Las Vegas Raiders quarter Derek Carr completed his 20th fourth-quarter comeback on Sunday in the thrilling win over the New York Jets. With this feat, Carr broke the NFL record for most fourth-quarter comeback wins through the first seven years of a quarterback’s career.
Following Carr’s MVP-caliber season in 2016 and eventual season-ending injury, many feared he would mot return to the level he was at when threw 28 touchdowns and only six interceptions en route to a 12-3 record.
However, his clutch performance on Sunday kept the Raiders alive in the AFC playoff picture, and cemented his return to his former self. Since the beginning of 2019, Carr has thrown 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while leading the Raiders to a 14-14 record.
While it seemed inevitable for a majority of Sunday’s game that the Raiders would allow the Jets to secure their first victory of the season, Carr took advantage of a poor defensive scheme to deliver a 46-yard strike to rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs III.
On the day, Carr went 28-of-47 for 381 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Statistically, this wound up being one of Carr’s best performances of the season, beyond cementing him in the history books for fourth quarter comebacks.
The Raiders will now move forward to their most important matchup of the 2020 season. They will face the No. 7 seeded Indianapolis Colts, who they sit just one game behind in the playoff race. A win would vault them into the postseason, while a loss would make it extremely difficult to get to January.
Carr shares high praise for Ruggs after game winning catch
Following the win over the Jets, Carr had nothing but praise for his rookie receiver. Despite an earlier mistake, Ruggs picked himself back up to make the biggest play of the season thus far, something Carr truly appreciates about him.
He also praised general manager Mike Mayock for drafting someone with Ruggs’ character and ability, giving Carr an elite deep threat for many years to come.
