Every tortured fan base likes to overreact after an ugly preseason game. Raider Nation can be especially intense.
But a little anxiety after Oakland's preseason opener against Minnesota won't cause Raiders coach Dennis Allen to push the panic button at quarterback. Rookie Derek Carr isn't going to get any additional first-team snaps after Matt Schaub and the Raiders starters struggled offensively.
"It's not really part of the plan right now," Allen said of giving Carr a longer look. "We'll evaluate everything as we move along, but the plan is to work Matt Schaub as the starting quarterback. I think he's done a good job of doing that."
There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical of Schaub saving the Raiders' offense. But the first preseason game wasn't one of them. Anyone going all-in on Schaub criticism for this effort didn't watch the game. Schaub had four incompletions in three drives. Two of them were drive-killing drops. He had one poor pass, but his lack of protection was the bigger problem.
"I was not displeased with Matt Schaub's performance," Allen said. "We obviously need to play better."
It's not like Carr did anything of note in the game. The rookie second-round pick has reportedly looked solid in practice, but he had no standout plays in his first preseason game. That's to be expected, but averaging under 5 yards per attempt with an interception in 16 attempts is a typical rookie performance. He hasn't earned a longer look yet.
*The latest Around The League Podcast answers every question about preseason action that you were too afraid to ask. *
