Raiders QB Derek Carr seeking first win in Kansas City
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs, is a notoriously difficult place for opponents. But it’s been especially hard for the Raiders to play there in recent years.
Oakland’s last victory in Kansas City was Oct. 28, 2012 when the Dennis Allen-led Raiders defeated the Romeo Crennel-led Chiefs 26-16. But since Andy Reid arrived as Chiefs head coach in 2013, the Raiders have taken nothing but Ls at Arrowhead.
Quarterback Derek Carr, drafted in 2014, has lost all five of the games he’s played at the venue. His numbers there are fairly grim, as he’s completed just 55 percent of his passes for an average of 186 yards per game. Carr has thrown three touchdowns to five interceptions at Arrowhead and has lost a pair of fumbles.
If there ever were a time for Carr to turn those numbers around, it’s this week. A victory over the Chiefs would tie the two teams at 7-5 atop the AFC West.
Still, Carr said this week that being winless in Kansas City isn’t something that’s top of mind for him.
“They’ve been a really good football team for a long time. It’s a tough place to win. You can ask a lot of people that have been through there, it’s not easy,” Carr said. “It’s loud, it’s rowdy, they put up a lot of points, they do a lot of things well on defense, so it’s just tough to play there.”
While the Chiefs have one of the most potent offenses in the league led by reigning MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Carr said he understands the need to resist trying to do too much to counter the opposing offensive attack. But even as the opponent and the crowd will make things difficult, Carr is embracing the challenge.
“You look forward to moments like this,” Carr said.
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Contact Myles Simmons at msimmons@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @MylesASimmons on Twitter.