Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is often at or near the top of NFL passing statistics each year. He saw remarkable growth under Jon Gruden, and last year, he ended the season in fifth place as far as passing yards. Carr also concluded the 2021 season with a notable 68.4 completion percentage. However, with Josh McDaniels taking the reins this past offseason, an adjustment period was expected in terms of what Carr’s numbers were going to look like. So, four weeks into the regular season, how are things looking for No. 4?
According to Pro Football Focus, Carr barely cracks their top 10 at the moment. If you’re strictly looking at passing yardage, Carr has recorded 1,038 yards through the air. The differential between the quarterbacks from number seven to number 10 isn’t much. Again, this is based only on the yards. It doesn’t take into account each team’s offense. For example, for the Raiders, the run game has seen an increase in usage. In fact, Josh Jacobs saw a season-high 28 carries against the Denver Broncos, which obviously means Carr has fewer opportunities.
All of that notwithstanding, the four quarterbacks that round off the top 10 (passing yards) right now are as follows:
| No. 7 Joe Burrow | No. 8 Tom Brady | No. 9 Derek Carr | No. 10 Geno Smith |
| 1,099 Yards | 1,058 Yards | 1,036 Yards | 1,037 Yards |
Derek Carr is adjusting to Josh McDaniels’ offense right now
This particular top 10 will look very different in two, maybe three weeks. The fact is, Carr is still finding his legs in this new offense. Speaking of which, Raider Nation was treated to a glimpse of something that we might see from Carr moving forward, using his legs. When you see the room that opposing defenses are giving Carr right now, they simply don’t respect him as a rushing option. However, as we witnessed against the Broncos, Carr can still take off when need be.
The rotating offensive line has also been something that Raiders fans aren’t accustomed to. The O-line had arguably its best performance of the season against the Broncos. Perhaps, looking ahead, this unit can continue with imposing run blocking, which then opens up the rest of the offense for McDaniels and Carr. Monday night’s road game against the Kansas City Chiefs will certainly put that notion to the test.
*Top Photo: Raiders Official YouTube Channel