It seems Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is always a topic of conversation during the off-season. However, this latest debate has a sect of fans reaching a new low.
Ever since the Raiders drafted Carr, there have been fiery debates surrounding his production and justifiably so. Back in 2016, it seemed the team had found themselves an upper-tier quarterback. Unfortunately, an injury derailed any postseason possibilities for Carr after he helped put the team back on the playoff map. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind rollercoaster for both the organization and its fans. Objectively speaking, Carr’s numbers speak themselves and they show he’s been the best signal-caller since Rich Gannon. What’s interesting is the revisionist approach by many to put ‘4’ on a pedestal by comparing him to past quarterbacks, most recently, Ken ‘The Snake’ Stabler.
That seems to be true with a certain segment and it really baffles me. You can love Carr without downplaying greatness of Stabler, Lamonica etc. https://t.co/yCPJIwMHin
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) April 3, 2021
Raiders fans are doing what?
Josh Dubow of the Associated Press who’s no stranger to the Carr debate, recently sparked an uproar amongst Raider Nation on Twitter. The root of his argument was that while Carr has certainly been above average, to dismiss Stabler’s accomplishments in order to prop up Carr is in fact, baffling. In the grand scheme of things, Carr has compiled impressive stats, which are evidence of his talent. No one can take away the fact he’s been one of the most efficient signal-callers in the NFL in the past five years. On the other hand, Stabler was an All-Pro and MVP, which as Dubow points out, indicates he was the best NFL quarterback that year.
You know what’s now conjecture and imagination? How Stabler compared to his peers when he played for #Raiders (2nd team all decade, MVP, 2 time All Pro, top 4 in most stats). Had Carr done that? https://t.co/r9V4Wr2o3l
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) April 4, 2021
The other common argument made for Carr is the lack of a defense, that is fair. In fact, the Raiders just came off one of their historically worst defensive seasons in 2020. Another aspect that some fans point to is the fact that Carr’s breaking almost, if not all, the team’s passing records. While an impressive feat for sure, it could be more indicative of the fact that the Raiders don’t have a lineage of quarterbacks with awe-inspiring passing records.
What are your thoughts, Raider Nation? Let us know in the comments down below!
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*Top Photo: Dave Randolph/The Chronicle