It’s no secret, the Oakland Raiders have been winning games by the skin of their teeth. They’ve won ten games by an average of seven points. They beat the Jacksonville Jaguars by 17 and the Buffalo Bills by 14, but they also have four wins by three points or less. The Raiders have one of the best records in football, but if they weren’t so clutch, this might not be the case.
The Oakland Raiders: Captains of Clutch
Most Valuable Quarterback
After an ugly performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, many people promptly buried Derek Carr‘s Most Valuable Player campaign. He only threw for 117 total yards, and he failed to score a touchdown in a losing effort. Many blamed his pinky, others blamed the cold, but at the end of the day, the Raiders couldn’t make the big plays when it mattered most.
However, this is literally only true for this game. Carr has been phenomenal in the clutch this year. In fact, he’s been phenomenal in close games his whole career. Carr already has 11 game-winning drives under his belt in only two years. That’s more than Hall of Fame quarterback George Blanda, who was known for crazy comebacks, had in his career. Cam Newton, a former MVP, only has 12 total game-winning drives under his belt.
In 2016, Carr has already set the record for most game-winning touchdown passes in a season with five. He’s easily been one of the most reliable players in football this year, and that’s not just including quarterbacks. The NFL has a weekly “Clutch Performer of the Week” award, and Carr has won it four times.
Nobody else in the NFL has even won it twice! In fact, the Raiders easily lead the league in winners. Three members of the silver and black have won the award this season. One is Carr, one is wide receiver Amari Cooper, and the other is the next reason the Raiders are captains of clutch.
Captain Khalil
Khalil Mack is the third Raider to win the Clutch Performer of the week award, and it’s easy to see why. Mack has forced four turnovers in the last three games. That’s absolutely ridiculous. In the second half of each of the last three games, Mack has gotten a strip-sack that was recovered by the Raiders. If Mack were a baseball player, he’d be the best closer in the league. Throw in the fact that he has a pick-six and at least one sack in the last eight games, and he’s just unreal. This is good news for the Raiders moving forward.
The Raiders aren’t going to encounter the Buffalo Bills or Jacksonville Jaguars in the playoffs. It’s more than likely that the Raiders will find themselves in a close playoff game, with a chance to win late. If you had to choose a quarterback and defender combo from any team in the league, is there really anyone you would take over Derek Carr and Khalil Mack?
