Lost in all of the celebration immediately after the Las Vegas Raiders’ win on Sunday was what quarterback Derek Carr had to say regarding the offense. It was a much-needed win, but the issues with the Silver and Black remain far from fixed.
Any defensive coordinator worth his weight knows that Carr is going to throw Davante Adams whenever possible. That’s why you go out of your way to trade for him. Whether he’s wide open or triple covered, you get Adams the ball, plain and simple. At the same time, head coach Josh McDaniels has his game plan, which he does his best to implement. Regardless of how frustrating it is for fans to stomach the screen passes or McDaniels dialing up plays for Keelan Cole of all people, these calls aren’t going anywhere. The question of how much freedom Carr has at the line of scrimmage has been a topic of debate all season. With that said, it’s interesting when you listen to what Carr said immediately after the game. A game in which he threw a game-winning pass to Adams was the stuff the Fresno State duo fantasized about.
Derek Carr “has to throw it” to other receivers
Talking to Fox Sports sideline reporter Kristina Pink right after the game, Carr was asked to weigh in on the victory.
“It’s plays like that him, and I dreamt of ten years ago in college. Dreaming of playing together, dreaming of making a game-winning catch. So, we’re just living out our dream.”
Nostalgia aside, Carr talked about the offense and his growing chemistry with Adams.
“It’s a work in progress, he sees things a certain way, I see things a certain way. We have almost a decade of football without each other. Us getting on the same page, you saw that today. I have reads and stuff but half the time he’s open anyway, but I got to throw it to certain people and things like that.”
Make what you will of Carr’s remarks. Carr has continuously said he’s on board with what McDaniels is trying, but it does sound like things would be different if No. 4 had more autonomy.
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