared to the two previous seasons, but he still put together a solid year to help the Raiders post a 10-7 record.

The 30-year-old Fresno State product completed 68.4 percent of his throws for 4,804 yards, which ranked fifth in the NFL, to go along with 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 17 games. He ranked 13th in ESPN's Total QBR (52.7) and received a 76.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Carr told reporters Friday reaching the postseason is just the first stop on what Las Vegas wants to accomplish:

For me, it's an exciting time. Obviously, it's something I've dreamed of since I was drafted. That's all I want to do is get to the playoffs and try and win a championship. And the fact that we're in the tournament, it's really cool. Again, like I said afterwards, I'm super thankful. I've worked my tail off. I've prayed that I could experience that one day and I get to. It's cool.

But at the same time, my goal wasn't just to make the playoffs; it was a part of it. But you always have bigger goals and bigger dreams and you're always trying to achieve more. So, for me, it's exciting, but still trying to keep that laser focus on the job at hand.

The California native's performance in his first career playoff start is just one of the factors that will help determine whether he remains the team's franchise quarterback, though.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the Raiders will go through a coaching search after the playoffs to determine whether interim head coach Rich Bisaccia retains the role, and the decision "will be tied in" to Carr's future.

Las Vegas owner Mark Davis also plans to evaluate general manager Mike Mayock, and a change atop the front office could also impact Carr, per Rapoport.

Barring a blockbuster trade, the Raiders would struggle to find a major upgrade on Carr during the offseason. The free-agent market features an uninspiring group of quarterbacks, and it's generally viewed as a relatively weak year for QBs in the draft.

So, even if Las Vegas opts against giving Carr a lucrative extension this offseason, there's a chance he could return to finish the final year of his contract in 2022.

The Las Vegas Raiders have done it again. On Sunday, for the third time in as many weeks, Las Vegas came from the brink of defeat to win and keep its playoff hopes alive. In Week 15, it was a fight against the COVID-19-affected Cleveland Browns...

NFL Coach: Raiders' Derek Carr 'a Great Fit' for Steelers to Replace Roethlisberger

Dec 27, 2021
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) motions against the Denver Broncos during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)a
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) motions against the Denver Broncos during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)a

As the Pittsburgh Steelers start to look toward their future, quarterback is the most obvious position they will need to address before 2022.

Per The Athletic's Mike Sando, one offensive coach in the NFL suggested that Derek Carr "would be a great fit" for the Steelers if the Las Vegas Raiders look to trade him.

"They are almost winning the division with what they have now, and they are missing out at the quarterback position because they are so limited based on not being able to make the tougher throws," the coach said of the Steelers' current offense with Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger has not yet indicated if he will retire, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Dec. 4 that the 39-year-old has told some people in the Steelers organization and former teammates he doesn't expect to be back with Pittsburgh in 2022. 

The Steelers would seem likely to be one of the more attractive openings for any quarterback looking for a new team this offseason. They have a level of organizational stability that is rare for any professional sports franchise. 

Kevin Colbert has been in the front office since 2000 and has been general manager since 2010. Mike Tomlin has been the Steelers head coach since 2007. 

Pittsburgh already has a talented roster around the quarterback in place. Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool have combined for 1,885 receiving yards this season. Najee Harris has 1,406 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns as a rookie. T.J. Watt is arguably the best defensive player in the NFL. 

The Steelers need to upgrade their offensive line, which has been a problem for the past two seasons. The current group entered Week 16 with the sixth-worst overall grade in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson:

The Steelers have allowed one of the lowest pressure rates in the NFL, but that's due in large part to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger getting the ball out of his hand in just 2.18 seconds on average, the quickest time in the league. Despite that, four of the five starters have allowed multiple sacks, and the unit's run blocking is poor. Pittsburgh is averaging just 0.9 yards before contact per rush this season, ranking 29th in the league.

Carr continues to be a steady performer for the Raiders. He's never taken the leap into becoming an elite player, but Pittsburgh would probably be better than a fringe playoff contender right now with even average play at quarterback. 

A three-time Pro Bowler, Carr has thrown for at least 4,000 yards in four consecutive seasons, including 2021. He has 20 touchdown passes for the third straight year and is completing 68.7 percent of his attempts. 

When the Raiders were rumored to be looking at Aaron Rodgers last summer, Derek Carr threatened to retire if he had to play anywhere else. 

It's unclear at this point what the Raiders' plans for 2022 will be. They have to hire a full-time head coach, with Richard Bisaccia serving that role on an interim basis. 

Las Vegas is tied with the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers with an 8-7 record in the race for the AFC's final playoff spot.     

The Las Vegas Raiders are still clinging to the playoff dream following back-to-back big wins. Last Monday, the Raiders survived the Cleveland Browns in a game that was postponed...