Raiders’ Derek Carr and Davante Adams optimistic about the ‘process’ with Josh McDaniels

The message is clear from Derek Carr to his Raiders teammates this week: Just be free to be you and play football.

On the heels of his emotional postgame press conference after Sunday’s 26-20 loss to the Colts, Carr on Wednesday reflected on that outcome and said all of that was addressed in the locker room and “handled like men.”

“I’m proud of the way we handled it, honestly,” Carr said. “What you saw from me was frustration from some of the things that had to be addressed. Didn’t think it had to be addressed, but it did. I was very upset, obviously. I’m going to do my best to just move on to the next game.”

The Raiders dropped to 2-7 and now face the struggling Broncos (3-6) in Denver at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

Carr said he wasn’t pointing fingers at anyone or talking about the injuries that put tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (oblique) on the short-term injury report.

He said it stems from coming so close to winning tight games. The Raiders are 0-6 in one-score games this season.

Regardless, he said he and other teammates believe in Josh McDaniels as the head coach.

“Fully believe in the plan because he shows us,” Carr said. “My point is what’s being mad at the coaches is going to do? Is that what we want to do for another 20 years? Keep doing a cycle like that? They know what they’re doing and had success. As players, we’re fully bought in because we believe in it and we all want to be a part of it.

“We love Josh. We love everything that he brings and everything the staff has brought. We’re focused on playing better. We all took turns and ‘I could’ve done that.’ We’re a lot closer to be where we want to be than what it feels like right now.”

Raiders owner Mark Davis backed his coach this week and gave him a vote of confidence.

That gave Carr a sigh of relief for his coach after he’s gone through several new coaches and coordinators.

“It really did,” he said. “Just being here for nine years and everything we’ve all seen and been through and tragedies and all this stuff, I’m so happy to hear Mr. Davis feel that way. I’m so happy he loves Josh and (general manager) Dave (Ziegler) and believes in them. Let’s work on being a better football team and try to win all these football games. It kind of let us know to trust that process and there is a process.”

Davante Adams on Raiders season

Receiver Davante Adams, who also voiced his frustration on Sunday, echoed Wednesday what his former Fresno State teammate said about Davis.

“Hope that be the case and they be patient with the whole process,” he said. “You look at the history of this place, I don’t think a playoff game has been won in over 20 years. It’s no magic coach is going to come in and change that. I think that Josh is doing a great job. He does deserve that, in my mind. We all can be better in certain instances, but some of the greatest coaches this league has seen had some tough times.

“It’s a good move by him doing that and it’s good for the guys and good for the rest of the guys, too.”

Like Carr, Adams said “we are very close to where we want to be.”

He’s hopeful the season can still be turned around.

“Just not quite playing 60 minutes and I think that’s what is contributing to it,” he said. “But the more we keep our heads up and keep our minds right, it gives us a best chance to try to finish the right way.”

Carr grew up a Raiders fan and saw the highs and lows.

He said it’s “frustrating” and “hard” when losses keep adding on the way they do this season, but he believes in his teammates.

“I love this place so much that I just want it to go well all the time,” he said. “I’m not going to quit. I’m not going to give up on anything. The cool thing is I can see it what it could look like. I’ve seen what it looks like when Josh corrects us and shows us and we’re like ‘oh yeah.’ If we’re all doing that, which I believe we all are now, that we’ll be a better football team. That’s what gives me hope. That’s what gives me the fight. We’re going to be just fine.”