Raiders Review: Derek Carr’s First Four Weeks

After four weeks, Derek Carr’s performance feels all over the place. The Raiders own a single victory after the first month. Yet, the jury remains out about his prospects for this season. In that case, here are the good and bad of Derek Carr after four games.

Good: If you thought that Carr would complete 71 percent of his passes, you are a better soul and smarter than most. Under Gruden, Carr seems to embrace the new offense and lives in the short to intermediate routes. While not exciting, Carr moves this team with precision, at times.

Bad: When Carr does throw vertically, the passes tend to flutter. In 2016, Carr drove the ball with velocity. Now, the ball hangs in the air like an arm punt. Defenders only need to camp under it. While this is fixable, teams notice this. Before the end of the season, teams will dare the Raiders to beat them deep.

Good: Although opponents sacked him eight times, Carr stands in the pocket. When he does endure a hit, he rises to his feet. Against the Browns, Carr took a vicious rib/abs shot. Grabbing his middle, he collected himself and gets playing. With Myles Garrett bearing down on him, Carr stood in the pocket to absorb a blow.

Bad: For Carr’s toughness, he will hold the ball too long. When he does suffer a sack, chances are that he waited to let the ball go. Subsequently, Carr refuses to move the pocket. Instead, he prefers to remain in the pocket. Through the first four weeks, the Raiders faced elite rushers. Throughout the rest of the season, they will continue this trend. For his health, Carr needs to get rid of the ball sooner.

Good: At times, Carr showed a demonstrative streak. When a receiver missed a route on Sunday, you see saw a frustration. Granted, no one expects him to morph into a cantankerous passer. Yet, fire and emotion can only help a quarterback succeed.

Bad: While fire and emotion can make a team click, self-blame will irritate a fanbase. Carr will stand at the podium and own all of the blame. Surprisingly, he never took fault for a lack of pass rush. In all honesty, Carr doe s not need to shoulder the blame each and every time the team loses.

After four games, Derek Carr owns more interceptions than touchdowns. Yet, he also owns other stellar stats. After one-quarter of the season, the Raiders will live and die on the arm and brain of Derek Carr.