Derek Carr’s moment of truth arrives after 8 years

Deservedly or not, as the quarterback and face of the franchise over the last eight seasons, Derek Carr has shouldered most of the blame for one of the most frustrating periods of Raiders history.

In spite of all the turmoil created by coaches coming and going, various regime changes and a roster that sometimes operated like a turnstile, it’s been Carr who has had to answer for the lack of success and assume most of the responsibility for it.

The Raiders are 56-70 in Carr’s 126 career starts. They have reached the playoffs just once with him at the helm, although a leg injury he suffered in the second-to-last game of the 2016 season meant Carr could not suit up in the postseason that year.

The Raiders were 12-3 when Carr went down with the injury in 2016. They are 44-67 since then.

The cliff they immediately fell off and the misery of the ensuing years have left many to wonder if he is truly up to the challenge of leading a successful NFL team.

Publicly and privately, Carr acknowledges that the blame and criticism simply comes with being a starting quarterback in the NFL.

But it’s no secret that he and those in his inner circle have longed for the necessary supporting cast to be built around him that would give him a chance to answer his critics.

That cast is now in place. That moment has finally arrived.

When Carr walks onto the field at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers will be the only thing standing between him and the Raiders’ first playoff appearance since 2016.

The support of his teammates will go a long way toward deciding whether it’s the 9-7 Raiders successfully punching their ticket to the playoffs or the 9-7 Chargers.

But make no mistake, history has shown that in do-or-die games, the performance of the quarterback often determines the outcome

Sunday, then, is truly Carr’s moment. It’s a chance for him to affirm what he and his supporters have always believed about him. Or, on the flip side, maybe validate the doubters.

One way or another, his performance will go a long way toward deciding his future in Las Vegas and the direction the Raiders take as they mull their long-range plans.

Carr gets it. He understands. But he also isn’t about to let the circumstances of such a significant occasion change his approach or mindset.

“I always say if you’ve got to change something in your preparation, I don’t think you’re preparing the right way,” Carr said.

Besides, the way he sees it, the three must-wins he and the Raiders faced leading up to this game have all carried the same pressure and significance. So in a weird sort of way, their quasi-postseason run has prepared him for the stage he is about to step onto Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

“If you look back to the last three games, they’ve all been the biggest of our career,” Carr said.

In two of those wins — three weeks ago against the Cleveland Browns and last week against the Indianapolis Colts — Carr shook off in-game mistakes to lead the Raiders on last-minute, game-winning drives. In both instances, he was at his best when it mattered most,

Within his locker room, there was something symbolic in his late-game heroics. Maybe even a glimpse of what could happen on Sunday.

“He’s definitely ready for this,” defensive end Yannick Ngakoue said. “Just seeing him over the course of these last couple of weeks, the confidence and the fire that I see from him. I love it tremendously.”

Said linebacker K.J. Wright: “What I love about Derek is when things get real, when things get like, oh it’s time to go, especially these last three games … he got it done. We know this game is going to be tight. We know it’ll probably come down to a two-minute drill, and I know Derek Carr is going to find a way to get it done.”

Conversely, the fight the Raiders have shown recently has proven something to Carr.

“I think our team is in a good place,” Carr said. “We realize what’s at stake this week. We realize what’s been at stake for the last couple weeks. It’s exciting. It really is. But I do have all the confidence in our team to be ready to play.”

Make no mistake, though, the performance of Carr will go a long way toward determining whether the Raiders’ season extends by at least one more week.

It’s a daunting challenge, but one he’s been longing for his whole career.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.