Derek Carr Has Direct Message for Raiders QB Geno Smith
Geno Smith’s opening stretch as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ starting quarterback hasn’t gone according to plan. Despite offseason hype, Smith is 1-4 as the starter and leading the NFL with nine interceptions.
Derek Carr had his lumps when he was the Raiders’ starting quarterback for nine years, but the team hasn’t been able to find an adequate replacement for him. While Smith hasn’t been playing well, he also hasn’t gotten much help in every game.
There have been a number of tipped passes that were intercepted, and the Raiders’ defense played very poorly in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. Many fans and pundits are ready to write Smith off, but Carr made sure to send some words of encouragement to the Raiders quarterback.
“Let me say this to Geno Smith,” Carr said on a video posted to social media. “Geno, I understand the frustration. I understand the tip ball. It’s like, really, another tip ball that gets picked? Really, like, I understand the heart, the boiling, I understand. But guess what, Geno? You’re a good football player, all right? Don’t forget how well you played in some of these games. Don’t forget some of these throws that you’ve made, right? And here’s the most beautiful part about it all.
“On Wednesday, they put that ball down, and you practice again. On Thursday, they put the ball down. On Friday, they put it down. On Saturday, they may put a ball down or a tennis ball, but you’re doing a walkthrough. And on Sunday, most importantly, all right, they’re putting that ball down. And you get to go out there and lead that football team again. And guess what?”
After a frustrating start to the season in Las Vegas, Derek Carr has a message for Geno Smith and Raiders fans 🏴☠️
Carr Believes in Smith
Smith is a confident player, but it’s gotta be a difficult stretch for him right now. The Raiders traded for him and paid him a lot of money, but he hasn’t been making many plays.
Though Carr isn’t a member of the Raiders organization anymore, he’s doing what he can to make sure Smith stays confident.
“Nobody believes in you more than me, right? I believe in you, I know the type of player you are, and I always said this when I was the Raiders’ quarterback: ‘I will never be the Raiders quarterback that leaves and bashes the one that’s playing.’ I’m telling you right now that I believe in you. I believe in you, I know that you can do it,” Carr said.
Smith Has to Have Bounceback Game in Week 6
There won’t be any excuses for Smith to have a bad game in Week 6. The Raiders are hosting the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, so this is a chance for Smith to get right.
Now, if he plays poorly again, that’s a very bad sign for the Raiders. Smith usually plays a lot better against bad teams, but struggles against good teams. If he can’t even beat or at least play well against a bad Titans team, it could mean Las Vegas has to make a change at quarterback.
Manny Pacquiao To Promote 'Thrilla in Manila 2' With Muhammad Ali's Grandson On The Card
Manny Pacquiao will promote a "Thrilla in Manilla 2" in honor of the 50th anniversary of that epic fight. The event will be co-promoted by the IBA and will feature Nico Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali’s grandson in the main event.
The event pays homage to the original “Thrilla in Manila,” a heavyweight title fight between arch-rivals Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
“The Thrilla in Manila lit a fire in my heart as a kid, pushing me to dream big. Bringing Thrilla in Manila 2 to Manila with IBA Pro is my way of passing that fire to the next generation. On October 29, we’re making history again, and the world will feel the heat of Filipino pride,” said Manny Pacquiao.
Muhammad Ali faced off against Joe Frazier for a third and final time on in Manila on October 1, 1975. Some 36,000 fans packed the arena for one of the most brutal heavyweight fights of all time. Manny Pacquiao himself is no stranger to the venue, having defeated Oscar Larios in the same venue in 2006 in an event attended by 17,887 fans.
The venue is one of the largest indoor venues in all of Asia. It opened on March 16, 1960, with Gabriel "Flash" Elorde contesting for the World Junior Lightweight crown against Harold Gomes. Elorde knocked his opponent from Rhode Island all over the ring before it was stopped in the 7th round.
Elorde won a rematch in the suburbs of San Fransisco later that year by first round knockout. The Flash being one of the greatest fighters along with Pancho Villa (the greatest flyweight ever not the Mexican revolutionary) of the 20th century.
“Partnering with Manny Pacquiao and MP Promotions for Thrilla in Manila 2 is a game-changer,” said Al Siesta the CEO of IBA Promotions. ”This event blends Manila’s rich boxing legacy with global star power, from Melvin Jerusalem’s title defense to Nico Ali Walsh’s historic return. We’re delivering a night that will thrill fans and shake the boxing world.”
In addition to Nico Ali Walsh, the card includes a number of prominent Filipino fighters. Melvin Jerusalem (22-3, 12 KOs) should easily defend his WBO World Minimum weight title against South Africa’s Siyakholwa Kuse (9-2-1, 4 KOs .
Former two-division world champion Marlon “The Nightmare” Tapales (38-4, 20 KOs) will look to earn a win in front of his hometown crowd against Venezuela’s Fernando Toro (11-2, 9 Kos). Tapales is in re-building mode after being stopped by “The Monster Naoya Inoue in 2023. His biggest career victory so far a split decision win over Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Eumir Felix Marcial (6-0, 4 KOs), an Olympic Bronze medallist from the Philippines will compete against Eddy Colmenares for the WBC International Middleweight title (11-2-1, 11 Kos). Colmenares is a heavy puncher with an unusual record – he has never won a fight on the judges score cards or been stopped.
