Derek Carr gives Raiders injury scare in 16-10 loss to Broncos
DENVER — Donald Penn turned to one official, furiously tapping his helmet in search of a flag for a high hit on Derek Carr. Nothing. He turned to a different official, tapping his helmet and pleading his case again. Nothing.
The Raiders left tackle was looking out for his quarterback.
Then he looked down.
“What do you think my reaction was?” Penn said. “D.C. was down. I was pissed.”
The Raiders’ third-down offense struggled Sunday, again. Their running game faltered, again. Their season record fell to 2-2 with a 16-10 loss to the Denver Broncos despite a last-ditch comeback attempt. But all that merely was a backdrop to the back of Carr.
He laid on the ground in pain late in the third quarter.
Oh, no. Not again.
It was only natural for anyone at Sports Authority Field or viewers from afar to replay what happened last Christmas Eve. Carr suffered a broken fibula. Backup quarterback Matt McGloin and Connor Cook were a combination of injured and ineffective as his replacements, dashing hopes for a playoff ru
The Raiders, it appears, were spared such an injury Sunday.
“They’ll do all the precautionary tests and everything, but as of now, it’s back spasms,” coach Jack Del Rio said. “That should be something that cleans up quickly.”
“Your heart stops a little bit,” right tackle Marshall Newhouse said. “You’re just like, ‘Get up. Get up. Get up. I hope it’s not serious.’ Derek is tough. That’s a very fortunate diagnosis. He’s got to rest, and each of us has to raise our game, even if Derek comes back this week.”
Carr said after the game his back felt “not good.”
The injury came on first down. He scanned downfield and saw little developing on a double-move route. So, against soft coverage, he scrambled ahead in hopes to avoid a coverage sack and perhaps net a gain. He made one defender miss. Another struck him in the head; since he was a runner, no flag was thrown. Ultimately, Carr was twisted and pulled awkwardly toward the turf.
That’s when a defensive lineman appeared to send a left knee into his lower back.
Carr instinctively clutched the area. A crew of athletic trainers and other medical personnel hurried onto the field. More than a minute passed before he stood and walked to the sideline. There, he was evaluated inside a blue medical tent before walking to the locker room area.
He underwent X-rays, which revealed no fracture. The team listed him as questionable to return. He didn’t.
The Raiders are scheduled to resume practice Wednesday before hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Carr, who said that he expects to undergo an MRI on Monday, added he’s “always optimistic” when asked about his Week 5 availability.
“We’re going to do the treatment and all those kinds of things,” Carr said. “Y’all know me. It’s going to take a lot to keep me off the field. … I tried to throw (Sunday after the injury) and those kinds of things, but it just wasn’t ready. Yet. That’s not to say it won’t be. It just wasn’t ready today. I tried to do anything I could to be out there, but I just couldn’t do it.”
There was a lot of ugly Sunday the Raiders must address.
They had 15 rushes for 24 yards. They converted two of 12 third downs after going 0-for-11 the previous Sunday in a loss to the Washington Redskins. Punter Marquette King threw a football in frustration when a fake punt was unsuccessful, prompting a 15-yard flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. Cornerback David Amerson exited with a first-quarter concussion. Rookie cornerback Gareon Conley was inactive due to a June shin injury.
None of that was good.
All of that is important.
But on a Sunday when backup quarterback EJ Manuel led a valiant fourth-quarter effort before an interception with less than two minutes remaining, Carr’s status mattered most.
After he met with reporters, he visited the team’s athletic trainer once more. He walked to the team bus area, holding a brown paper bag inside which was a barbecue dinner. He spoke to friends and family members who attended the game. Then, he boarded a large, black charter bus that was bound for a Denver-area airport.
The back of the bus read: “Very Special People Inside. Please Drive Safely.”
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Contact Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
