A return home was not enough for the Oakland Raiders to prevent a losing streak after seemingly gassing out against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14.
Although the Raiders had come out swinging, they did not put up much of a fight in the second half by allowing the Titans to score 21 unanswered points and secure a dominant 42-21 victory. It became prevalent down the stretch that the grind of the 2019 NFL season has taken quite a toll on this team.
It is no secret that the Raiders have dealt with their fair share of key injuries to their personnel throughout the year. Regardless, quarterback Derek Carr does not appear to be in the business of making excuses.
While Carr acknowledged Oakland’s depleted roster, he knows full well that opponents are not going to have any pity on them, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports:
“Oh, it’s been crazy. Let’s not sugarcoat it,” Carr said Sunday after Oakland’s 42-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans. “Let’s just be real about it. I’m into facts, and it’s been a really weird year. We can get into all the other stuff. Someone should write a book at some point about that, you know? Some of the stuff that went on, but nobody cares. I’m used to that.”
Carr added that at the end of the day, a loss is still a loss no matter how they look at it:
“Nobody cares about the situation,” Carr said. “Nobody cares who is playing. Nobody cares who has been here, who has not been here. I have learned that in my six years. Nobody cares. We didn’t win the football game, and it is what it is.”
There is certainly plenty of truth to Carr’s comments. Nearly every team in the league is dealing with key injuries at this point in the year, however, the good ones have managed to overcome their misfortunes by taking advantage of others’.
Rather than emerge into a contender down the final stretch of the 2019 campaign, the Raiders have seemingly succumbed to all the notable voids on the roster. As a result, any hope they have of making the playoffs continues to vanish with each game they lose.
Despite all the injuries, Carr still managed to finish with a solid stat line in the loss to Tennessee after completing 25-of-34 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, he simply could not get anything going for the offense after adjustments were made in the second half.
The Raiders will need to find a way to bounce back if they hope to end their final home game in Oakland on a high note against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15.
