Derek Carr injury: 5 Raiders who must step up

With quarterback Derek Carr out for the remainder of the season, here are five Oakland Raiders who must step up.

The Oakland Raiders improved their record to 12-3 with a 33-25 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, but suffered a notable loss when quarterback Derek Carr suffered a broken right fibula in the fourth quarter of the game. Carr is out indefinitely.

Losing a starting quarterback and an MVP candidate like Carr is a devastating development to an otherwise fantastic season for the Raiders. Oakland can still earn a first-round playoff bye, with an outside shot at home field advantage in the AFC, but those possibilities may not mean anything without Carr under center.

The Raiders are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and they are a team on the rise with a bright future. Still, if the Raiders hope to make any noise in this year’s playoffs without Carr, these five players will need to step up in his absence.

5. K Sebastian Janikowski

The venerable Janikowski is having another solid season, with five of his six field goal misses coming from 50-plus yards out as he continues to get ample opportunities (eight this season) from that range. He did register his first two extra point misses of the season against the Colts on Saturday, one missed and one blocked, but the league-wide struggles in that area this season gives Janikowski some leeway.

The Raiders have played close games all season, with 11 one-possession margins and five wins by three points or less. Without Carr, the Raiders are sure to lose some of their offensive firepower and so they will need Janikowski to put points on the board every chance he gets. Come playoff time, Janikowski will be one of Oakland’s most important players.