The Las Vegas Raiders' playoff hopes took multiple hits on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Las Vegas lost starting quarterback Derek Carr to a groin injury in the first quarter. Backup Marcus Mariota kept the Raiders in the game, but L.A. scored a game-winning touchdown in overtime after Las Vegas could only muster a field goal on its first possession.
The Raiders (7-7) were already on the outside looking in with respect to the AFC playoff picture. But they received more bad news on Friday, with Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reporting Carr's groin injury could force him out of next Saturday's game against the Miami Dolphins:
Source: #Raiders QB Derek Carr suffered a significant groin injury and it’s expected to have a 10-to-14 day timeline. Carr, who has been having one of his best seasons, will fight to be in the lineup against the #Dolphins if he somehow can.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 18, 2020
The timeline is of major significance here.
Miami and Las Vegas were originally slated to play on Sunday, Dec. 27. But the NFL decided at the end of November to flex the matchup to Saturday.
Had this Week 15 matchup still been scheduled for Sunday, the likelihood of Carr playing would have increased, given he would have had 10 days to recover. Granted, it might still have been a long shot, but the timeline matches up better in that regard.
While Carr will do his best to play, the Raiders also do not want to risk the long-term health of their starting quarterback.
The 29-year-old is having one of the finest seasons of his career. Carr has completed over 68 percent of his pass attempts for close to 3,400 yards and 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He has also tied a career-high with four game-winning drives.
Las Vegas will likely monitor Carr's progress next week before making a determination, but the timing is not ideal.
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