Riding a four-game losing streak heading into Week 16, the Oakland Raiders’ playoff chances are about to die a slow death.
Their tenure in Oakland also wrapped up this past week. It culminated in an ugly scene at the Coliseum as the Raiders lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Now set to relocate to Las Vegas, it’s an open question whether Derek Carr will be with the Raiders when they make that move.
Head coach Jon Gruden is not necessarily looking to put out the fire with his recent comments surrounding quarterback play.
“Well, I am getting old now,” Gruden said, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “I want to let it fly. I want to let the ball fly. I want big plays. I want excitement, you know. These bubble screens and checkdowns only go so far with me.”
That’s a direct shot at Carr and his unwillingness to throw the ball down the field. Gruden also doubled down on this without mentioning his quarterback by name.
“I want to be aggressive, I want to try and make some big plays, especially if you’ve got the offensive line and the supporting cast to back it up,” Gruden said.
Given that Gruden is the one calling plays for the Raiders, it’s within his ability to change this. Even then, it’s clear he’s taking a shot at Carr.
The quarterback ranks 13th in yards per attempts and heads into Week 16 with the 14th-most passing yards in the NFL. Carr ranked 22nd and 12th in these categories last season, respectively.
Needless to say, the struggling Raiders are going to look to trade Carr and find a long-term replacement under center this offseason.
Gruden is doing nothing to quiet that suggestion.