The Las Vegas Raiders have benched quarterback Derek Carr for the final two games of the NFL season with Jarrett Stidham given the starting role for Sunday’s game with the San Francisco 49ers.
Last week’s defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers leaves the Raiders with a 6-9 record and only the slimmest of outside chances of making the post-season.
Carr threw three interceptions in the 13-10 loss to the Steelers and his 14 interceptions this season ara a league high.
In his ninth season with the franchise, Carr’s pass completion rate of 60.8% is his worse since his first year.
Remarks by the Raiders’ coach
“None of us is happy with where we’re at, but we think it’s an opportunity to evaluate a younger player who hasn’t had much time to play,” Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said on Wednesday.
“Talking to Derek — who was great — he understands the scenario that we’re in and the situation,” he added.
Carr signed a three year $121.5 million contract extension in April but the deal is structured in a way which provides a relatively painless way out for the Raiders if they wish to move on from their quarterback.
Reports say that the Raiders would have to pay a relatively low $5.625 million if he is cut or traded within three days of February’s Super Bowl.
However Carr’s entire 2023 salary ($32.9 million) plus $7.5 million of his 2024 salary is fully guaranteed if he were to get injured in the remainder of this season, NFL.com reported.
McDaniels was wary of discussing what moves the Raiders might make over Carr’s future.
“We’ll see how this goes going forward. I’m not going to sit here and predict the future. There’s a lot that could happen and we’re gonna take those things one day at a time, and right now we’re going to get ready for the 49ers,” he said.
The 26-year-old Stidham, who played college football with Auburn, joined the Raiders in May after three years as a back-up with the New England Patriots and will be making his first start in the NFL.
In the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, a new era begins for the Raiders with their prized quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, waiting in the wings. Coach Josh McDaniels revealed that Garoppolo, the recipient of a lucrative three-year, multimillion-dollar contract, is temporarily benched during the team’s organized activities.
The reason? The quarterback diligently recuperates from a fractured left foot in December. As the anticipation builds and the lights of the Las Vegas Strip shine bright, all eyes are fixed on Garoppolo’s impending return, eagerly awaiting the moment when he can showcase his skills and lead the Raiders to gridiron glory.
McDaniels said, “He’s going through his process just like we knew he would,” he further added, “Nothing has happened that would surprise us based on the information we had.”(an article from USA Today reported)
Taking over for former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who was let go by the organization in February following nine seasons with the organization, is 31-year-old Jimmy Garoppolo. He is coming off of a season in San Francisco in which it was not anticipated that he would play on the pitch, and he will soon begin his tenth season in the league.
But before Trey Lance, the starter at the time, fractured his ankle in Week 2, Garoppolo completed 67.2% of his passes for 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just four interceptions in 11 games. After breaking his foot in Week 13, Garoppolo could not play again, and backup Brock Purdy performed admirably in his place.
Jimmy Garoppolo, the talented quarterback, brings his skills and leadership to the Las Vegas Raiders. With a lucrative three-year contract, Garoppolo is poised to impact the team significantly. Despite being sidelined due to a broken left foot suffered in December, the anticipation grows for his return to the field. As the Raiders’ new signal-caller, Garoppolo’s presence adds excitement and hope for success in the Silver and Black.
No Hurts but Eagles aiming for top spot at Cowboys
The Philadelphia Eagles will be without their starting quarterback Jalen Hurts for Saturday’s trip to the Dallas Cowboys where they could secure the top seed in the NFC.Hurts has been ruled out with a shoulder injury and the Eagles are confident he should be ready to return for the playoffs.
In the meantime, they hope that back-up Gardner Minshew can help them secure the NFC East title and the number one overall top seed which brings with it home field advantage in the post-season.
The 26-year-old Minshew has started 22 regular season games in his career, the bulk of them during his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is confident he will be up to the task.
“Gardner will be our guy, and Gardner will be ready,” Sirianni said.
“Gardner worked his butt off for this opportunity against a really good football team and had a great practice (on Wednesday). A lot of energy out there. He’s ready to go.”
Excellent season
Hurts has enjoyed an excellent season for the Eagles with his average 8.2 yards per pass attempt placing him second in the league and helping the Eagles to a league-best 13-1 record.
Minshew brings less mobility and rushing ability than Hurts and that is likely to lead to some changes in approach from the Eagles. But having had to be patient as he waited for his opportunity the quarterback isn’t fazed by the chance awaiting him.
“I’m going to do something I’ve done my whole life, play football and I’m going to do my part,” Minshew said. “Just be me and play my game. I’m looking forward to it.”
The Cowboys (10-4) suffered a surprise loss to the Jaguars last week, ending a five game winning streak, but the visit of their divisional rivals offers them a chance to answer some of their doubters ahead of their post-season push.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has struggled with interceptions in recent weeks, none more significant than the tipped pass against Jacksonville that led to the game-winning touchdown in overtime.
Prescott has thrown ten interceptions in the eight weeks since he returned from a thumb injury but coach Mike McCarthy isn’t overly concerned by that statistic and doesn’t want his quarterback to play too safe.
Since Prescott returned, the Cowboys lead the NFL in points scored, third-down conversions and yards.
“Most importantly — he needs to keep firing. He needs to keep going. So let’s make that clear. Because we’re not slowing down,” he said.
The Eagles beat the Cowboys 26-17 when they met in Philadelphia in week 6.
The Cincinnati Bengals (10-4) will look to extend their winning streak to seven games when they take on the New England Patriots (7-7).
Victory for the Bengals will secure a return to the playoffs for last season’s Super Bowl runners-up.
The Patriots had won five in six to get in contention for the post-season themselves but a costly error on a bizarre lateral play in the final stages saw them suffer a morale-sapping defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders last week.
While that unexpected move was costly for the Patriots, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow says they need to be alert for the surprise plays from Bill Belichick’s team that do work.
“They’re going to have a good plan. You see it every week and on film. They’ll have a plan for certain guys. They’ll have a third-down plan that you probably haven’t seen. They’ll have a red-zone plan you haven’t seen, so you’ll have to make adjustments,” he said.
On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins look to get their playoff ambitions back on track when they host the Green Bay Packers — themselves still in with a slight chance of making the post-season.
The Dolphins have lost their last three games, all of them on the road and will want to make the most of being back in South Florida.
“We love our home venue, but it’s not exactly like, ‘Oh, finally. We’re home.’ It’s more that we need another opportunity to play football because it’s a bad taste that you want to try to get rid of,” said head coach Mike McDaniel.
Aaron Rodgers wants the Green Bay Packers to embrace their underdog status as the struggling team bids to snap a three-game losing streak against the in-form Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
After winning three of their first four games, the Packers’ season has gone off the rails in recent weeks with defeats to the New York Giants, New York Jets and Washington Commanders leaving the team at 3-4.
On paper, there couldn’t be a worse time for the Packers to be heading to Western New York to face Josh Allen and the Bills (5-1), who are well-rested after a bye week that followed a statement victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
But Rodgers believes the fact that the Packers are being written off — bookmakers make the Bills favorites to win by more than 10 points — can be turned into a positive.
“Embrace the fact that nobody is expecting you to win … I’ve always enjoyed that feeling,” the veteran Green Bay quarterback said this week ahead of Sunday’s nationally televised prime-time fixture.
“For these guys with a lot to prove, hopefully they embrace that as well. It’s time to make a name for yourself in this league. There’s a lot of guys that are going to get opportunities on Sunday on national TV with millions and millions of people watching.
“Great time for some of those guys to step into the limelight.”
Rodgers could head into Sunday’s game with an offense denuded by injuries.
Star receiver Randall Cobb has already been ruled out, while Allen Lazard is also doubtful with a shoulder injury.
It has left some wondering whether the Packers may even struggle to reach the playoffs this season.
However, Packers coach Matt LaFleur says his team can’t hide behind the injuries to explain recent difficulties.
“To me, that’s nothing more than an excuse,” LaFleur said of the Packers’ injury problems.
“You’ve got to find a way. We’ve got to do a better job of putting our guys in position. We’ve got to do a better job collectively.”
Rams eye 49ers revenge
Elsewhere on Sunday, the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams have the chance to get their season back on track in a divisional battle against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Rams have stumbled through the opening weeks of the campaign, struggling to find the offensive consistency that carried them to an NFL championship last season.
The Rams (3-3) were comprehensively outplayed by the 49ers earlier this month, losing 24-9.
Since then, the 49ers have strengthened their offense with the recruitment of running back Christian McCaffrey, giving Rams coach Sean McVay another defensive headache going into Sunday’s game at SoFi Stadium.
“There’s no limitations in his game,” McVay said of McCaffrey.
“So we have to be able to play sound defense, do a great job. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
A victory for the Rams could see them pull ahead of the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West divisional race.
The Seahawks (4-3) host the New York Giants (6-1) on Sunday in what is the only fixture between two teams with winning records.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll has spent the week devising a plan to nullify Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who is currently second in the league for overall rushing yards with 726.
“He has everything,” Carroll said.
“He’s got power, he’s got speed, he’s got tremendous elusiveness and his tackle-breaking ability is as good as anybody that plays the game.
“He poses the ultimate threat … This is as hard as it gets.”
The Philadelphia Eagles (6-0), meanwhile, will be expected to extend their perfect start to the season to seven games when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles signaled their determination to mount a championship campaign this week after trading for top pass rusher Robert Quinn from the Chicago Bears.
Quinn will make his debut against the Steelers (2-5) in what should be a straightforward assignment for Philadelphia.
Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to a shock 21-3 loss to the unfancied Carolina Panthers while Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers suffered a third straight defeat with a 23-21 loss at Washington in the NFL on Sunday.
The results leave the two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks with losing records after seven games, with both Tampa Bay and Green Bay on 3-4.
The Panthers traded their main offensive talent, running back Christian McCaffrey, to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday and came into the clash as heavy underdogs.
But Carolina nullified seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady and the Buccaneers’ offense in an impressive display.
Brady was 32-of-49 for 290 yards as the 45-year-old’s Bucs suffered a fourth loss, leaving the former New England Patriots star in the worst position he has found himself in at this stage in a season for 20 years.
Tom Brady’s Frustration
While Brady was frustrated by a resilient Panthers defense, his opposite number, former XFL quarterback P.J. Walker, deputising for the injured Baker Mayfield, delivered a first win for Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks.
Walker found D.J. Moore at the back of the end zone with a 20-yard pass to give the Panthers the lead in the second quarter and Chuba Hubbard’s 17-yard touchdown run made it 14-0 in the third.
All the Bucs could manage was a 27-yard field goal from Ryan Succop in the fourth before Walker delivered again, finding Tommy Tremble with a 29-yard touchdown pass to secure the victory.
“I think we all just need to do our job better. There’s no easy way about it,” said Brady.
“Anytime you score three points, that pretty much sums it up. We’re plenty capable of making plays, we’re just not making them consistently enough to score points. We make a big play, make a bad play, make a big play, make a bad play. In football that’s just not good enough. You can’t play like that,” Brady added.
Rodgers also found himself beaten by a backup quarterback, as Taylor Heinicke and the Commanders came from behind for a narrow win.
A four-yard pass from Rodgers to Aaron Jones gave the Packers a first-quarter lead and they extended that to 14-3 with De’Vondre Campbell’s 63-yard interception return early in the second.
But Heinicke started the comeback with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gibson, trimming the half-time deficit to 14-10, and then put Washington ahead thanks to a superb 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Rodgers ‘not worried’
Two field goals for Washington gave them a nine-point lead before Rodgers again connected with Jones to make it a two-point game.
To add to his disappointment, it was Rodgers who threw a lateral out of bounds in the desperate final play of the game.
Despite the setback, 38-year-old Rodgers said he wasn’t overly concerned about the team’s form, believing they would bounce back strongly.
“I’m not worried about this squad. In fact, this might be the best thing for us,” he said.
The leading quarterback of a younger generation, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, offered another example of his quality, recovering from an interception on the team’s first drive in a 44-23 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Mahomes threw for 423 yards and three touchdowns in the rematch of the 2019 season Super Bowl.
Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman had a stellar day with three touchdowns — two rushing and one eight yard catch.
It was also a good day for returning Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, who led the Cowboys over Detroit 24-6 in his first appearance since a thumb injury in week one. The Cowboys are 5-2 while the Lions fell to 1-5.
Prescott finished with 207 passing yards and one touchdown in 25 attempts, completing 19 of them as Dallas relied primarily on their defense and running game.
The Seattle Seahawks (4-3) took over top spot in the NFC West with rookie running back Kenneth Walker III powering to two touchdowns and 168 yards on 23 carries in a 37-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The New York Giants claimed their fourth straight victory with a 23-17 triumph over the Jacksonville Jaguars, with quarterback Daniel Jones finishing with a career-high 107 rushing yards on 11 carries as well as throwing for 202 yards.
The Tennessee Titans remained in charge of the AFC South division after beating the Indianapolis Colts 19-10.
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The Los Angeles Chargers are headed back to the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2018 after a 20-3 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday.
The Chargers clinched an AFC wild card berth, aided by defeats for the New York Jets, New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders earlier in the week.
It will be their first post-season appearance under head coach Brandon Staley and with star quarterback Justin Herbert, who was drafted sixth overall in 2020.
Statement made about the Chargers
“It means a lot for our team,” Herbert said of a Chargers side that lost a string of key contributors to injury this season.
“We’ve been through so much this year and for the guys to battle and keep fighting the way they have, it’s been great to see,” he added in a post-game interview with ESPN.
Herbert completed 25 of 31 passes for 235 yards, with one interception.
Austin Ekeler ran for two touchdowns and Cameron Dicker kicked two field goals for the Chargers, with Herbert admitting that offensively there is “a lot of room for improvement.
“We can get better,” he said. “Just left a lot out there. But I thought the story of the day was the defense. They’ve done such a great job battling all year and they made plays when they needed to most.”
While the Chargers may have been less than electrifying offensively, the Colts were worse.
Nine days after their historic collapse against the Minnesota Vikings, the Colts gained just 173 yards, their only points coming from a field goal by Chase McLaughlin.
Quarterback Nick Foles, standing in for Matt Ryan, connected on 17 of 29 passes for 143 yards with three interceptions. He was sacked seven times.
With games against the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos remaining in the regular season, the Chargers improved to 9-6.
They welcomed safety Derwin James back to their starting lineup after a two-game injury absence, but James was ejected in the first half for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts receiver Ashton Dullin.
Both were examined for head injuries, Dullin departing the contest with a concussion.
