ALAMEDA – At the moment it occurred, it seemed an inexplicable lapse between a quarterback and receiver whose sessions of pitch and catch have been too many to count over the the last three years.
Fourth-and-8 from the 9-yard line, Derek Carr looks to his right toward Amari Cooper. He’s open in the end zone, yet they’re they’re barely in the same zip code. When the ball falls incomplete, the Raiders trail 42-34 with 1:51 to play in regulation. An 0-4 start seems a certainty.
“You want to throw up,” Carr said. “You hope and pray you get the ball back.