Derek Carr’s performance Sunday during a 24-19 loss to the rival Chargers certainly wasn’t satisfactory, but it isn’t worth the panic that it seems to have created.
NFL
The transition from player to coach seems seamless for former Pro Bowl linebacker Antonio Pierce, who at age 43 displays enthusiasm about his first NFL coaching job.
Nate Hobbs was among the best rookie defensive players in the NFL last season, and will play a crucial role on the Raiders this year whether he starts in the slot or on the outside.
Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby said his burgeoning family gives him additional motivation. He and his fiancee are expecting a daughter in October.
North Dakota State wideout Christian Watson transformed from a lanky, unranked prospect into a 6-4 receiving dynamo who could be a first-round pick in the NFL draft.
The Chargers beefed up during free agency. As did the Broncos and Raiders, prompting Adams to call the AFC West, home of the perennially tough Chiefs, “the best division in football.”
With a victory Sunday, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow could seize the unofficial title of “best quarterback in the NFL” while Rams stars could solidify their legacies as all-time greats.
The NFL’s investment in Las Vegas is perhaps the saving grace of a Pro Bowl that resembled a peewee football practice more than an All-Star game.
The Pro Bowl always has been a congregation of the NFL’s best players. This year, it’s in Las Vegas. Former Raiders say the game itself used to be more of a slugfest.
Derek Carr has waited patiently for the stability that Josh McDaniels and new general manager Dave Ziegler could provide, and is deserving of the contract extension that’s eluded him thus far.