Getty Raiders head coach Jon Gruden with QB Derek Carr.
With four straight sub-par performances for the Oakland Raiders and Derek Carr, it looked like the quarterback could be on his way out after the season. Rumors have swirled that head coach Jon Gruden is ready to make a change. Things have gotten more interesting as Carr came out in Week 16 and played a near-perfect game as he led the team to a win. One of the most impressive things that Carr has shown all season is his ability to convert on third down.
According to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, Carr has the best passer rating on third down since Aaron Rodgers in 2009.
Derek Carr has a 129.6 passer rating on 3rd down this season for #Raiders, highest in the NFL on 3rd down since Aaron Rodgers had 133.5 in 2009 for Packers
One fan on Twitter pointed out that Carr may have a high passer rating on third down, but he may not convert very well. Dubow debunked that notion.
Carr gets 1st downs on 71.6% of his 3rd down completions. The league average is 68.6% so he’s a little ahead actually
As uneven as Carr’s season has been, there’s no denying he’s been excellent on third downs. The fact that he doesn’t throw many deep passes is the cause of frustration for many fans. Though he hasn’t been successful with the deep ball this season, he has been incredibly efficient.
Raiders’ Jon Gruden Praises Derek Carr for Critical Plays
Much has been made about the Jon Gruden-Derek Carr relationship. Though there are rumors that a change is coming, Gruden has been quick to praise his quarterback. The head coach had a lot to say about Carr’s ability to convert on third downs.
“Surprisingly, he just plays his best football in critical situations,” said Gruden about Carr on Friday. “I mean, I don’t know what the numbers say, but you know, he’s audibled, he’s made accurate tight-windowed throws. That’s a tough down to throw the football on, for sure, but I just think… the bigger the moment, the better he plays.”
Carr has made his bones on being able to step up in high-stress situations. He’s among the best in the NFL when it comes to fourth-quarter comebacks and his third-down numbers speak for themselves.
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Cold Weather Woes
Much to Carr’s chagrin, people love to point out the fact that he struggles in cold-weather games. Those people aren’t going to stop talking until Carr can prove them wrong, which he hasn’t. Per Dubow, the quarterback’s passer rating is significantly worse when the weather drops below 50 degrees.
Forecast for #Raiders game Sunday in Denver is high of 44 degrees. Derek Carr has lost 9 straight when below 50 degrees. Has a 65.9 rating in cold weather and 94.7 when above 50 degrees.
He’s also been horrendous throwing the deep ball.
It’s hard to ignore the number when there’s such an obvious disparity between Carr in the warm vs. Carr in the cold. However, the quarterback still refuses to acknowledge that it’s a problem for him.
“It used to (bother me), but to be honest, this is a team game,” said Carr about the notion that he plays poorly in cold weather early in the week. “We are all out there. We’re all dealing with it, both teams, just trying to win a game. It doesn’t bother me one bit. The weather doesn’t bother me. We just haven’t won. So, hopefully, it will be just above 40 degrees and we’ll be good.”
A strong performance against a stout Denver Broncos defense with a potential playoff berth on the line would silence a lot of critics for Carr. He’s already looked good in one game against the Broncos. The narrative will continue if Carr looks bad once again in a cold-weather game.
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