Raiders expect QB Carr to be OK

The best term to describe a Sunday smash that sidelined Raiders quarterback Derek Carr against the Broncos? Awkward.

Denver defeated Oakland 1610 on Sunday, but not until after the Raiders’ Pro Bowl quarterback took a late third-quarter snap at his own 34-yard line, scrambled and was sacked by the Broncos’ Shelby Harris, then kneed in the back by Adam Gotsis. As Carr stumbled to the turf in a sitting position, the left arm of Gotsis pulled Carr’s helmet toward his own toes, causing Carr’s lower back to twist. He grimaced in pain on the grass, was helped to the Raiders’ locker room and did not return.

Enter EJ Manuel, a former Buffalo Bills first-round draft pick-turned-Raiders-backup who joined the team in March.

“My biggest thing was getting in a rhythm as fast as possible,” Manuel said.

Carr — whose injury was later announced as “back spasms” by Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, is not expected to miss significant playing time. Carr completed 10-of-18 passes for 143 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown strike to Johnny Holton, the first pass of over 20 yards he had completed all season.

The Broncos led 16-7 when Manuel, in his fifth season out of Florida State, completed his first seven passes, including consecutive completions of 28 yards to tight end Jared Cook and 22 yards to wide receiver Seth Roberts. Manuel’s second drive went 73 yards in nine plays, capped by a 38-yard Giorgio Tavecchio field goal to cut Denver’s lead to 16-10.

“Looking at a lot of guys in the huddle in their eyes, I felt like they were confident,” Manuel said, “which gave me more confidence.”

When a Broncos drive stalled late in the fourth quarter, forcing a Riley Dixon punt that went out of bounds at the Oakland 42, the Raiders’ offense made one last push to take the lead. Eight plays later, Manuel faced second-and15 at the Denver 42 and threw a deep ball toward the left sideline to Amari Cooper — only to have it intercepted by safety Justin Simmons with 1:56 left.

“Once the ball was in the air and I knew that (Simmons) was around, it was all about him snagging the ball, squeezing it and bringing it down,” Broncos safety Will Parks said. “And that’s what happened.”

Said Del Rio: “I really thought we were going to win that game. With two minutes left and the ball right there … I felt really good about the prospects of celebrating.”

Denver improved its record to 3-1. For the Raiders, a dark-horse preseason Super Bowl pick, concern related to a 2-2 record is only heightened because of Carr’s health concerns and a largely ineffective offense.

“I’m going to do the treatment and all those kinds of things,” Carr said. “You guys know me; it’s going to take a lot for me not to be out there.”