Last Saturday marked the conclusion of the Oakland Raiders 2016, as the team fell to the Houston Texans 27-14 in the AFC Wild Card round of the playoffs. While the loss was upsetting, Head Coach Jack Del Rio has made it clear the team should feel proud of its accomplishment this season. The future is bright for a group of young men continuing its development, and will use the offseason to come back even better.
Here's a look back at the Week that Was:
Five Takeaways From The Oakland Raiders Wild Card Matchup Against The Houston Texans
There was no celebrating in the postgame locker room, just handshakes and hugs.
The Oakland Raiders lost to the Houston Texans 27-14 at NRG Stadium Saturday afternoon, ending their season in the Wild Card round of the AFC playoffs.
Unfortunately there is no next week to look ahead to, but all the same, let's take a look at five takeaways from Saturday's game.
Derek Carr Reflects On 2016 Season, Shares Thoughts On Wild Card Matchup
Derek Carr wanted to be on the field yesterday at NRG Stadium – more than anything in fact – but a broken fibula forced him to be a spectator in the Oakland Raiders first playoff game since 2002, so Saturday afternoon, like many others, he turned into a fan, granted a fan that knew the idiosyncrasies of the team's offense better than almost anyone.
"I was just on my couch, just at my house," said Carr. "My wife was there, my boys. [Rod] Streater came by and watched the game with me. He hung out with me so that was fun. We had a good time."
While Carr was forced to be a spectator, and watch his teammates from home, the Raiders starting quarterback was definitely an active spectator, as he took in the Raiders Wild Card game against the Houston Texans with a copy of the game plan in hand, looking at what the defense was showing to Connor Cook throughout the course of the 27-14 loss.
And as Carr said, he was fully aware of the challenges that Cook was going to inevitably face against a Houston Texans that statistically speaking, was the best in the NFL.
Oakland Raiders Slated To Pick Number 24 Overall In 2017 NFL Draft
The Oakland Raiders 2016 season officially came to a close Saturday afternoon at NRG Stadium, as the Silver and Black fell to the Houston Texans 27-14 in the Wild Card round of the playoff.
Head Coach Jack Del Rio held his final press conference of the season Sunday, but it's never too early to look ahead to the offseason, and the draft in particular.
Following the team's 12-4 regular season, and subsequent elimination in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the Silver and Black are now slated to pick No. 24 overall in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft which will be held April 27-29 in Philadelphia.
The 24th overall pick is the latest pick the Raiders have had in the first round since 2003, when the Silver and Black selected cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha No. 31 overall.
Breaking Down Raiders Quarterback Derek Carr's Top 10 Throws From 2016
Plain and simple, Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was having an MVP-caliber season prior to breaking his fibula in the team's Week 16 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Over the course of 15 games, No. 4 led the Silver and Black to a record of 12-3, threw for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns, limited his interceptions to six, and completed 63.8 percent of his passes.
Since entering the league in 2014, Carr has made impressive strides in a variety of areas, as he's increased his completion percentage by 5.8 since his rookie year; he's significantly cut down his turnover margin, and led the team to seven fourth quarter-comebacks this season, which was second to only Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's eight.
Carr's decision making has certainly attributed to his success, and continues to prove that he can thread the needle to make some challenging throws. The man is a bonafide playmaker, and he put on a display this season showing off his arm on multiple occasions.
A Look Ahead At The Oakland Raiders Upcoming Free Agents
One of the few constants in the NFL is change.
Head Coach Jack Del Rio said himself during his season-ending press conference that on average, 25 percent of the roster turns over from year to year; such is the busines of professional football.
As the Raiders inch through the offseason and prepare for the new league year to begin, the Silver and Black have 13 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents, and one set to become a restricted free agent.
Let’s take a look at each of those players that are scheduled to hit free agency for the Silver and Black.
Free agency officially kicks off March 9 at 1:00 p.m. PT, but teams can begin designating Franchise and Transition Players starting March 1.
A Look Back: The Oakland Raiders 2016 Year In Review
Following the Oakland Raiders 12-4 season, Raiders.com writers Eddie Paskal and Kyle Martin sat down to review the 2016 campaign. They broke down some of the highlights from the season, as well as some players that stood out to them. Here's a look at the 2016 Year in Review.
**Raiders in the Community:
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Tweets of the Week:
Punters are piano players too. Just ask @Raiders punter Marquette King.
(via @MarquetteKing) pic.twitter.com/0pTGR38ib8 — The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) January 12, 2017
To the best fans in the world.
Thanks for the support all season long, #RaiderNation. pic.twitter.com/iLbuY7hTfr — OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS) January 9, 2017
