Oakland Raiders quarterback and MVP candidate Derek Carr will likely be out the rest of the season after having surgery to repair is broken fibula, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

It was the sack heard around the league when Derek Carr went down early in the fourth quarter at the hands of the Indianapolis ColtsTrent Cole, who stated he had no intent to injure the third year breakout star.

The play was an innocuous one. Cole beat Donald Penn around the left corner and corralled Carr below the waist. Thing took a turn for the worst when the telecast clearly caught Carr mouthing “it’s broken” to trainers and coaches on the sideline. Carr’s fears were shortly confirmed afterwards, when coach Jack Del Rio stated Carr would be out “indefinitely” with a broken fibula.

Tough Break

With the Raiders enjoying their best season since their Super Bowl run in 2002, Carr’s injury comes at an especially bad time. While the playoffs are a certainly, chances at a Super Bowl run dwindle even with capable backup Matt McGloin under center.

Next week’s matchup versus the Denver Broncos - who will join last year’s Super Bowl opponent, the Carolina Panthers, on the outside looking in - will prove pivotal if the Raiders would like to keep their first round bye. With Carr out, every extra day of practice will be paramount to their success in the playoffs.

Critics Refuted

Apart from the disappointment of seeing a hamstrung Raiders team enter the postseason tournament, the abhorrent questioning of Del Rio’s approach to leaving Carr in during the early fourth quarter are especially loathsome.

While the Raiders were up 33-14 at the time, there was still over 10 minutes left in the game. Erratic as they are, Andrew Luck’s Colts are more than capable of dwindling that lead in half the time.

Vic Tafur, the Raiders beat writer for the San Francisco Chronicle said it best when he live tweeted from the game:

Looking Ahead

Even with playoff expectations highly deflated coming off of Saturday’s win, there is hope yet for Raiders fans.

Saturday’s performance highlighted one of the best performances by Oakland’s offensive line and running backs. Fifth round pick, DeAndre Washington, finally gained traction against the Colts, running for 99 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns coming from 22 yards away each.

For backup turned starter Matt McGloin, he has more at stake than just the hopes and dreams of Raider nation. The proven spot starter’s contract is up at the end of season, and teams looking for either a bridge player or someone to compete for a starting job may tap McGloin, who can make a statement with an impressive playoff run.

Perhaps the greatest hope for the Raiders comes at the collective hands of a vastly improved defense, who will gain it’s second best defensive player, Mario Edwards Jr., after playing in a pinch during Satuday's game. If the unit can mitigate big plays, capitalize on it’s playmaking prowess (who currently lead the league in turnover differential), and play it’s best ball of the season, the Raiders may just have a chance to make some noise come January.

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About the author
Richard Sena
I am a writer located in Boca Raton, Florida. I am a graduate of Florida Atlantic University and cover both local and national football related stories.