Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

‘Enough is enough’: Raiders miffed as they fall back after losing second straight

First loss in Las Vegas is also a record-setting day for quarterback Derek Carr

Raiders fall to Bills

David Becker / Associated Press

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Vernon Butler (94) helps take down Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, in Las Vegas. The play was not ruled a fumble.

Las Vegas Raiders against Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) hands off the ball to running back Josh Jacobs (28) during the second half of their game against the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. Launch slideshow »

Carts zipped in all directions across the field at Allegiant Stadium within minutes of the conclusion of Sunday’s game.

Groundskeepers manicured the torn-up splotches of natural grass and maintenance workers began tearing down tarps, goalposts and other pieces of the gameday infrastructure. The immediate postgame productivity from the crew felt in stark contrast to the first game held at the new $2 billion venue across from the Strip two weeks ago.

On that night, Las Vegas Raiders coaches and players lingered on the field taking in a historic victory. There was nothing for the home team to celebrate after their second appearance in their new digs, as the Buffalo Bills soundly beat the Raiders 30-23.

“I’m sick of losing,” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said. “I’m sick of working as hard as I do, and as hard as we do, and going out there and losing. It sucks.”

Carr and the Raiders spoke about establishing their new home base as an impenetrable fortress, a place where they were nearly impossible beat. They wanted to imbue Allegiant with such intimidation right away, even in a season where its 65,000 seats would be empty.

Perhaps that’s part of the reason why this loss stung so much and left the players the most frustrated they’ve been since the organization officially moved to Las Vegas this summer. Instead of a site where they valiantly marched to victory, Allegiant became the building where they officially spoiled a 2-0 start to the season and fell back to .500 with a second straight loss.

“Get better Monday through Sunday — come in, put in the work,” running back Josh Jacobs said when asked how the Raiders could turn around to get back in the right direction. “I think we work now but clearly it’s not enough.”

Nothing was enough against Buffalo, which never surrendered the lead and consistently kept Las Vegas at arm’s length. The undefeated Bills picked on a scuffling Raiders’ defense by scoring touchdowns on each of their first two possessions.

Both drives ended with a touchdown pass from third-year quarterback Josh Allen, who completed 24 of 34 attempts for 288 yards on the day. Carr dueled Allen the best he could and put up a comparable 311 passing yards and two touchdowns on 32-for-44 passing, but the Bills' initial cushion was too much to overcome.

“It’s never good enough when you lose,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. “He knows that; I know that. Statistics are great and he’s done a great job with this football team..I wouldn’t question anything about Derek Carr. He’s giving you everything you got and he’s performing pretty darn good.”

Carr was particularly angered because Sunday was supposed to be a special day for him on a personal level. With his 151th career passing touchdown, he surpassed Kenny Stabler for the most all-time in Raiders’ history.

It’s a record he said he eyed breaking ever since he arrived in Oakland as a second-round draft pick in 2014, but one he couldn’t fully enjoy in a losing effort.

“It’s my seventh year and I’ve seen too much crap if I’m being honest with you,” Carr said. “That’s the frustrating part for me. Is it going to take my positivity and my joy away from me? Absolutely not. I’m going to be me regardless but is it OK for me to be a little hot, a little pissed sometimes? Yeah, and this is one of those times.”

The record-breaker came on what was ultimately a meaningless score when Carr hit Nelson Agholor along the sideline of the end zone with 1:29 left in the game. Afterwards, he was more concerned with the fate of the proceeding Raiders’ drive.

Las Vegas was still down 30-16 but with plenty of time midway through the fourth quarter when Bills defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson got to Carr for a strip-sack. Jefferson recovered his own forced fumble and greatly cut into the Raiders’ comeback chances.

“And that was about to be a touchdown to Darren (Waller), or a big play at least,” Carr lamented.

Waller was the other standout on the Raiders’ offense against the Bills with nine catches for 88 yards but he too carried one key turnover regret. With the Bills leading only 23-16 early in the fourth quarter, Carr found Waller on a short out route early in the fourth quarter and the tight end turned up field.

But former All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman lurked from behind and dislodged the ball from Waller, and like Jefferson, recovered the fumble. Buffalo completed a 49-yard bomb from Allen to top receiver Stefon Diggs — who totaled six receptions for 115 yards against the Raiders — on the next play to set up a short touchdown run from Devin Singletary.

“My fumble was pivotal just because we were going down the field about to take the lead,” Waller said. “That was a big swing right there. I think that’s when it started to get out of control.”

From an efficiency standpoint, Las Vegas’ offense hung right with Buffalo’s. The Raiders had 383 yards and averaged 5.6 yards per play to the Bills’ marks of 336 yards and 5.7 yards per play.

But Buffalo scored one more touchdown and was more aggressive, only once settling for a field goal as opposed to Las Vegas, which sent out kicker Daniel Carlson three times including twice in 4th-and-2 situations. The Bills also committed no turnovers.

“You kick yourself, but we were in that football game,” Gruden said.

That’s no consolation for Carr who found that Sunday’s game mirrored much of his professional career to this point. He’s consistently put up big production, but without the results to show for it.

On a day he took the top spot on a coveted franchise list, he also fell to 41-57 as a starter.

He may have hoped things would be different with the Raiders’ fresh start in Las Vegas, but instead, he drove home in a new city accompanied by an umbrage that’s all too familiar.

“I’ve got to take a deep breath before I go into my house, so I don’t take it out on my wife and my kids because it means so much to me,” Carr said. “But enough is enough. We’ve got to correct this right now.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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