Raiders calmly move forward without QB Derek Carr

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Lee Smith is not ignoring reality.

The Raiders tight end knows Derek Carr’s importance.

“Derek obviously is our leader,” Smith said Tuesday. “That’s no big secret. Anybody who cares or watches the Raiders at all knows that Derek Carr is the leader of this football team.”

Still, Smith said, he sees no reason to panic.

Carr is expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens as he recovers from a transverse process fracture in his lower back. EJ Manuel will start in his place. The transition comes at the start of a crucial three-game homestand that will be capped by two AFC West games in a five-day span.

Coach Jack Del Rio said Monday that Carr will miss two to six weeks with the injury, which came in the third quarter of Sunday’s 16-10 loss to the Denver Broncos.

There is, however, a belief among those close to the situation that he might miss just one week. That is Carr’s goal. Doing so would position him to return for the team’s Oct. 15 and 19 divisional matchups with the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.

In the interim, the Raiders will rely on the locker-room leadership they have. Smith sees plenty of it.

“I can go to anybody at any position group on the team, and there’s a solid veteran leader in every group,” he said. “All of us just have to manage our rooms and do our jobs. Farm your own land, man. That’s all we need to do. … Everyone just needs to do their job, and everything will be just fine.

“Nobody needs to try to be a hero now that Derek’s down. The guy didn’t retire; he’s still here. He’ll still be here to lead us. His presence will still be felt. But if he’s not on the field this week, next week, however long it takes him to get back, everybody just needs to do their job and we’ll be fine.”

Having Manuel helps.

He was signed to a one-year, $800,000 contract in March for this exact situation. The Raiders lacked a capable backup in 2016 when Carr suffered a season-ending fibula fracture on Christmas Eve. Today, there is still substituting for Carr, to whom the franchise gave a five-year, $125 million extension in June. But the club considers itself better equipped to handle his absence than it was last season.

Manuel, a 2013 first-round draft pick, made 17 career starts with the Buffalo Bills.

He handled first-team reps during Tuesday’s walk-through practice.

“We all need to take that next step, not just the quarterback,” wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson said. “Everybody needs to be vocal and speak up, go out there Sunday and get a win.”

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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.