As the debate rages on Twitter over Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr yet again, many detractors have recently invoked the name of Rich Gannon. A Raider legend, has Carr done enough to be labeled as better than Gannon?
A Resume Built To Last
As mentioned, Rich Gannon is undoubtedly a Raiders legend. One of the greatest quarterbacks in the team’s history, he didn’t join the team until he was 34. From 1999-2002, Gannon was named to the Pro Bowl each year. In those four years, he threw for 15,787 yards, 105 touchdowns, and just 44 interceptions. Most importantly, his Raiders teams won. A lot. With 41 wins and just 23 losses over those four years, Raider Nation will always look at Gannon fondly. In 2002, he also helped take Oakland to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1984. While they would lose this game, it remains the Raiders’ biggest playoff success of the 2000s by a wide margin. He was also awarded the league MVP in 2002.
With a resume this vast, it would seem Gannon knows what he is talking about when it comes to playing quarterback. As such, when he Tweeted on Wednesday asking “What is the most important stat for a QB?” it invited many comments. Gannon, now an analyst for CBS, would answer his own question when he tweeted “Wins… period!” While many question whether wins are truly a QB stat, Raiders fans asked themselves a different question, is this a thinly veiled shot at Carr?
Carr has numbers as well
Since being drafted in 2014, Carr has been the Raiders’ starting quarterback. For almost as long, he has also been the most polarizing player on the team. In spite of this, in his eight years with the Raiders, he has thrown for 31,058 yards, 189 touchdowns, and just 82 interceptions. Both the yards and touchdowns are the most in the Raiders’ franchise history. In addition, he has been named a Pro Bowler three times. He has given the Silver and Black stability at the most important position in the game, something they have not had since the days of Gannon.
At the end of the day, as Gannon stated, wins are what matter the most. Is Carr totally responsible for the wins and losses of the Raiders? Absolutely not. However, the Raiders under Carr have a win-loss record of 54-70. They have also only made the playoffs once. Of course, Carr still has some time to add to these numbers.
Who cares?
The Raiders’ fanbase is a warzone right now. Some fans want Carr to stay a Raider for life and believe he is the future of the team that can take them back to the promised land. Others want him gone at the conclusion of the season, citing his passive play as a major reason why. Regardless, the Las Vegas Raiders are 7-7 and one game outside of a wild card spot. With all that has happened during this Raiders season, making the playoffs for the first time since 2016 would be an incredible accomplishment, and the fans should be excited. Instead, many are arguing on Twitter about whether the quarterback who last played in 2005 is better than the one who is playing now.
Simply, it doesn’t matter unless Gannon plans to suit back up and take the Raiders to the playoffs in 2021. While Gannon may be the more successful quarterback at this moment, Carr deserves the chance to finish his career before these comparisons are made.
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*Top Photo: Associated Press/Elaine Thompson
Since Gannon left, what’s the QB record for the Raiders before Carr joined the team. Tell me a more successful QB than Carr since Gannon.
If Raider Nation is truly educated they will know the list of QB names sucked especially with the #1 name on that list starting with JaMarcus Russell.
Changes in HC, terrible defenses, terrible WRs and supporting offensive weapons and the whole OL being uprooted does not help Carr and the offense growth at all. Management has not put a solid team together for Carr yet.Trent Brown, Antonio Brown, Gruden, Ruggs, the list of unbelievable events that keeps happening with the Raiders are unbelievable.
How much BS can an organization endure?
What people seem to not realize is the how many weapons Gannon had compared to Carr. Put Gannon in Carr’s seat now and I promise you the story would be much the same. Give Carr the team Gannon had and we might very well be Super Bowl caliber team. Winning is not a QB stat, it’s a team stat. I love Gannon,but he’s beyond wrong and arrogant to make such a rediculous statement.
If Derek had Tim Brown, Jerry Rice and Jerry Porter to go to with Jon Gruden still head coaching things would be a lot better than what they are right now. So given into perspective what he DOESN’T have around him, us (Raider Nation), should be a bit more patient with all things positive and negative getting thrown at the Bulldog for the time being.
Carr proved this earlier this year that hes a top 5 quarterback when he has weapons. Shoot he still has the most 20+ yard completion of any QB this year despite losing most of his top receivers. He also has most comeback wins since hes got into the league. Mainly because the defense has been terrible over the years. His win/loss record is crappy because he’s been through 3 rebuilds.
Raider fans forgot how hard it is to find a competent QB. Look at the Jets two top 5 drafted QB in 3 years and they both suck. Took us 14 years after Gannon to find a good QB.
Carr isn’t perfect but he has shown the arm talent to make all the throws and more importantly he has the intelligence to run an offense. You guys see all the pre-snap adjustments he makes. Half the QBs in the league can’t do that.
Carr is a good QB, the offense needs to go with a different system scheme. He needs consistency from the other positions and it might not help to get some big play players that fit scheme. I’m an East Coast Raiders fan but I follow closely as possible. I would love to see Carr finish his career with the Silver and Black but there are others who think differently.
Rich Gannon had good success with the Raiders but, like Carr he was great on the fairway and choked when it counted. Carr is a good QB but not a championship QB. Last Championship QB the Raiders had was Plunkett