Quarterback Derek Carr
Derek Carr left it all on the field Sunday, there's no denying that.
The Oakland Raiders quarterback has made it known both vocally, and through his efforts on the field, that he'll do anything to win. No. 4's love for his teammates, and Raider Nation, is undisputed, but sadly, his dive for the pylon to win the game Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys didn't work out the way he anticipated. Due to the fumble, which rolled out of the end zone for a touchback, the Cowboys took a knee to walk away with the 20-17 victory.
When the clock struck triple zeroes, Carr took the podium postgame to address the media:
The Pro Bowl signal-caller reflected on his performance, but specifically his final play.
"I left it all out there. I'm just trying to win for my teammates. No excuse, I have to hold onto the ball. You know, the fight our team played with today – that was familiar, that looked like us. Did we execute 100% of the time? No. Did we play a really good defense? Absolutely. We played a really good team, but at the end of the day – we lost. It is what it is. I can say that we left it out there."
Carr broke down what he saw on his touchdown pass to Jared Cook, which was eventually called back due to offensive pass interference.
"To be honest, I couldn't see Jared [Cook] when I threw it. I saw the initial – him and 50 coming together. If I told you how many times I threw the ball without seeing someone, you guys would worry for us. But that's the NFL. I didn't see him, but I know where he's supposed to be. He made a great catch and all that. I watched the replay again. I was just hoping it would stay a touchdown."
**Even after what transpired, the former Fresno State Bulldog is happy with his decision to dive for the end zone.
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"Yes, absolutely. I just have to hold onto the ball. Absolutely. I would always – that's me. And if they told me otherwise, then I'd say yes sir and move on. That's me – I'm super competitive. I'm always going to try to win the game."
Carr explained why wide receiver Michael Crabtree wasn't on the field for the final play.
"We actually had a play called, a certain play called on the other side, and then the refs made us take him [Michael Crabtree] out. And then we had to change our call."
After 15 weeks of action, he's still confident in who he is as a player.
"Yes absolutely. In the beginning of the season, I felt like me. There was a little question about my ankle going into the first pre-season game and the first live hit. Besides my wife tackling me all off season. I definitely – I know who I am."
