The Las Vegas Raiders' first season under Josh McDaniels has been a harrowing roller-coaster ride into the abyss, with few glimpses of hope along the way.
When the Raiders needed quarterback Derek Carr to carry them down the stretch, he cratered. Saturday night's dismal loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which put Vegas' season on life support, included three second-half interceptions that booted a chance for a win.
The inability of the passing game to consistently move the ball has McDaniels befuddled.
"For us to be able to win at this time of the year and be productive, offensively you have to throw the ball better than what we've thrown at times here in the last month and a half," McDaniels said, via the Associated Press. "We've been able to win some in spite of that, overall, but clearly, that's not the goal. The goal would be to be more productive than what we've been."
Carr has played his worst football in recent weeks. Saturday's INT spree was the second time this season he's thrown three-plus picks in a contest (also Week 1). The QB has an INT in five straight games, tossing nine total since Week 12, which is the most in the NFL. The five-game pick streak is the longest by a Raiders QB since Matt McGloin's five-gamer in 2013.
"When you don't do your best, you let your team down, let the organization and fans down," Carr said after the game. "It breaks your heart. At the end of the day, nobody cares. You get back up and keep going."
The question is whether the Raiders will keep going with Carr or set the stage to move on from the veteran.
McDaniels was asked point blank Monday whether he would consider benching Carr for backup Jarrett Stidham for the final two games. The coach didn't exactly offer a rousing defense of Carr.
"I think there's a possibility that we would do the right thing regardless of the position," McDaniels said.
If the Raiders bench Carr in the final two weeks, it could signal their intent to move on from the veteran this offseason. The three-year extension Carr signed in the offseason came with a trigger that would guarantee roughly $33 million for 2023 unless the Raiders cut him before Feb. 15 -- a cap hit of just $5.6 million would be left if they move on. Any severe injury in the final two weeks would keep Vegas on the hook for the guarantee.
McDaniels noted that everyone shares the blame for the Raiders' disappointing season. But, as always, the QB gets the lion's share of the heat when things go sideways.
"Everybody can do better, and I'm sure he'd be the first one to tell you he can do the same thing," McDaniels said.
