Derek Carr

Burrow completed 24 of 34 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns, although the second for Tyler Boyd was controversial after an official's whistle was heard, presumably for out of bounds, during the play yet it stood.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr made 29 of 54 passes for 310 yards and one touchdown but he threw an interception on the final play as he drove his side to the nine-yard line, with Germaine Pratt picking it off.

All three TDs came in the first half, with Burrow finding CJ Uzomah with a lazer for a first-quarter touchdown before opening up a 20-6 lead with his pass for Boyd.

Carr's 80-yard drive ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass for Zay Jones on the stroke of half-time to close the gap.

Rookie Evan McPherson went four of four to help the Bengals clinch victory, staving off the Raiders' late push to make it five straight wins.

Ja'Marr Chase was important for the Bengals too, with nine receptions for 116 yards and three rushing carries for 23 yards.

The Raiders, who have endured a difficult season, will have to wait to end their 41-year playoffs road win drought.

But they are not quite as keenly anticipated in the NFL playoffs.

When it gets to January, there is a desire to see matchups that have not been witnessed in the regular season. That is a small part of the allure of the postseason.

Yet the opening day of 'Super Wild Card Weekend' will serve up one sequel and the third and final act of an AFC East trilogy.

Even though the first playoff games of the 2021 campaign are repeats, there is reason to believe they will be compelling. Here Stats Perform previews Saturday's action.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Raiders' visit to Cincinnati sees a matchup of two quarterbacks playing in their first postseason game, albeit at markedly different stages of their careers.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr helped a team then based in Oakland to reach the playoffs in 2016, only for him to then miss out on their Wild Card defeat to the Houston Texans due to injury. Carr has made 127 career regular-season starts. Only two quarterbacks have ever had more prior to their first playoff start: Fran Tarkenton (174) and John Brodie (134).

Meanwhile, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to the playoffs in just his second season in the NFL and goes into his postseason debut in red-hot form. He has 971 passing yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions over his last two games. This is the 49th instance of a player having at least eight TD passes and no INTs over a two-game span. Burrow has the most passing yards of those 49 instances, over 100 yards more than the next closest (Ben Roethlisberger, 862 in 2014).

Burrow was the most accurate quarterback in the NFL by well-thrown percentage (min. 200 attempts) in the regular season. He delivered an accurate well-thrown ball on 86.5 per cent of attempts, though in Carr he must outduel the man third on that same list (82.1 per cent).

Should he do so, Burrow will give the Bengals their first playoff win since the 1990 campaign. They have lost eight straight playoff games, while their span without a playoff win is the longest active streak in the NFL, and the fifth-longest streak in NFL history. Only one team ever lost nine straight playoff games: the Detroit Lions, who have lost their last nine postseason games.

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills

The Patriots and the Bills playing for the third time in a little over a month may feel repetitive, but this game actually marks a playoff first.

It is the first playoff game since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 in which the Pats and Bills have met.

Their lone playoff clash was an AFL tiebreaker in 1963, after the teams finished the season tied for first place in the Eastern Division (both 7-6-1). The Boston Patriots won that playoff game, 26-8, at Buffalo's War Memorial Stadium.

With lows of minus 16 degrees Celsius expected in Buffalo on Saturday, a low-scoring close game would not be a surprise. The Bills (289) and Patriots (303) are ranked one-two in the NFL this season in fewest points allowed. Buffalo allowed the fewest passing touchdowns (12), and New England tied Denver for the fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (nine).

Yet if the Bills come out on the right side of the ledger, recent history suggests they will do so by a double-digit margin.

The Bills won 11 games this season and all their wins were by at least 12 points. Buffalo's average victory margin (22.1 points) was the highest in the NFL (New England: 2nd at 21.4).

Carr threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III with five seconds remaining as the Raiders edged the Jets 31-28 on Sunday.

The Jets were seconds away from victory before going for an all-out blitz, allowing Carr to pick out Ruggs and send them to 0-12.

Carr, who welcomed daughter Brooklyn into the world on Monday, said it was a decision that surprised him.

"I was just praying for one more chance. We hit Darren [Waller] on a big play on a little corner stop thing and put ourself in position," the Raiders quarterback told reporters.

"With seven seconds left, I couldn't believe they all-out blitzed us, but as soon as I saw it I was thankful.

"That's why we prepare the way we do, that's why coach teaches the way he does and I give coach [Jon] Gruden all the credit in the world because he has prepared me and equipped me to handle those situations whenever we get those kinds of looks to be able to handle it accordingly.

"To win a game like that in the fourth quarter, a lot of emotions, big-time rollercoaster to say the least."

The Jets' loss kept them on track to have the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, with Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence the favourite to be chosen first.

Adam Gase, head coach of the Jets, explained the team's thinking on the play that gave the Raiders (7-5) their game-winning TD.

"We were trying to create pressure, he hadn't done well with it all game so, that's what happened," he said.

"We had a couple of free runners but we didn't get there."

The quarterback only signed a three-year $121.5million extension in Las Vegas last year, though with an exit option included and a dead cap number of $5.6m if the team decided to cut or trade him before June 1, 2023.

Three-time Pro Bowler Carr was sidelined by Josh McDaniels for the final two games of the season, though the coach cited a desire to give younger players a longer look, with Las Vegas essentially eliminated from playoff contention and Jarrett Stidham coming in.

Posting a message to the "Raider Nation" on Twitter on Thursday, Carr said: "It breaks my heart I didn't get an opportunity to say goodbye in person.

"We certainly have been on a roller coaster in our nine years together. From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful and appreciative of the years of support you gave to my family and me. We had our share of both heartbreaking moments and thrilling game winning drives, and it always felt like you were there next to me.

"It's especially hard to say goodbye because I can honestly say that I gave you everything I had, every single day, in season, and in the off season. It certainly wasn't perfect, but I hope that I was able to leave you with more than a few great memories as Raider fans."

The 31-year-old was intercepted three times as the Raiders were held to 201 total yards in his last outing, the 13-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and had been picked off nine times in his last six starts, completing 55 per cent or fewer of his pass attempts in four straight games for the first time in his career.

Carr compiled a 68.7 per cent completion rate over the course of the 2018 to 2021 seasons, second only to Drew Brees among quarterbacks with at least 1,000 pass attempts during that time frame.

Derek Carr's 31-yard touchdown pass to Zay Jones in overtime gave the Raiders a stunning season-opening 33-27 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday. 

It was a thrilling conclusion to the opening weekend of the NFL season after Lamar Jackson and the Ravens appeared in control for most of the game. 

Injury-wracked Baltimore took a 14-0 lead on a 35-yard touchdown run from Ty'Son Williams and a signature 10-yard Jackson TD pass to Marquise Brown.

Las Vegas ultimately would level the game at 17-17 on Josh Jacobs' second touchdown run of the game with 9:18 to play in the fourth quarter, a drive set up by Jackson fumbling after a scramble for the first turnover of the night. 

That set up a wild finish in the first regular-season game at $1.9billion Allegiant Stadium, as newly signed Ravens running back Latavius Murray gave the visitors a 24-17 lead with 6:04 to play before Carr equalised just over two minutes later with a 10-yard scoring pass to Darren Waller. 

Jackson got loose again on the ensuing possession to set up a 47-yard Justin Tucker field goal that gave the Ravens a lead with 37 seconds remaining, but the Raiders were not done. 

Carr zipped a pair of completions to get Las Vegas down the field and set Daneil Carlson up for a 55-yard field goal with two seconds remaining that sent the game to overtime. 

The Raiders thought they had the game won on the opening possession of the extra session, as Carr hit Bryan Edwards for an apparent 33-yard touchdown. 

But video replay determined Edwards was down just before the goal line, and after a run for no gain by Carr, a critical false start penalty an an incompletion, Anthony Averett ntercepted Carr in the end zone after a deflection on a pass intended for Willie Snead. 

The Las Vegas defence would bail out the home side once again, though, as Carl Nassib forced a fumble on a sack of Jackson with 4:31 to play in overtime. 

After a Raiders penalty moved the ball back five yards, the Ravens assumed the next play would be a run to set up a winning field-goal try, but Carr saw Jones get free in the secondary and looped a pass over everyone's head for an uncontested touchdown to win the game.

Carr completed 34 of 56 passes for 435 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while Jackson was 19 of 30 for 235 yards and a TD. The Ravens quarterback also rushed for a game-high 86 yards. 

From quarterback Derek Carr to head coach Jon Gruden, they acknowledged there were any number of flaws in their season-opening performance against the Baltimore Ravens. 

But all that mattered in the end was that they found a path to victory, prevailing 33-27 in overtime before a raucous home crowd. 

"All I keep saying is I just want to win, so who cares if it's ugly or pretty?" Carr told reporters after the game. "I do not care, we won the game. I'm celebrating, that's the only thing that matters."

Carr completed 34 of 56 passes for 435 yards, saving the biggest completion for the final play of the game – a looping 31-yard touchdown pass to Zay Jones when everyone in the stadium figured the Raiders would run the ball to set up a field goal try. 

Gruden indicated that was exactly what he had planned but kicker Daniel Carlson was not immediately available on the sidelines, forcing a delay of game penalty that prompted him to send Carr and the offence back out on the field. 

"But things worked out," Gruden said with a wry smile. 

They did indeed, as the Raiders stunned a favoured Ravens team that felt in control for much of the game before falling apart late. 

"I'm glad coach trusted us and put it in our hands at the end," said Carr, "because it always feels good to win that way – especially when you almost gave it away."

After rallying to level the game in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, the Raiders thought they had the game won on the opening possession of overtime as Carr hit Bryan Edwards for an apparent 33-yard touchdown. 

But video replay determined Edwards was down just before the goal line, and after a run for no gain by Carr, a critical false start penalty and an incompletion, Anthony Averett intercepted Carr in the end zone following a deflection on a pass intended for Willie Snead. 

The Raiders were granted a reprieve, though, as Carl Nassib forced a fumble on a sack of Lamar Jackson with 4:31 to play in overtime to set up Carr's game-winning pass. 

"Our defence made a signature play at the end of that game and I thought Derek Carr was awesome playing under some really tough circumstances today against a very good defence," Gruden said.

He added: "I'm really proud of the character they showed. We were down 14-0 to the Ravens and it didn't look pretty, it didn't look good. But when you can come back and find a way to win against a team like that, that's saying something. 

"That's an impressive, impressive victory and like they say here, just win baby."

The Raiders found themselves 21-0 down at half-time before quarterback Carr landed two third-quarter touchdowns to narrow to gap to one score.

But the Chargers steadied with an Austin Ekeler rushing touchdown before Carr had a last-ditch attempt intercepted by Derwin James, confirming the result.

The defeat means the Raiders drop below the Chargers in the AFC West division, with both sides holding 3-1 records.

Las Vegas had beaten the Miami Dolphins, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens across the first three weeks in a strong start to the new season.

"It's better now [to lose] than later," Carr told reporters after the defeat. "If anything, it hopefully wakes us up a little bit.

"You never want to lose but it's hard to win in this league. We'll see them again."

Carr, who tops the NFL charts for pass yards at 1,399 this season ahead of Tom Brady on 1356, had a subdued first half as Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed three touchdown passes.

The Raiders quarterback finished the game completing 21 of 34 attempts for 196 yards and two touchdowns, along with the one interception, and accepted the blame for the defeat.

"I want to see us win every time," Carr added. "Any loss is disappointing. This one hurts a bit extra.

"They can blame me. They can put it all on me. If they want to chant MVP when I come running out, they can get mad at me for this one."

The Chargers win was their fifth straight victory against an AFC West opponent and bolsters their case as genuine contenders in the division.

Los Angeles are top ahead of the Raiders (3-1), the Denver Broncos (3-1) and the Kansas City Chiefs (2-2).

"We're coming together," Chargers head coach Brandon Stanley told the post-game news conference. "That's the way we expect to play around here.

"It's not easy, because the teams we're playing are really, really good. You've seen what Dallas is doing, you've seen what Kansas City is doing, these teams are real opponents. That's a real opponent that we just played.

"I feel like our guys are coming together. We're finding that sweet spot within the game plan of how much is in the plan and getting these guys in their comfort zone. I felt like our guys were in the comfort zone tonight and we executed that way."

The Chargers face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in Week 5 while the Raiders meet the Chicago Bears.

The quarterback pleaded with his defense afterward to get him the ball back, vowing to win the game if they did, and that's exactly what happened. 

After Las Vegas forced a three-and-out, Carr drove the Raiders downfield and set up Daniel Carlson for a 48-yard field goal that gave the visitors a 16-14 victory as time expired. 

"After that interception, I told the guys 'Please, I promise we’ll win it, just get the ball back,'" Carr told reporters. "And the defense did, and we were able to go back down the field and win the game." 

Carr was trying to hit Zay Jones deep down the field when Greedy Williams picked it off, and Jones was frustrated on the sidelines after the play, but Carr made sure the receiver knew there was still football to be played. 

"I went to him right after that pick and I said, 'I'm coming right back to you and we're gonna win this game,'" Carr said. "I knew I needed him, and I wanted him to know, not only do I need you, but I believe in you." 

Sure enough, Jones was Carr's main target on the game-winning drive, catching a 12-yard pass for a key third-down conversion, then seeing a 17-yard reception called back by a holding penalty before a 15-yard connection in the closing seconds set up Carlson for the winning kick. 

"I trust him," Carr said of Jones. "I'm just happy that we got the ball back not for my own sake, but so that he could get the ball back in his hands. He won the game for us. It was awesome." 

Victory was especially sweet for the Raiders after several players had publicly aired their displeasure with the NFL moving the game back two days due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Browns facility. 

Cleveland were missing eight starters, including quarterback Baker Mayfield, not to mention head coach Kevin Stefanski, but the Raiders desperately needed a win having lost five of their previous six games. 

The victory left them at 7-7 and level with the Browns, Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos in the AFC playoff picture, but they own the tiebreaker over those teams for the 10th spot and are within a game of the six teams ahead of them. 

"It's been a long time coming to win a game like that in the end," said Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. "We understand the situation we're in and what the playoff race looks like."

The Raiders and Carr parted ways after nine seasons together ahead of the February 15 trade deadline.

Carr's release was expected after his refusal to join the Saints, in a trade deal that had already been agreed between the teams, which was reported on Sunday by ESPN and NFL Network.

The quarterback's exit before the deadline meant he will not receive the guaranteed $40.4million in future earnings under his previous contract in Las Vegas.

The 31-year-old reportedly rejected a pay cut to facilitate a trade to New Orleans and will instead enter free agency for the first time in his career.

"We have a lot of respect for Derek Carr and what he has meant to the Raiders organization for the last nine years," Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Zeigler said in a statement.

"Derek has done great things in this league and we're thankful to have been able to work with him this past year.

"He is a true professional and we appreciate his hard work in striving to produce the results we all desire. We wish Derek and his family all the best in the future."

Carr's agent, Tim Younger, posted on Twitter: "We wish the @Raiders the best of luck. This is the tough part of this business. That's the point; it's just business.

"Time now to reset for both sides. Derek chooses to hold on to many good memories and friendships, without any ill will. That's who he is. Onward and upward."

Carr had been with the Raiders since he was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft and holds franchise records for his 35,222 passing yards and 217 touchdowns.

As starting QB for Las Vegas he went 63-79, but the Raiders made just two playoff appearances during his time – in 2016 when he was injured and five years later when they suffered a wild-card exit.

Las Vegas finished third in the AFC West in 2022 after struggles for Carr, who is said to be wanted by the Saints and the Carolina Panthers.

The Raiders were linked to Tom Brady before he retired and fellow veterans Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Garoppolo as potential replacements.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Adams and Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Carr were college team-mates at Fresno State from 2012 to 2013.

Adams caught 233 passes for 3,031 yards and 38 touchdowns across his two seasons with Carr, who set the school record for passing yards with 5,083 in his final season in 2013.

The Packers star has gone on to establish himself as arguably the top receiver in the NFL, making 115 receptions in 2020 for 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns, putting him tied for the third-most receiving scores in a single season, behind Randy Moss (23 in 2007) and Jerry Rice (22 in 1987).

However, he is a free agent at the end of the 2021 season and, with no end to the stand-off between league MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, Adams' future cannot be considered certain.

Asked about potentially recruiting Adams to play for the Raiders earlier this week, Carr told ABC30 in Fresno: "It would unlock some things in both of us that people haven't seen yet."

In a follow-up interview with the same channel, Adams made it clear he is not focusing on free agency but left no doubt he would be open to a reunion with Carr.

Speaking about his free agency, he said: "I'll just continue to be me and just let this thing work itself out and see what happens.

"Obviously I love Derek to death, we've got a great friendship, we still communicate really, really consistently, he's one of my best friends.

"It'd be a dream to be able to play with him but I'm a Packer now, until that where we make that decision, I guess we've just got to... we'll see what happens."

The Packers are coming off a year in which they lost in the NFC Championship Game for the second straight season, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

By contrast, the Raiders have not reached the playoffs since the 2016 season.

Carr, however, had the best campaign of his career in 2020, throwing for 4,103 yards, 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His tally of 36 passing plays of 25 yards or more was just one fewer than Rodgers.

Quarterback Carr is a free agent after leaving the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this month following his decision to decline waiving a no-trade clause in his contract.

The Raiders wanted to send Carr to the New Orleans Saints, but he now has the chance to decide on his own future after reportedly rejecting a pay cut to facilitate a trade.

According to Carr's older brother David, a former first-round draft pick who won a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants during an 11-year NFL career, the 31-year-old "hit it off" with Jets coach Saleh.

"It was a good trip," David Carr said on the NFL Network.

"It's not just going to be a situation where he gets on a plane to go have fun in New York. Derek had a great trip.

"He went there to get a feel how they work, from the top down, and everyone he met, we knew he would love Robert Saleh – he's fantastic – and they hit it off and they would love to work together."

However, Carr is still weighing up his options.

"But there's a lot of questions that have to be answered," David added.

"He has to find out how the front office works but also, the most important thing for him as a veteran quarterback, what is it going to be like as a play-caller. Todd Downing is there (as passing-game coordinator), he has a relationship with Todd. Nathaniel Hackett (offensive coordinator) is also there.

"They had a good chat, they talked about a lot of different things. Obviously, the team needs a quarterback, some stability there. They have a lot of good components, there are a lot of things that are very positive about the Jets.

"He had a great trip. It's going to be a long process, though. He really only has the Saints, the Raiders and the Jets and to compare those three places, so he wants to do his due diligence to see as many places as he can, to see what the best place will be."

Carr was drafted by the Raiders in 2014 and holds franchise records for his 35,222 passing yards and 217 touchdowns.

Carr's refusal to join the Saints, in a trade deal that had already been agreed between the teams, was reported on Sunday by ESPN and NFL Network.

Reports earlier in the week had detailed Carr's plan to visit the Saints after he was given permission to speak to the team.

However, it is said the contract on offer in New Orleans would require Carr to take a pay cut.

That was not something the QB was willing to do, refusing to waive his no-trade clause, and with only the Saints approaching the Raiders about a trade, the obvious alternative was for the player to be released.

The Raiders would have to cut Carr by Wednesday to avoid paying his full salary in 2023 and instead allow him to enter free agency.

Carr has been with the Raiders since he was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, but he said goodbye to fans in an emotional social media post in January.

Las Vegas had hoped for a big season in 2022 but finished third in the AFC West as Carr struggled for form.

The Raiders were rocked last week when Gruden stepped down after an investigation revealed numerous offensive emails he sent while working as a television analyst.

Gruden apologised for any hurt caused by the messages, which are alleged to have contained racist, homophobic and sexist content.

A tumultuous week for the Raiders ended on a positive note, though, thanks to a 34-24 win over the Broncos on Sunday as they snapped a two-game losing run and improved to 4-2. 

Carr starred in Rich Bisaccia's first game as interim head coach, throwing 341 yards and two touchdowns in completing 18 of 27 passes.

The 30-year-old's passer rating of 134.4 was his highest in almost three years and came at the perfect time for his side. 

"We needed a win bad this week," he said. "Sometimes when you get punched in the gut, it's hard to bounce back. But we were able to do it.

"If anything, what's happened the this heightened our intensity, it heightened our focus. 

"More now than ever, we had to step up and be a voice. There will be a time for all the emotions, but now is not the time. 

"It sucks not hugging 'Gru' after a game like that. Some of the plays we ran, he would have been so fired up, but it is what it is and we need to move forward. 

"For those three hours, it's definitely easier to just focus on football."

Carr's fourth 300-plus passing yard game of the season is the second-most ever of any Raiders player after six games after Rich Gannon, who had five at this stage in 2002.

The Raiders forced four turnovers in defense and committed zero turnovers of their own – the first time that has happened since the 1988 season against the Kansas City Chiefs.

For Bisaccia, it marked a first win in what was his first game as a head coach at any level.

"The best part for me was to be able to get on the grass," he said after the triumph at Empower Field at Mile High. "The worst part for me was figuring out the headset! 

"Once you get on the field and the game goes, a lot of my responsibilities were the same. It's emotional for everybody, right? 

"I think they did a good job. It's a bunch of grown men, handling their emotions throughout the week, putting them in perspective when it was time to go play the game. 

"It's a job for all of us. They seemed to do a really good job with it. We'll see what goes on."

After the Raiders snatched a 36-33 overtime win, Carr could reflect on a policy skilfully enacted, and interim head coach Rich Bisaccia was suitably impressed.

Carr ended the game with 24-of-39 passing for 373 yards and a touchdown – the most yards by a Raiders quarterback on Thanksgiving in team history.

It gave him a passer rating of 101.8 after three consecutive games down in double digits, each of which ended in defeat.

Daniel Carlson nailed a field goal to win the game before munching on a turkey leg to mark the holiday. Victory improved the Raiders to 6-5 and checked the Cowboys at 7-4.

Carr picked out DeSean Jackson early for a 56-yard touchdown; Jackson's 34th career touchdown of 50-plus yards puts him only two adrift of all-time NFL leader Jerry Rice.

Speaking after the game, Carr said he heeded the advice of former Raiders coach Jon Gruden not to shy away from the bold option.

"It leads sometimes to not completing as many balls on a percentage chart, but to me, Gruden used to tell me, 'Don't ever take your arm out of a game'," Carr said.

"So, when we call these things, let's rip 'em."

Gruden resigned from his Raiders top job in October amid reports he had sent emails containing offensive language.

Carr savoured the narrow victory, saying: "Our back was against the wall. There's no doubt about that. And in the way that we fought today and for as long as it took to win... we had to do that today, and I'm very proud of our team."

Bisaccia said 30-year-old Carr had been "off sync a little bit" in recent games. "Today he looked like Derek Carr. It's fun to watch him play," the interim coach added.

Bisaccia also saluted 34-year-old Jackson, an acquisition in early November who is showing the Raiders what he still has left in the tank.

"I thought he stepped up in there today and made really incredible plays," Bisaccia said. "You can see DeSean hopefully getting more and more comfortable with what we're asking him to do. One thing he can still do is run. It was fun to watch him. It was good for him, and it was good for us."

It fell to Carlson to settle the game and settle a Raiders team who were 3-0 early in the season before losing their way.

A fourth successive loss would have hurt, but now Las Vegas can look forward with greater optimism. They are next in action against the Washington Football Team on December 5.

Carlson said: "It's tough when things don't go your way for a few weeks."

Quoted on the Raiders website, he added: "On a short week to be able to get a win like that, that helps us going forward. I think that just speaks to the character of this team and our will to win."

The Chargers were trailing all day, beginning with a first-quarter touchdown throw from Kyler Murray to Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins. 

Los Angeles briefly hit the front in the second quarter after touchdown passes to Keenan Allen and DeAndre Carter, but in his return from a two-game hamstring injury, Cardinals quarterback Murray scrambled into the endzone to send Arizona into half-time leading 17-14.

A six-yard James Conner touchdown catch had the Cardinals up by seven late in the fourth quarter, and a punt would give the Chargers one more chance with one minute and 48 seconds remaining.

As he has done so often in his young career, Herbert marched downfield with the game on the line, finding running back Austin Ekeler for a one-yard score with 15 seconds on the clock – and they had no interest in sending it to overtime.

Instead of kicking the extra point, the offense stayed on the field for a game-deciding two-point conversion, and got it done with a quick pass to tight end Gerald Everett.

Herbert completed 35 of his 47 passes for 274 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers, helping the Chargers improve their record to 6-5 and keep their playoff chances alive.

Jacobs powers the Raiders past the Seahawks

Josh Jacobs had the game of his life to carry his Las Vegas Raiders to a 40-34 overtime win on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.

Jacobs finished with 33 carries for a career-high 229 rushing yards and two touchdowns, ripping off a 30-yard score in the second quarter before ending the contest with a walk-off 86-yarder in overtime.

He now leads the NFL in rushing yards with 1,159 – 149 more than second-placed Derrick Henry (1010).

Kaepernick’s May 25 workout with the Raiders was his first private tryout in over five years, with the 34-year-old quarterback having last played in 2016. 

He has remained unsigned since he became a polarising figure by kneeling during the pre-game national anthem to protest police brutality. His lawsuit against the NFL for collusion was settled in 2019.  

Carr also said that he voiced his approval to head coach Josh McDaniels before the Raiders brought Kaepernick – who was Carr's conference rival at the college level – in for a workout last month.  

"I’ve enjoyed my time around [Kaepernick]," Carr said. "I love him. Him and I would get along great.

"I remember our days back then, just watching him and what he did in college and getting to know him and talking to him on the phone and things like that.  

"I’ve loved my time with him. I think he’s a great guy." 

The Raiders currently have Nick Mullens, Jarrett Stidham and Chase Garbers competing for backup duties, but Carr said Kaepernick – who guided the San Francisco 49ers into the 2013 Super Bowl – would be a good fit with the team.  

"For us, I think it’d be great," he said. "I think for the most part, I think he’d get along just fine with our guys." 

The Raiders were favourites at home against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday after the visitors named a new interim head coach and offensive playcaller during the week, but an explosive performance from running back Jonathan Taylor carried the Colts to a 25-20 win.

Las Vegas committed no turnovers, but struggled to move the ball, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry on 24 attempts, while the Colts had 207 rushing yards from 30 attempts, buoyed by a 66-yard touchdown scamper from Taylor.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Carr had to pause several times to gather himself as he tried to explain how it does not feel to him that every member of the team is giving their all.

"I can't speak for everybody – I know where I stand, I love the silver and black, and I'm going to give it everything I can every time I'm out there," he said. 

"I love [head coach] Josh [McDaniels], I love our coaches. They've had nothing but success – way more than I've ever had. 

"I'm sorry for being emotional, I'm just p***** off about some of the things that a lot of us try and do just to practise, and what we put our bodies through just to sleep at night.

"For that to be the result of all that effort, it p***** me off, it p***** a lot of guys off. It's hard… I wish everybody in that room felt the same way about this place.

"As a leader, that p***** me off, if I'm being honest."

He said there was a players' meeting immediately after the loss where leaders addressed their concerns "man-to-man".

"We had our leaders address it man-to-man just now," he said. "It was good, it needed to be done, it needed to be said, and I think for me, I'm always going to just show the way.

"I'm going to show the way, show them what it looks like, show them how hard it is. In the huddle in the second quarter I told them 'this is going to be hard, but we're going to come back and win this game, I believe it'.

"It's going to be hard, though. It's not going to be easy, you've got to do the hard things. Josh always preaches 'do the hard things right'.

"I'm not perfect, I'm never going to be perfect, but the love I have for this place and the effort I give is going to be second-to-none every time.

"I think the emotion of just nine years of stuff hit me today, for how much I really love this place. It's not going to change anything, I'm going to come out here and fight and compete next week, and that's what I'm going to do."

When asked if he believes the coaching staff needs to take accountability for their six losses by one-possession margins – including three blown leads of at least 17 points – Carr refused to point the finger.

"We all take accountability, and the NFL, it's one-score games all the time," he said. "So this team has to learn how to finish those.

"There's been so many of them – six, right? You flip all of those, and everyone is feeling good about it, and I'd feel great about everything.

"That just isn't the case, but it's on all of us. But for me, I'm going to speak for myself and I'm going to come in, take my coaching from Josh, and he'll be hard on me like he always is.

"And I'm thankful for it, we'll keep going forward, and all that. I think if everyone takes that mindset, that's when you get better."

The Raiders travel to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 11, needing a win to keep their slim playoff chances alive.

While veteran Brees struggled to make an impression for the Saints, Carr was the driving force behind a 34-24 win at the Raiders' new Allegiant Stadium home.

The 29-year-old completed 28 of 38 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns, while Brees managed 312 yards, a TD and an interception on 26 of 38 completed passes.

Victory moved the Raiders to 2-0 and inflicted a first loss on the Saints.

There have been reports in the past that Gruden is not Carr's biggest fan, but those have been quashed recently, and Monday's performance confirmed to the coach that his signal caller is among the best in the business.

Gruden said: "There's a lot of people that make a lot of opinions on Derek and Derek's performance and our relationship. You know he had nine different flankers last year. Nine."

Reflecting on his first spell in charge of the Raiders, taking in each season from 1998 to 2001, Gruden recalled: "We had Tim Brown [as wide receiver] every week for four years.

"We've had I don't know how many different combinations on the offensive line. Yet he threw for over 4,000 yards and 70 per cent [last season], put us in a position to make the playoffs in Week 15.

"This guy's a great quarterback. We're surrounding him with better players. And once our defense I think starts playing to their potential, he can even be better.

"He does so much with the ball and without the ball and behind the scenes that I think Raiders fans should really be proud of him, and I know I am."

Their mammoth new Allegiant Stadium home was left empty due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Raiders again flattered to deceive, an exciting opening act giving way to an underwhelming finale that ended hopes of a postseason encore. 

Under normal circumstances, a third successive season in which the Raiders missed the playoffs would lead to pressure on Jon Gruden. 

But because the Raiders rolled the dice by giving Gruden a 10-year contract, the head coach is a long way from the hot seat during his second spell with the franchise. 

Playing in a division alongside Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, plus Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers, the Raiders face a tough challenge to contend in the AFC West. 

The pressure on Gruden may finally come should they miss the postseason again in 2021, but what can the Raiders do to ensure their first season with fans in Vegas results in a playoff berth? 

Here, with the help of Stats Perform data, we reflect on the Raiders' 2020 season and assess what they can learn from an 8-8 year.

Offense

The Raiders failed in their pursuit of a Wild Card spot despite an impressive year from much-maligned quarterback Derek Carr, who threw for a career-high 4,103 passing yards and finished the season in a three-way tie for fifth in yards per attempt with an average of 7.94. 

Where Carr made clear and significant strides was as a deep-ball thrower. 

On passes of 21 air yards or more, Carr had a passer rating of 124.2, throwing for 10 touchdowns and one interception. Among quarterbacks to have attempted at least 25 such passes, his rating put him fourth in the league, behind only Daniel Jones, Aaron Rodgers and Kyler Murray. 

The exciting thing for the Raiders is there is clear room for him to grow in that area. 

While Carr was much improved pushing the ball downfield, his rapport with Raiders speedster Henry Ruggs III still needs work. 

Carr had 54 completions of at least 20 yards but first-round pick Ruggs registered only eight receptions of 20 yards or more. 

The average distance on those Ruggs receptions was 40.4 yards, putting him fifth among receivers to have had at least five catches of 20-plus yards. 

If Carr and Ruggs can develop their downfield chemistry, opposing defenses will have more reason to fear the passing game, potentially opening things up further for Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller underneath and a running game that underwhelmed in 2020. 

Though Josh Jacobs scored 12 touchdowns, the Raiders averaged 4.19 yards per rush, the 19th-best mark in the NFL.

There will be onus on Jacobs and the offensive line to improve drastically in that regard but, should Carr make further progress going deep and force defenses to focus on the pass, everyone else's jobs will become a little bit easier.

Defense

Save for occasional flashes - the shackling of Mahomes and the Chiefs in the second half of their Week 5 win at Arrowhead Stadium being the most prominent example - the Raiders defense failed to live up to the significant investment in that side of the ball.

Indeed, the Raiders continued to struggle to contain opposing offenses in 2020, allowing 5.99 yards per play, the seventh-worst mark in the NFL.

They were one of just six teams to give up over seven yards per pass play, with the Raiders' issues on defense leading to the firing of coordinator Paul Guenther.

Las Vegas will hope that Gus Bradley - Guenther's replacement - will be the man to oversee a turnaround.

To do that, Bradley will need to help deliver a significant upturn in production from the Raiders' pass rush. They finished the season with 21 sacks - just three teams had fewer - with edge rusher Maxx Crosby seeing his numbers drop from 10 sacks as a rookie to seven in 2020.

A first-round pick in 2019, Clelin Ferrell had just 2.5 sacks, with the Raiders' inability to get consistent pressure a factor in them allowing a passer rating of 108.9 on opponent throws of 21 air yards or more.

That number also raises questions about a young and exploitable secondary that has found it difficult to produce turnovers.

Las Vegas ranked 30th in takeaways with a meagre 15, with their 10 interceptions tied for 23rd.

Having consistently failed to pressure quarterbacks and to take the ball away, there is significant room for improvement on defense, but the Raiders do not have the financial flexibility with which to add players who can aid their cause.

Offseason

Even after one of the best seasons of his career, there has again been talk about the Raiders trading Carr in the hope of finding an upgrade at quarterback. 

The more likely scenario is that the Raiders parlay Marcus Mariota's one appearance last season, in which he excelled in relief of the injured Carr, into a trade that can net them more draft capital. 

With the Raiders poised to be over $9million above an assumed salary cap of $185m, potentially limiting their options in free agency, those extra draft picks would be welcomed. 

Regardless of how many picks the Raiders end up with, the areas of need are obvious. 

Pass-rush help both on the edge and on the interior of the defensive line is a must, as is an infusion of athleticism at linebacker, last year's free-agent signings Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski proving ill-equipped to help the Raiders stop the threats posed by modern passing attacks. 

Making those additions to the front seven will be crucial to the progress Gruden and the Raiders hope they can make in the fourth year of his tenure. 

Should the Raiders fail to identify the correct players at those spots, the ceiling of this team may again be limited in 2021 irrespective of any further strides from Carr.

In fact, if the Chiefs can extend that streak to seven, they will tie each of the Denver Broncos, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers on 15 division titles.

Unfortunately for those in Kansas City, their rivals appear especially determined to ensure this year is different.

No division has prompted as much intrigue during the offseason as the AFC West, which has appeared at the centre of numerous big trades as its pretenders attempt to become contenders.

So hard to split is the division that Stats Perform has not even attempted to try – instead explaining what needs to happen for each of these teams in turn to be successful...

Kansas City Chiefs

After topping the AFC West in six straight seasons, there are plenty of reasons to believe the Chiefs can be toppled in 2022: Patrick Mahomes is coming off perhaps the worst season of his career, Tyreek Hill is gone, and the competition in the division is intense.

Yet those are also three reasons why Mahomes will be determined to lead the Chiefs to another strong year.

One of the game's leading lights will hope the 2021 season, with its 3-4 start and hugely disappointing finish in the AFC Championship Game, does not live long in the memory, but his attempts to move on swiftly could easily be hampered by the departure of WR1 Hill to the Miami Dolphins.

However, tight end Travis Kelce – the career leader in Mahomes targets (540), completions (383) and passing yards (4,960) – remains in Kansas City, and the quarterback has the ability to make a partnership work with any receiver.

Mahomes just needs time, and that is what he can expect to get behind one of the best offensive lines in the game.

The Chiefs rebuilt their O-line last year, and they ranked third in the NFL in pass protection win percentage (80.16) in 2021. Crucially, that unit improved as the season went on; the six games in which Mahomes faced the most pressures were all before the Week 12 bye.

Mahomes' pass completion rate of 77.4 per cent when not pressured ranked second among QBs with 100 or more attempts last season; this dropped to 56.7 per cent when pressured – only marginally above the league average in such scenarios (56.6).

Widely considered the most talented passer of his generation, the Chiefs have focused on protecting Mahomes rather than worrying about who he is throwing to, and that should be a safe bet despite his postseason wobble.

Las Vegas Raiders

As one elite receiver leaves the AFC West in Hill, another arrives. Davante Adams has quit the Green Bay Packers to bring his star power to Vegas.

Since his rookie season, Adams ranks fifth in the NFL for catches (669), sixth for receiving yards (8,121) and second for receiving touchdowns (73), although he has spent his entire career playing with four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.

Now, Adams will be paired with zero-time MVP Derek Carr, who threw for 23 TDs and 14 interceptions last year, ranking 24th in touchdown percentage (3.7). Rodgers, by comparison, threw for 37 scores and four picks, with his 7.0 TD percentage the best in the league.

Yet Carr will surely benefit from having Adams to throw to. He saw 25 passes dropped in 2021 – tied for the third-most in the NFL – and a solid completion percentage of 68.4 could have been better, as his expected completion percentage of 74.5 trailed only Mahomes (75.9).

Carr is clearly an accurate passer; he just needs a little help turning this talent into tangible rewards.

Adams is the ideal man to do that, with the duo teaming up previously for two years at Fresno State, in which time the receiver's 38 TDs led the FBS by some distance.

Last year, Adams – who dropped a career-low one pass, just 0.6 per cent of his targets – added 633 yards after the catch, fourth-most in the league, and led the way in recording a first down with 49.7 per cent of his targets.

He can have a transformative impact on a team who were already the Chiefs' nearest challengers in this division and will now be overseen by former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as coach.

Los Angeles Chargers

This division is so exciting not only because it contains four potentially great teams but because it contains four potentially great offenses.

For the Chargers, there are few doubts on that side of the ball. They have largely brought back the same offense that made Justin Herbert a star in 2021 with just the 14th 5,000-yard passing season in league history. Of course, the 17-game season helped in that regard, but only Tom Brady (5,316) outperformed Herbert (5,014) on the year.

As a result, the Chargers were fourth in the league in yards per game (390.2) and fifth in total points scored (747).

So, why did they miss out on the postseason?

Well, the Chargers had a bottom-10 defense in terms of yards per game (360.1), and only two teams allowed more points across the season (459). That Herbert-powered offense ranked 23rd in time spent on the field, with the defense giving them too much to do in too little time.

There are reasons to believe that will change this year, though, with the acquisitions of Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson particularly notable for a team that ranked in the bottom half of the league for takeaways (21).

Only three players have had eight or more interceptions in a single season over the past two years; Jackson, one of those three, has done it twice.

No player has ever previously had eight or more picks in three straight seasons, but Jackson has shown no signs of slowing and could be exactly the type of superstar the Chargers need on defense to complement Herbert's efforts on offense and seize control of this division.

Denver Broncos

These might not be the four most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, but they may well be the four most motivated.

Russell Wilson undoubtedly has a point to prove after ending a 10-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks that went downhill fast in its final 18 months. In early MVP contention after a 5-0 start to the 2020 season, Wilson went 13-12 over the rest of his Seahawks career.

He last year missed the postseason for only the second time and, according to Seattle, pushed for a trade. "I didn't initiate it," was Wilson's reply. "It was definitely mutual."

Regardless, Wilson will find a very receptive audience in Denver, where Broncos fans were desperate to see an end to the QB merry-go-round that had them in a spin for six straight years after Peyton Manning's farewell Super Bowl 50 win. They have had 10 different starters under center since 2016, second only to Washington (11).

In that time outside the title picture, though, the Broncos have rebuilt the rest of the roster, waiting for the sort of QB-coach combo they now have in Wilson and former Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett.

Denver allowed the eighth-fewest yards per game last season (326.1) and the third-fewest points (322); on offense, a better QB than Teddy Bridgewater would have made more use of playing behind an O-line that ranked eighth in pass protection win percentage (78.64).

With personnel changes at the two most important positions, the Broncos can expect to be much, much better than 19th for yards per game (330.5) and joint-23rd for total points (335).

That improvement should take the Broncos from nowhere to somewhere, even in this AFC West.