The Las Vegas Raiders are in a good position to terrorize NFL defenses with the combination of Derek Carr’s deadly accuracy and the team’s rookie additions.Â
You wouldn’t think with all the offseason talk the Raiders were feeling good about their current quarterback. Nonetheless, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden showed they don’t only feel good but they’re all in. They accomplished this in the 2020 NFL Draft when they picked up three potentially explosive weapons to go along with Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. If you look at the current offensive roster, you’d be a fool not be excited about the prospect of what the Raiders passing attack will look like in 2020. The biggest reason is Carr’s deadly accuracy.
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Right now, Raider Nation seems to be polarized by their quarterback. Either you hate the guy or you think he’s the greatest Raiders players of all time. Honestly, a moderate approach to all of this is the best way to look at the Raiders’ passing attack: It isn’t exactly going to light up opposing defenses for 50 points, but should be good enough to get the Raiders within the 8-10 win frame in 2020.
A Game Of Percentages
One of the biggest knocks on Carr is that while he’s a statistically good passer, the Raiders win record doesn’t reflect that. An improved offensive arsenal around him and financial investment in the defense should definitely lead to more victories. If you look past all the narratives, numbers never lie. In 2019, Carr threw for 361 completions, which totaled 4,054 yards off only 513 attempts. The total percentage of “bad throws” Carr had was an astounding 11% when compared to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had 17.5% for the same category. It’s not a knock on Jackson but rather shows Carr isn’t that far off from the NFL’s “elite.”
More Talent Will Make Carr Even Better
Carr’s completion percentage for on-target throws sat at 82.6% in 2019. Clearly, Carr’s accuracy is not the problem. Perhaps the true issue lies with Gruden’s conservative approach. The combination of a running game which had a resurgence last year and the addition of Henry Ruggs III’s speed will change things. Josh Jacobs running it down the throat of the defense could open the play-action pass for Carr, who had 709 passing yards in that category. This is important to remember as those numbers will go up with the additions of Ruggs and Bryan Edwards, whose physical frame and length will be pivotal to haul anything Carr throws his way.
The Raiders aren’t going to the Super Bowl in 2020. However, it doesn’t mean the team can’t take a leap forward. Despite the defensive additions, the Silver and Black will only go as far as Carr can take them. Despite the fact Carr hasn’t had much to work with since 2016, his numbers have remained positive. It’s possible this is the year that team starts to benefit from this in the win-loss column.
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*Top Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images