Derek Carr overcomes slow start with dramatic comeback

Derek Carr made immoderate throws Monday nighttime against the Baltimore Ravens that helium would similar to forget.

But helium ended the archetypal crippled successful beforehand of fans astatine Allegiant Stadium successful a mode helium volition privation to retrieve forever.

It was an inconsistent show that ended with the highest of highs connected a floater to a wide-open Zay Jones for a 31-yard touchdown and 33-27 overtime victory.

“I anticipation this is simply a motion of things to come,” Carr said. “Who cares however we bash it? Let’s conscionable win. I bash not care. We won the game. I’m celebrating that. It’s the lone happening that matters.”

Carr finished 34 of 56 for 435 yards and 2 TDs, outdueling erstwhile MVP Lamar Jackson, but the crippled didn’t commencement the mode Carr wanted aft helium sat retired the full preseason.

There were misfires and questionable decisions.

Carr was 2 of 10 successful the archetypal 4th for 22 yards, including a three-and-out wherever helium misfired connected 3 consecutive passes.

“There was a clip if we weren’t perfect, we weren’t going to triumph the game,” helium said. “Tonight, we weren’t perfect. The defence was capable to support america successful the crippled and enactment america successful a presumption wherever we had a accidental to marque a play to triumph the game.”

Carr made plentifulness of them. He rallied the squad to necktie the crippled precocious successful the 4th quarter, lone to person to pb different thrust to necktie it again aft the Ravens kicked a go-ahead tract extremity with 37 seconds remaining.

Then, aft a fluky interception successful the extremity portion successful overtime, Carr made 1 much large play to Jones for the win.

“I thought Derek Carr was awesome nether immoderate truly pugnacious circumstances tonight,” manager Jon Gruden said.

He wasn’t unsocial successful the dilatory start.

Carr targeted choky extremity Darren Waller 19 times, but they couldn’t look to get connected the close leafage early. When Waller was open, the throws often sailed off-target. When Waller had a accidental to marque a play, helium fto a fewer get away.

“There’s passes that were pugnacious that I felt I could person brought down,” Waller said. “ But you person to instrumentality with it and speech to yourself positively and crook things around.”

Waller finished with 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown to assistance cardinal the comeback and acceptable up precocious heroics by Bryan Edwards, Henry Ruggs and Jones.

The rally marked the 22nd clip Carr has led a fourth-quarter comeback win.

“I don’t adjacent cognize the nonstop number, but it’s my favourite stat,” Carr said. “Those are earned wins. Some wins, you conscionable manus the shot disconnected and get the credit.”

He did overmuch much than that Monday, shattering the franchise grounds for astir passing yards successful an opening game, antecedently held by Marc Wilson with 346 successful 1986.

Carr, who praised the fans for creating a “college-like” ambiance the archetypal clip they watched a regular-season crippled astatine Allegiant Stadium, said the cardinal to overcoming the dilatory commencement was to not deliberation excessively overmuch astir it.

“We started retired rough, but thing successful my bosom oregon successful my caput changed,” helium said. “You conscionable deliberation this adjacent play is the 1 that’s going to triumph the game. It’s conscionable a mindset.”

Carr is besides astatine a constituent successful which thing that happens successful a crippled matters but for the result.

On “Monday Night Football,” that was a triumph to unfastened the season.

“Were we cleanable connected offense? No. But we won the game,” Carr said. “I don’t attraction astir being celebrated oregon immoderate of that stuff. … I conscionable privation to triumph games and triumph a Super Bowl.”

Contact Adam Hill astatine ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ connected Twitter.