The Oakland Raiders were neck and neck with the New England Patriots last season in a battle for first place in the AFC. Unfortunately for Oakland, their starting QB Derek Carr, who was having a MVP-like season, suffered a broken leg that prevented the team from doing that. His injury also led the team to an early playoff exit at the hands of the Houston Texans. Since the loss, Carr and the Raiders have been eager to get back to work and take the title away from New England.
This offseason, the Raiders made Derek Carr the highest paid QB in NFL history when they awarded him with a contract for five years worth $125 million.
That has since been eclipsed by Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions but only by a couple million. Now that he is paid, Carr can have fun and do what his team has paid him so much money to do. He's consistently put up good numbers in just three seasons in the league and was a high MVP candidate last season for the first time in his career. He threw for a total of 3,937 yards. He also threw 28 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions.
Many fans believe that if Carr was available and healthy during the playoffs, the Raiders had a good shot at beating the Patriots. He has proven that he is a natural leader and the team seems to feed off of his energy a lot. With Tom Brady nearing retirement, Derek looks like the guy that is willing to take over the AFC when he's gone.
According to ESPN, the Raiders have already received the most bets in Las Vegas to win Super Bowl LII.
How Marshawn Lynch will make a big difference
The Oakland Raiders will be moving to Las Vegas in a couple of years and Marshawn Lynch is eager to bring a Super Bowl trophy to his hometown before they depart. He is so eager that he decided to come out of retirement just to make it happen.
More importantly, his ability to bring a tough nose ground game to Oakland will open up the field more for Derek Carr. Also, Lynch has plenty of postseason experience and has led the Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances and was able to win one.
Carr's eagerness after missing postseason
Derek Carr is very eager to win it all after missing the playoffs with a broken leg last season.
Carr is one of the most confident young QBs in the league and believes he can lead a team to the promise land. He's already proven to himself that he is capable of getting better every season. If he is able to participate in postseason play this time around, the Raiders will be arguably the toughest team to stop in the league.
