Oakland Raiders Relying on Derek Carr’s Quick Development in Wild AFC West
The Oakland Raiders have been at the bottom of the AFC West standings the past two seasons, and are looking to ascend up through the division rankings. The Raiders’ climb up the division ladder will rely heavily on the development of one year starter, Derek Carr.
“That’s something Derek will have to learn from.”
Carr is coming off an impressive rookie campaign in which he was the only first year quarterback to start all sixteen regular season games. Carr’s season had its ups and downs — which is to be expected from a rookie quarterback. He threw for 3,270 yards, 21 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. Carr’s struggles were mainly on the road, where he threw for just seven touchdowns, compared to the fourteen he threw at home.
The Raiders routinely played from behind last season, which placed Carr in various hazardous situations. Those tough spots resulted in 11 of Carr’s 12 interceptions coming while the Silver and Black were trailing in a game.
However, 15 of Carr’s 21 touchdown passes came in those same situations, demonstrating the “Never Give Up” attitude that NFL teams want out of their franchise quarterback.
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In a difficult week nine road test against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, Carr threw a pair of early interceptions, putting the Raiders in a two touchdown hole. Richard Sherman was the beneficiary of Carr’s second interception, making a great one-handed catch.
Charles Woodson, the great veteran leader of the Raiders defense professed “That’s something Derek will have to learn from,” Woodson said, per Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.
However, unlike a lot of rookies in those situations, Carr rarely seemed to lose his poise and confidence. His vast knowledge of the game, rarely seen by rookies, was praised league wide.
The growth Carr showed over a very strenuous season was apparent. Even a mid-season coaching change didn’t seem to fluster the young quarterback. He continued to remain focused on becoming the team’s leader and stabilizing force at the quarterback position — something the Raiders have been pursuing for over a decade.
But, like the old saying goes.”Time waits for no man”, and in a quarterback driven league, where patience may be widely spoken about, but is rarely displayed, the clock is always ticking.
The challenge facing Carr and the Raiders, is rising up in a division brimming with veteran franchise quarterbacks. Peyton Manning signed with the Denver Broncos about two weeks after being released by the Indianapolis Colts on March 7, 2012, and has led them to three straight division titles.
The Raiders’ Southern California rival San Diego Chargers, are led by five time Pro Bowl pick Philip Rivers. Alex Smith, who was the first overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft, was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2012.
Let’s just say the AFC West is a division primed with proven veteran quarterbacks, whose list of achievements and accomplishments are extensive.
The Raiders ranked last in total offense in 2014, averaging only 282.2 yards per game. The offense’s inability to stay on the field, led to a worn down defense toward the end of most games. Of course, all the blame can’t be placed at Carr’s feet. A lack of a productive running game throughout most of the season contributed heavily to the lethargic offense. Without a good running game to lean on, the offense often found itself relying solely on the arm of Derek Carr.
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An offense that is continually relying on a rookie quarterback to throw them back into games, is looking for trouble. To Carr’s credit though, he didn’t fold up like a lawn chair. He demonstrated poise and a calm demeanor rarely seen in young players, no matter the position, let alone arguably the most important one.
At times, Derek Carr’s rookie season may have taken on a roller-coaster feel to it. It had plenty of ups — notching twenty-one touchdowns in his first professional season — and downs that can mainly attributed to a few late game interceptions. If the Raiders are to succeed, Carr must learn from those experiences to reach that next level of efficiency.
The Raiders are hoping the learning curve isn’t to steep for Carr, and that his maturation comes quickly, because to compete in the wild AFC West, it’s going to take more than simply being a gunslinger. What the Raiders need out of Carr to return to prominence is a fearless leader whose mental approach and tenacity that matches and/or surpasses the other faces of the franchise in the AFC West.