Whether you like Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr or not, that’s irrelevant with NFL Training Camp approaching. Who will back him up is the only real quarterback question ahead of the regular season.
Entering his third year in head coach Jon Gruden’s system, Carr is safely entrenched as the starting signal caller. We all know how polarizing Carr’s play has been for Raider Nation, just go on Twitter for a few minutes and you can see for yourself. That being said, Carr’s numbers indicate an uptick, more importantly, they show he’s steadily improving. Already the most accurate passer in the AFC West, Carr might take it up another notch considering the bevy of new weapons.
That begs the question, who will, and more importantly, should back Carr up? It depends on what Gruden and general manager plan long-term. Marcus Mariota was given a two-year deal filled with performance incentives this past offseason. Presumably brought in to push Carr, Mariota has a shot to make a case for starting in case of injury. On the other hand, Nathan Peterman, Gruden’s “project,” is still somehow on this team in 2020.
Related: Nathan Peterman Makes More Than a Former NFL MVP
Who’s More Qualified To Be Raiders’ Backup QB?
At first glance, it would appear that Mariota is the more capable backup. This notion is due to a few reasons such as starting experience, potential, but also what he brings to practice and how it benefits the defense. Also, let’s not forget Mariota’s potential was probably one of the reasons the team parted ways with DeShone Kizer. As Carlos Sanchez here at the Raider Ramble pointed out back in May, that despite a sub-500 winning record, the Raiders are in better hands with Mariota.
“Wins are not a quarterback stat, but Mariota’s 29-32 record at the helm is considerably better than Kizer’s 0-15. Knowing that a team’s backup quarterback is one injury away from seeing the field, the Raiders must’ve felt Mariota gave them a better chance to win than Kizer did.”
As for Peterman, there’s literally very little to judge him on as far as his time with the Raiders. He’s never seen the field nor does he have a start as quarterback. However, we can look at his time with the Buffalo Bills, Peterman started four games from 2017-2018. An unimpressive record of 1-3, 12 interceptions to three touchdowns, and a 52.3 completion percentage aren’t appealing. Mariota on the other hand, has a 62.9 career completion percentage and has thrown for 13,207 yards with 76 touchdowns. Also, in six starts last season, Mariota totaled 20.8% for poor throws per pass attempt and 71.8% for on-target throws per pass attempt.
In other words, Mariota’s accuracy isn’t too shabby all things considered. The choice for Carr’s backup seems pretty clear, doesn’t it? Let us know your thoughts Raider Nation in our comments section.
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*Top Photo: Mark Brown/Getty Images