5 players the Raiders need to play well to beat Ravens

Derek Carr must outplay Lamar Jackson if the Raiders want to beat the Ravens

While he is three years removed from his last Pro Bowl nod, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr remains grossly underrated in the league hierarchy. Though the Raiders have only been to the playoffs once with him under center, he has been a stabilizing force for them since arriving in Oakland by way of Fresno State in 2014. However, he has to play well vs. good teams in 2021.

This is Carr’s age-30 season out of Fresno State. While he seems to have gelled in Gruden’s offense, he is a stretch of bad games away from his backup Marcus Mariota possibly getting some run. Though Baltimore is expected to beat Las Vegas, Carr must do everything in his power to keep this game within striking distance for the Silver and Black. He must play like a top-10 quarterback.

The good news for him is he has plenty of talent surrounding him on offense. Whether that is Waller at tight end or Jacobs in the backfield, Carr has a flurry of weapons to choose from, as well as a stout offensive line to operate behind. While it may be a bit of a tall task, Carr needs to either equal or, quite frankly, outplay his counterpart Jackson if the Raiders want to win on Monday night.

What other Raiders need to have big games to be able to beat the visiting Ravens in primetime?