Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.
With all the excitement surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders right now, nobody could’ve expected that Jon Gruden’s wife Cindy would become a talking point after a Week 1 win. Quarterback Derek Carr decided to use Cindy Gruden’s name in one of his audibles against the Carolina Panthers. Due to the lack of fans, it’s a lot easier to hear what the quarterback is saying at the line of scrimmage.
This led to Jon Gruden playfully telling Carr to “keep my wife out of it” as if the quarterback is in charge of the audibles. Carr clapped back at those comments while also explaining why he used Cindy’s name.
“If you don’t believe Coach Gruden doesn’t know my audibles, he’s got you fooled,” Carr said recently. “This is his offense. He does have some fun things to say. I do surprise some of the coaches sometimes at practice with some of my audibles. That is one that I surprised [Gruden] with last year and he did enjoy it and he said that one can stick. I have some more up my sleeve.”
Gruden isn’t known for being a relaxed offensive coach. Of course, he knows Carr’s audibles. It will be fun to see whatever audibles the quarterback is planning to surprise with next.
Carr Sharp in Week 1
After an unprecedented offseason, the Raiders were fortunate to have their starting quarterback return. Despite some questioning if he was the right choice for the team, Carr was very solid in Week 1. He didn’t do anything mind-blowing but he didn’t need to. This was Josh Jacobs’ game to win and he made it happen.
Regardless, Carr played a close to a flawless game. He led the offense to 34 points while only throwing eight incompletions. He also made a perfect pass to Nelson Agholor for a touchdown. It’s now his third year in Gruden’s system and he’s clearly got a strong command of the offense. Carr could be in for the best year of his career.
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Will Success Continue Against Tougher Defense?
That said, Carr won’t be facing a rebuilding defense every week. The Carolina Panthers have talent but they are very much a work in progress. The Raiders won’t have the luxury over the next several weeks. The Saints, Patriots and Bills are among the best defensive teams in the NFL. It’s going to be a brutal stretch of games for silver and black.
The offense looked like it could be elite in Week 1. If they can have success over these next few games, it’s clear that they are a formidable group. Last year, the Raiders folded against the NFL’s better teams. The playoffs are realistic for them but they need to beat good teams. If they can come out of the first six weeks of the season with a 3-3 record, the schedule gets a lot easier and the path to the playoffs will be paved.
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