In Week 12 against the Panthers, starting nickel cornerback D.J. Hayden went down with a hamstring injury midway through the 3rd quarter — and in came three-year pro T.J. Carrie to fill the void at the position.
Carrie struggled for the majority of the Panthers game, primarily because he was left on an island, and he was most notably burned by Ted Ginn Jr. for an 88-yard touchdown.
Although the Raiders did end up winning the game, there was much concern over the nickel cornerback position and whether Hayden’s absence would come back to bite the Raiders down the road.