5 bold predictions for Las Vegas Raiders in 2020
1. Marcus Mariota will take over for Derek Carr
The Raiders may not admit it, but they didn’t sign Mariota to just provide competition for Carr. They signed him to take over as their starting quarterback the minute their incumbent falters.
On some level, it should serve as a relief to Carr. His relationship with Gruden has been toxic since Day One. He needs a fresh start somewhere else if he’s going to get his career on track.
Ironically, the same thing could be said bout Mariota’s time in Tennessee. A big part of his struggles were tied to the need to learn a new offense on an annual basis. That caused him issues with the Titans, but it prepares him well to hit the ground running with the Raiders.
Gruden will be looking for a reason to pull the trigger on a quarterback switch the minute the regular season begins. Carr won’t make it that difficult for him to justify the decision. The first time he throws three interceptions in a loss he’ll be headed to the bench for good.
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Mariota might not be the answer to the Raiders’ quarterback issues for the long haul, but he’ll give them an upgrade in 2020. It won’t be enough to get Las Vegas into the playoffs, but it will be refreshing to watch Mariota inject some life into the offense after Carr’s years of struggles.