How did the Raiders slip so far? Jon Gruden wonders about Derek Carr’s back

This is not the way the Oakland Raiders expected 2017 to go.

Eliminated from playoff contention before their Monday night game in Philadelphia started, the Raiders suffered their third-straight defeat, 19-10 to the Eagles.

Philadelphia clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs on a night when the Eagles didn’t play like a top team.

Luckily for them, the Raiders were on the other side. Ex-Fresno State star Derek Carr threw two interceptions, including a costly one that Philadelphia turned into the go-ahead points.

One season after 12-4 and a playoff berth for the first time since 2002, the Raiders are 6-9 limping into a season finale Sunday at the Los Angeles Chargers – the Raiders’ first visit to LA since the franchise uprooted back to Oakland following the 1994 season.

Even after finishing last season with two straight losses (including in the playoffs), the Raiders were regarded as one of the Super Bowl favorites. Hey, they had Carr, top receivers and a defensive star in Khalil Mack.

A 2-0 start to this season buoyed those expectations, but it’s been mostly downhill since.

“We can look at the good times that we had, obviously a year ago,” said Carr, who passed for 143 yards Monday night with a passer rating of 48.1. “We can look at the hard times that we had this year. And you sit back and you lay out the plan and you say, ‘What was different?’”

In late November, Raiders coach Jack Del Rio fired defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and named John Pagano the interim DC.

At the time, the Raiders were 4-6 and ranked 26th in total defense with 367 yards allowed per game. Oakland didn’t have an interception and had 14 sacks.

Since, the Raiders defense has played better, ranking 19th (340.4) with 30 sacks and five interceptions. It played well Monday night against one of the NFL’s top five offenses coming in, holding Philadelphia to 216 total yards and 13 offensive points. (The Eagles tacked on a touchdown to end the game when the Raiders’ last-ditch play turned into six points on a fumble return.)

Bill Musgrave wasn’t brought back to serve as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator after the 2016 season in which Oakland ranked No. 6 in the NFL.

Under Todd Downing, the Raiders rank 19th in the NFL with 323.3 yards per game. They’re 17th in passing at 226.7 yards per game but, even with the addition of Marshawn Lynch, are 25th in rushing at 96.6.

Carr, who signed a five-year, $125 million contract in the offseason, has received criticism from fans and analysts for his poor play, and the chorus grew after two second-half interceptions Monday.

Could an injury (transverse process fracture) he sustained against the Denver Broncos in Week 4 still be hampering the fourth-year pro? ESPN commentator Jon Gruden asked Monday night, “How healthy is Derek Carr, really? I mean, he broke three bones in his back in midseason.”

Carr won’t make excuses.

“I’ve tried my best every single time to stand up here and be a man and just take it,” he said. “That’s who I am. That’s how I was raised and I’ll always be that way. When it gets hard, I fight. Nothing is going to change. Hopefully the results change, but I’m going to keep fighting.

“But there’s no doubt in my mind that I’m going to work my tail off like I always do, correct the things that I need to correct and move forward.”

This story was originally published December 26, 2017 at 12:04 PM with the headline "How did the Raiders slip so far? Jon Gruden wonders about Derek Carr’s back."