Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.
It’s been another up and down season for the Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Derek Carr. He looked like an MVP candidate through seven games but hasn’t reached those same heights in recent weeks. He hasn’t thrown for more than one touchdown in a game since Week 10 and the offense has only scored over 17 points once since Week 9.
Despite the fact that the Raiders are having a hard time getting the ball in the end zone, they still move the ball really well. Carr is currently third in the NFL in passing yards with 4,363. The team lost Henry Ruggs earlier in the season after he was involved in a car crash that left a 23-year-old woman dead. Star tight end Darren Waller has also missed five games so Carr hasn’t exactly had the best weapons to work with.
Other quarterbacks leading the NFL in passing yards are Tom Brady, Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford and Patrick Mahomes. All four of those quarterbacks have at least one wide receiver that has been to multiple Pro Bowls. Former NFL offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger, who played with the Chargers when Carr was a rookie, noted how impressive the Raiders quarterback’s stats are considering the situation.
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Yards Aren’t Most Important Stat for QB
Raiders fans wouldn’t care if Carr was only throwing for 2,000 yards right now if it meant the team was 12-3 instead of 8-7. Passing yards are an important stat but they aren’t the most important. Carr only has 20 touchdown passes this season, which is tied for 12th in the NFL. He’s also thrown 12 interceptions, which is just one lower than his career-high and there are two games left.
With that said, Carr has been very good this season. He’s 10th in the NFL in QBR, which is ESPN’s metric for grading a quarterback’s performance. Considering he lost his best wide receiver early in the season, the offensive line is a mess and his star tight end hasn’t been healthy, what he’s doing is very impressive. Take Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce away from Mahomes, then give him the Raiders’ offensive line and see how he does. It’s unlikely he’s putting up the same gaudy numbers that he’s used to. Carr hasn’t been perfect this year but he’s proving once again that he’s a very capable quarterback.
Carr Can Silence a Lot of Critics Over These Last 2 Games
At the end of the day, all that really matters is wins. Whether or not it’s fair, the quarterback is going to get a lot of blame if the team’s losing. Carr has only led the Raiders to one winning season since taking over the starting job in 2014. Right now, the team controls its playoff destiny. If they win their last two games against the Indianapolis Colts and Chargers, they will be in the playoffs.
If Carr has another gear he can hit, now is the time to do it. These are tough teams that the Raiders are playing down the stretch but they are beatable. In recent years, the team has faltered in these important spots. Carr bucking that trend and leading them to the playoffs would do a lot to restore confidence in him among the fan base.
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