After loss, Raiders look toward future

Quarterback Derek Carr said Sunday that he would have been ready to play in the Super Bowl, had the Raiders made it there. The reality is that the Raiders lost their wild-card playoff game Saturday in Houston, 27-14. Specifically, Del Rio cited the need to upgrade the interior line’s pass rush and the Raiders’ defensive secondary. Carr, who suffered a broken leg on Christmas Eve and watched Saturday’s game at home with his family and with former Raiders teammate Rod Streater, dropped by the Raiders’ HQ and said his broken leg is healing ahead of schedule. Del Rio smiled at the notion of Carr returning to play five weeks after breaking a leg, seeming to chalk it up to Carr’s positive spirit. The Raiders’ second-year coach said the team played some good defense but gave up too many big plays. “Explosive plays, whether you like it or not, they always come back to the secondary,” Del Rio said. Even if you have a front line that is full of holes, the (backfield) has a chance to cap the play before it goes explosive. In the back end, obviously balls go over the top of your head, missed tackles, missed assignments lead to long passes as well. Another goal is to identify and develop the backup quarterback. Cook, third string until Carr’s injury and Matt McGloin’s poor sub job in Denver, looks like next season’s backup to Carr, even after Saturday, when he was 18-for-45 and a 30.0 passer rating. Whatever you do, just don’t lose confidence, because you can’t be in a harder situation than playing those guys for your very first’ NFL start. Guys obviously were down in the locker room after the game, but once we got on the bus, once we got on the plane, guys started to lighten up.