Oakland Raiders: Five Bold-ish Predictions For The 2018 Season
By Kevin Saito
Derek Carr Throws For At Least 4,000 Yards
Not even during his MVP-caliber season of 2016, did quarterback Derek Carr throw for 4,000 yards. That year, he came up just short, throwing for 3,937 yards to go along with 28 touchdowns, against just six interceptions.
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That followed on the heels of his 2015 year, which saw him take a huge leap forward in his development from his rookie year, when he posted 3,987 yards, with 32 touchdowns, against 13 interceptions – and that’s the closest he’s come to eclipsing the 4,000 yards mark.
This is the year that will change.
Armed with an offensive-minded coach who actually knows what he’s doing – Gruden forgets more about being an offensive coordinator every day, than Todd Downing will ever know – who has a very quarterback-friendly system, and some excellent weapons to work with, Carr could potentially ascend to the levels of the NFL elite this season.
Seems to be a wild prediction to make, but in Gruden and Greg Olson, Carr is going to have something he did not have under Downing or Bill Musgrave – a lot more freedom to run the offense.
Gruden wants his quarterbacks to have ownership of the offense. He wants them to know the playbook inside and out, and be able to adjust to the defense on the fly. Which means that Carr is going to be able to switch calls at the line more often.
This year, he’s going to be handling a lot more responsibility for the offense than he has over his first four seasons in the league – which will likely yield some very positive results.
Carr is the engine that will drive this offense, and Gruden is putting him in a position to have some terrific success. Don’t be surprised to see him among the league’s top passers by season’s end.