Derek Carr credits Jon Gruden for inspiration in win over Cowboys
Suffice to say, the Las Vegas Raiders weren't heavy favorites to defeat the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving day.
The Silver and Black were 0-3 coming out of their bye week and were still reeling from a slew of off-field matters that had the team beaten down emotionally.
But the visiting Raiders were able to emerge victorious on Thursday with a 36-33 overtime victory in what was an uncharacteristically long and penalty-filled game.
The winning recipe? Getting off to a fast start and never taking your foot off the gas -- which started with connecting with DeSean Jackson for a 56-yard touchdown pass.
"We get that touchdown, I look at the scoreboard, OK, 7-0," Carr said, via ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "I'm excited. I'm an emotional, passionate person, but my mindset literally goes, 'OK, 7-0.' We've got to keep going.
"But I can't exhale during the game, especially with this one, how close it was."
Carr added he used a bit of advice about getting the ball downfield he held onto from former coach Jon Gruden, who resigned from the team in October.
"One thing I've tried to do this year, especially when [Henry Ruggs III] was here, I was going to be so aggressive," Carr said. "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.' So when we call these things, let's rip 'em."
You don't have to watch the Raiders on a regular basis to know that Carr is an emotional athlete who puts the entire team on his shoulders. So when Vegas went on a three-game losing skid during a season highlighted by Gruden's resignation and the tragedy involving Ruggs fatal car crash, Carr put the pressure to turn the team around on himself.
"Derek is his biggest critic. ... He's been off sync a little bit," interim head coach Rich Bisaccia said. "Today he looked like Derek Carr. It's fun to watch him play."
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