Derek Carr’s injured pinky finger hasn’t kept the Raiders out of the playoffs, but at some point it will have to heal enough for him to be able to take snaps under center.
“Yes, it is somewhat of an issue,” Raiders coach Jack Del Rio told ESPN.com.
The red zone in particular is where lining up in the shotgun or the pistol has hindered Carr and the Raiders. Lining up a few yards behind the line of scrimmage in an area where every inch counts can be a problem.
According to Team Rankings, the Raiders are 17th in the NFL with touchdowns on 54.72 percent of their red zone trips. In the last three games, however, they’re reached the end zone on just 33.33 percent of their opportunities inside the 20, 27th in the league.
Despite that, the Raiders (11-3) clinched a playoff berth with Sunday’s 19-16 win at San Diego. A compromised Carr is still better than Matt McGloin, who has thrown just one pass this season.
If the Raiders beat the visiting Colts and the Broncos win or tie at Kansas City this weekend, the Raiders can clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs. That would give Carr two weeks to rest that pinky.
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