Las Vegas Raiders left tackle Trent Brown finally made his return to the lineup for just his third appearance of the season in Week 14 against the Indianapolis Colts. After getting through a calf injury and a battle with coronavirus (COVID-19), Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr were excited to have their Pro-Bowler back on the field.
Despite the fact that his return came in a blowout 44-27 loss at the hands of the Colts, it was not the offense that struggled. The Colts racked up 456 yards of offense, including an absurd 212 rushing yards. The Raiders’ offense had an impressive outing, with 424 yards of offense and zero sacks allowed.
Gruden was very complimentary of Brown and thought he made a big difference for the offense, according to Levi Edwards of Raiders.com:
“I thought Trent was a difference maker. He played great,” Coach Gruden said. “I thought the pocket was clean; I thought we did a good job moving the ball. [It’s] good to have Trent back.”
Carr was even happier to have his right tackle back, saying that Brown is the best in the world at what he does:
“He’s our starting right tackle for a reason,” Carr said. “He’s a great player, and the guys that have filled in for him did a great job. We’ve been able to do some amazing things offensively this year with all the moving pieces it’s been impressive.
“Anytime you get someone back who’s a starter, someone who I feel is the best in the world at what they do, it definitely makes a difference. And that’s not a knock on anybody: That’s just a compliment to Trent and how good he is.”
While Brown’s return is certainly big for the Raiders, losing to the Colts made a playoff push very difficult. The Raiders now sit one game back of the Miami Dolphins for the seventh and final playoff spot. Luckily, they’ll face each other in Week 16 in what is looking to be a must-win game.
Carr focused on offense, not defensive struggles, after loss to Colts
Although it was clear that the Raiders defense did not provide any relief in Sunday’s loss, Carr refused to throw anyone under the bus, ultimately putting the blame on himself.
Carr said that his job is to protect the ball and score, which he believes he did not accomplish well in the loss.
