CARR HAS RAIDERS IN DRIVE
The problems the Raiders had scoring the previous three seasons haven’t been an issue through two games.
Derek Carr has been in command of the offense, helping Las Vegas post back-toback 34-point games on the way to the team’s fourth 2-0 start in the past 25 seasons following a 34-24 win over perennial powerhouse New Orleans on Monday night.
“I’ll let everyone else talk about the statement,” Carr said after the game. “I’m tired of talking and I think people can hear it in my voice sometimes. It’s nice. It’s nice to go out and be 2-0. It’s nice to play against the Saints and get a win. It feels good. But like I told the guys after the game, job is not done.”
Through two weeks, the Raiders have scored eight touchdowns and four field goals on 18 drives to rank tied for second in scoring efficiency and rank third in touchdown efficiency.
It’s a far cry from the past three years when the Raiders were one of three teams that failed to average 20 points per game in any season from 201719.
That comes with only one turnover and two three-andouts so far this season, prompting coach Jon Gruden to call Carr’s play “awesome” after the win in the team’s first home game in Las Vegas.
While he has mostly thrown short since a couple of deep throws early in the season opener, Carr has been efficient. He has completed 50of-68 passes for 521 yards, four TDS and no interceptions the first two games.
“It tells me that we’re on the right track,” Gruden said. “We have a real competitive group of guys. We need to get healthy.”
Broncos adding Bortles
The Broncos are in the process of adding free agent Blake Bortles to serve as their backup quarterback, a person with knowledge of the situation told The
Press.
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Broncos haven’t announced the signing, said the seventh-year veteran is going through the COVID-19 protocols after agreeing to a oneyear deal.
Bortles, the third overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, won’t be able to join the team until the weekend.
Brett Rypien is expected to serve as Jeff Driskel’s backup Sunday when the Broncos (0-2) host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1).
Driskel took over last weekend when starter Drew Lock injured his throwing shoulder on a sack in Pittsburgh. Lock is expected to miss three to five weeks with a bruised rotator cuff.
Coaches fined
Associated
Two more NFL head coaches and their teams have been fined for not wearing masks on the sideline.
A person with knowledge of the punishment said Tuesday that Jon Gruden of the Raiders and Sean Payton of the Saints were each fined $100,000 for not wearing masks on the sideline on Monday night.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the league wasn’t announcing specific fines, said the teams were also fined $250,000 for the infractions. The league already handed out similar punishments to Denver’s Vic Fangio, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and Seattle’s Pete Carroll, the person said.
Gruden apologized after the game for failing to wear his mask and also acknowledged for the first time that he had the coronavirus during the offseason.
“I don’t want to get into it really,” he said Tuesday. “It wasn’t pleasant. It was reported that I made up that I had the virus and it really ticked me off, because I would never do something like that. But it’s a very serious matter, and obviously I’m sensitive about it. It was a tough deal, that’s for sure, just like everybody else that’s had it.”
Payton also had the coronavirus this offseason.
The punishments come a week after the NFL warned all 32 teams in a memo about following the rules for wearing face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic lest they put the NFL season at risk.
Get out the vote
One of the NFL’S two new stadium sites will serve as a voting center as the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams are making Sofi Stadium a venue for election support.
The NFL also announced Tuesday on Voter Registration Day it is joining with two groups to recruit workers for polling places and to get out the vote.