Raiders say mistakes, not emotion, led to loss

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A folded brim on a black hat couldn't cast a large enough shadow over Derek Carr's face to conceal a frown at the end of the Raider quarterback's postgame news conference Sunday evening at Metlife Stadium.

Frustrated certainly by his play in a 23-16 loss to the Giants and potentially by a line of questioning about his team's response to this week's tragedy allegedly caused by former teammate Henry Ruggs III, Carr made a request.

“It's all about (taking care of) the ball — that's why we lost. Please, just talk about me turning the ball over,” Carr said to the media while the Giants still celebrated their win about 10 yards away from the interview room on the field.

Carr committed three turnovers, including one that ended the game and another that proved the difference in it, as the Raiders lost in the first contest out of their bye week for the fifth consecutive year.

But this one seemed different than the previous seasons' defeats considering the circumstances.

The Raiders were playing with the weight of the situation that saw Ruggs, their leading receiver on the year, charged with several counts including DUI and reckless driving after a fatal crash that killed a woman Tuesday morning. And, whether it was ultimately a factor or not, the Raiders didn't play as well as they've become accustomed to this season in the first game since the devastating event.

They had minimized mistakes and overpowered two straight opponents, the Broncos and Eagles, but made a number of gaffes and weren't physically dominant against the Giants.

“We come out, fight at the end, get a touchdown and win the game, we're talking about different stuff,” Carr said. “Certain emotions and all that kind of stuff, at the end of the day, we're football players. We play football. You just can't turn it over.”