Raiders’ Derek Carr: Wins, not statistics, matter most

Derek Carr has never been about statistics – not in high school at Bakersfield Christian, not in college at Fresno State.

The Raiders quarterback completed 20 of 31 for 184 yards in a Week 9 divisional showdown with the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, helping Oakland win 30-20 and move into sole possession of first place in the AFC West at 7-2.

Carr upped his career completions total to 932, passing Jeff Hostetler (1993-96) for fifth among Raiders quaterbacks.

But his streak of games with at least one passing touchdown came to an end at 14, which ranked third among active NFL quarterbacks.

“I don’t get caught up in numbers. I don’t get caught up in stats,” he said. “I care about winning. The way that those guys run plays against one of the best defenses this league has seen in the last however many years they’ve been together, it was a fun thing to watch. I’m the biggest fan of that. A game like that, I don’t care if we run it 58 times or if I throw the ball eight times.”

Raiders running back Latavius Murray had 20 carries for 114 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders ran 43 times for 218 yards.

The Raiders headed into their bye with a practice Wednesday and another scheduled for Thursday before traveling to Mexico City for a Week 11 “home” game against the Houston Texans on Nov. 21.

“Bye week is awesome,” Carr said. “I can’t wait to hang out with my wife, my kids, and play with my dogs all week. It’s much needed. I give them a shout out because wives put up with ridiculous hours. I’m so thankful for her and putting up with me. She gets up before my alarm goes off. I’m so thankful for that.”

Et cetera – Broncos tight end Virgil Green (Tulare High) had two receptions on four targets for 37 yards against the Raiders.

▪ Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (Fresno State) had four receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown in a 31-26 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Adams’ touchdown came in the fourth quarter when Aaron Rodgers connected with him from 2 yards. Prior to Sunday, Adams had 25 catches over the past two games – a franchise record for receptions over over a two-game span.

▪ Kansas City cornerback Steven Nelson (College of the Sequoias) was productive in the Chiefs’ 19-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars when he finished with two tackles and three pass deflections, a quarterback hit and a fumble recovery early in the third quarter that led to a field goal.

▪ Los Angeles Rams safety T.J. McDonald (Edison) finished with two tackles in a 13-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Rams right guard Cody Wichmann (Fresno State) made his seventh start this season.

▪ New York Jets defensive tackle/linebacker Sheldon Richardson (COS) had six tackles and a pass deflection in a 27-23 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

▪ New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Tyeler Davison (Fresno State) started but didn’t record a tackle in a 41-23 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

▪ Philadelphia Eagles running back Ryan Mathews (Fresno State) had five carries for 15 yards and a touchdown in a 28-23 loss to the New York Giants. Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks (Hoover) had a tackle.

▪ Pittsburgh safety Robert Golden (Edison) finished with two tackles as the Steelers fell to the Baltimore Ravens 21-14.

▪ Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker Eric Kendricks (Hoover) missed Sunday’s game because of a concussion. He didn’t practice all last week after his diagnosis Nov. 1.

▪ San Diego’s Isaiah Burse (Fresno State) had two punt returns for 3 yards and also made two fair catches as the Chargers defeated the Tennessee Titans 43-35. Chargers guard/tackle Kenny Wiggins saw some playing time, as well as his fellow Fresno State alum Curtis Riley who didn’t record a tackle on special teams.

This story was originally published November 9, 2016 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Raiders’ Derek Carr: Wins, not statistics, matter most."