Derek Carr had his best offseason since getting drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders. The team handed him a big contract extension, hired an offensive guru as head coach and traded for his close friend Davante Adams. Everything was going right until actual games started getting played.
The Raiders are winless at 0-3 and Carr is only completing 60.8% of his passes, which would be the lowest since his rookie season if it holds. A big concern has been the lack of production from Adams. He only has 17 catches for 189 yards in three games. Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky recently ripped Carr and suggested that he is actively going out of his way to not throw the ball to Adams.
“The defense always tells you where to throw the ball,” Orlovsky said on ESPN’s “NFL Live.” ”The tape tells me it looks like Derek Carr is purposefully trying not to throw the ball to Davante Adams.”
Those comments made the rounds on social media and Carr was eventually asked about them. He disregarded the notion that he would purposefully not be throwing to his best receiver and close friend but he understands why some are growing frustrated.
“For me to not want to throw it to [Adams] … I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that,” Carr said Wednesday. “But I get what Dan’s trying to say. Everyone wants to see Davante get all the yards and catches. But if you flip him and Mack’s numbers, no one’s saying anything.”
McDaniels Addresses Orlovksy’s Claim
Head coach Josh McDaniels also runs the offense and calls the plays. Unlike previous head coach Jon Gruden, McDaniels is a bit more controlling about which plans are run. There’s clearly been an adjustment period but the coach isn’t concerned about the claims Orlovsky is making. He just wants to get the ball moving at a consistent level.
“I don’t think anyone’s trying to do anything, other than trying to move the football and score points,” McDaniels said Wednesday.
@VicTafur No one has had Carrs back more than me the last 3-4 years. That won’t change
Adams Doesn’t Agree With Orlovsky
The Raiders didn’t trade a first and second-round pick for Adams just for him to be a decoy. He’s the most talented player on the entire roster and should be the featured part of the offense. Adams didn’t leave a great Green Bay Packers team and back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers to lose and not put up numbers. He also disregarded Orlovsky’s claim and stressed that the Raiders are just trying to figure out how to use him properly.
“It has nothing to do with having too many guys that have had success,” Adams said Wednesday. “It’s simply an adjustment to playing, for a lack of a better word, to playing with me. It’s a different type of coverage you’re going to get. Nobody gets played like I get played in the National Football League.”
Adams knows that there is a learning curve. While he played with Carr in college, that was a long time ago. He built a much stronger rapport with Rodgers in recent years and needs time to build that with Carr.
“We played professional ball together, Aaron and I, longer than me and Derek have,” Adams said. “And it was a little bit more gradual than what this was. We jumped straight into the fire.”
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Raiders’ Derek Carr Has Response to Accusation From Former QB