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One of the most popular storylines around the NFL this offseason involved Davante Adams getting traded to the Las Vegas Raiders and reuniting with former Fresno State teammate Derek Carr. The two looked as if they were able to pick up where they left off in Week 1 when Adams had 10 catches for 141 yards. The last two games have not been nearly as productive.
In the last two games, Adams has seven catches for 48 yards combined, and the Raiders are 0-3. It’s clear that Carr and Adams have not been in sync to start the season. However, one former quarterback thinks it goes beyond that. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, who played seven years in the NFL, accused Carr of going out of his way to now throw to Adams.
“The defense always tells you where to throw the ball. The tape tells me … Derek Carr is purposefully not throwing the ball to Davante Adams” Orlovsky said on “NFL Live.”
There’s no reason to believe that there’s been any tension between Carr and Adams that would lead the quarterback to avoid the star wide receiver. This is certainly a harsh accusation from Orlovsky, especially this early in the season.
No, Carr Is Not Purposefully Avoiding Adams
The previous comments from Orlovsky are certainly a stretch. Carr has targeted Adams 34 times in three games. That’s 15 more targets than Darren Waller (19) has seen or Mack Hollins (19). Now, Carr has been off the mark quite a bit with Adams only catching half of his targets. It’s important to note that head coach Josh McDaniels installed a completely new offense this offseason and it’s not known as a simple system.
As Vic Tafur of The Atheltic pointed out, Carr has experienced growing pains with every new head coach he’s played under.
Not every quarterback can pick up a new system in just a few games. McDaniels’ playcalling has also left a lot to be desired. Perhaps Carr isn’t throwing it to Adams as much because McDaniels’ plays call for him to throw elsewhere. The five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver will see his fair share of targets as the season goes on. The Raiders are likely victims of being overhyped heading into the season but that doesn’t mean they can’t still turn things around.
Carr Believes Raiders Need to Practice Better
There’s no reason the Raiders should be 0-3 right now. All three of their opponents thus far are 1-2. They have not had the most difficult schedule. The Raiders are hosting a beatable Denver Broncos team at home on Sunday and absolutely need to win or they can essentially kiss their season goodbye. Carr believes it all starts in practice.
“Not for what it takes to win. With the penalties down in the red and the other stuff, we have to better,” Carr said after Sunday’s loss. “If not, we are going to have a sucky feeling after every game. You try your best to do it the right way in practice and if you don’t do it right in practice, then you can’t expect it to go right in the game. We’ve got to look at that, each man as an individual and say, “OK then, I’ve got to get better at this, this, and this.”
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