Carr: It's 'ridiculous' to question if I can win in playoffs
Derek Carr will lead the Las Vegas Raiders for the foreseeable future after inking a multi-year extension Wednesday, and the quarterback has no doubt he's capable of finally delivering postseason success.
"The question of, 'Can I win a playoff game?' Yeah, that's ridiculous. ... Just because we had one chance, and we lost in the last series of a game to the AFC champions? Yeah, I think we can," Carr said Wednesday, according to NFL.com's Kevin Patra.
"It just shows you how close we were. But with that said, 55% of the teams that make the playoffs, the next year don't. So the odds are against us. I like that kind of thought process better, so I'm going to keep that underdog mentality and that chip-on-the-shoulder mindset."
Carr, whose deal is reportedly for three years and worth $121.5 million, has yet to win a playoff game after making one postseason appearance in eight years with the Raiders.
The AFC West club lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in last season's wild-card round. Carr missed the playoffs in 2016 after suffering a broken fibula in Week 16.
The Raiders have had an aggressive offseason, which might give Carr his best chance at ending his postseason win drought. Las Vegas landed Josh McDaniels - a lauded offensive mind - as its new head coach and acquired All-Pro receiver Davante Adams in a blockbuster trade in March.
The quarterback's arsenal of weapons also includes Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and wideout Hunter Renfrow, who's coming off his first 1,000-yard season.
"I know what I'm capable of, I know what our team's capable of, and I'm excited to see," Carr said. "Obviously, we have to earn that (playoff) spot. I don't know what we were, the fifth seed - or something like that. Hopefully, we can earn more than that this year. That's always the goal. With this division, it'll be tough, but we're excited for that challenge."
Carr had a career-high 4,804 passing yards while throwing 23 touchdowns against 14 interceptions in 17 starts last season. He also produced a career-best six game-winning drives.
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