Graney: It’s time for Raiders to think about what’s next

Derek Carr has often said that things are different. That determination is simply a caller attitude, much talent, a regular subject that would assistance the Raiders debar yet different midseason slump.

The past 3 weeks person proven him dormant wrong.

Whether his stance volition yet ringing existent — the Raiders squad that lost to Cincinnati 32-13 connected Sunday astatine Allegiant Stadium has nary accidental of doing truthful — would beryllium connected a implicit turnaround by, well, each involved.

Why would anyone astatine this constituent judge them bully enough?

“I’ve been a Raiders instrumentality for 20 years and I’m sick of this crap,” said Carr, the team’s eight-year starter astatine quarterback. “No 1 is coming to prevention us, truthful we amended fig it out.”

Think astir future

Mark Davis arsenic an proprietor finds himself successful a funny spot. The Raiders are 5-5 and 1½ games down Kansas City successful the AFC West. So their postseason destiny inactive hangs successful the balance. We’re inactive a ways from thing being mathematically decided.

Not that you would ticker this squad close present and deliberation playoffs.

So portion Davis holds retired anticipation that the Raiders tin abruptly rediscover immoderate semblance of competence and enactment competitory successful the division, his thoughts should besides look toward the future.

He’s going to request a caller caput manager erstwhile his interim prime of Rich Bisaccia finishes the season. A bully man, Bisaccia isn’t made for a starring NFL role.

Davis besides needs to honestly measure wide manager Mike Mayock, brought present by erstwhile caput manager Jon Gruden and whose drafts person surely near capable to beryllium desired that Mayock’s occupation shouldn’t astatine each beryllium guaranteed astatine this point.

Then determination is Carr.

The wreck of an discourtesy that the Raiders person trotted retired of precocious assuredly isn’t solely his doing, but Carr besides hasn’t been bully capable to marque overmuch difference.

Is it clip we spot much of backup Marcus Mariota?

It gets tiring, the changeless suggestions by coaches that determination are existent packages for who has been the league’s highest paid No. 2 backmost the past fewer seasons. Maybe helium adds a spark and not conscionable connected short-yardage downs.

Did you ticker Sunday’s game? Things couldn’t perchance look worse with Mariota.

“A mediocre show by us,” Bisaccia said. “It didn’t look similar we were successful sync for astir of the game. Why are we truthful retired of sync connected offense? It has been a taxable the past 3 weeks. We each person to excavation in. We each person to look astatine ourselves.”

They’re not making a alteration astatine quarterback. Not adjacent a flimsy one. There are overmuch bigger issues astatine play here. But it’s hardly outrageous to suggest a speech astir a alteration if things proceed to slide. You’ve paid Mariota a full batch of wealth not to person a hint astir what you person successful him.

For now, however, it’s lone astir this:

Two years ago, the Raiders were 6-2 and mislaid 5 of their past six.

Last season, they were 6-3 and finished 8-8.

Now, they person gone from 5-2 and successful archetypal spot to 5-5 and looking atrocious successful a 19-point nonaccomplishment to a Cincinnati squad that ranks dead-flat mean successful full defence crossed the league.

Dallas adjacent up

“I conscionable privation to beryllium portion of the infinitesimal it changes,” Carr said. “I privation that truthful bad. That’s what keeps driving me. I get pissed disconnected and upset and basal up present and I’ve done this mode excessively galore times … It shouldn’t ever extremity similar this crap.”

But it did. And has for 3 consecutive weeks.

Things aren’t different. Not astatine the moment, anyway.

The Raiders connected Sunday resembled a rudderless vessel headed for different losing play and a precocious draught pick.

It’s connected them to alteration course. To find a pulse. To marque bully connected Carr’s belief.

The Cowboys — adjacent portion banged up — await connected Thanksgiving Day successful Dallas.

More crap isn’t advised.

Ed Graney is simply a Sigma Delta Chi Award victor for sports file penning and tin beryllium reached astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4618. He tin beryllium heard connected “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday done Friday. Follow @edgraney connected Twitter.