Now nine years into his NFL career, Raiders’ quarterback Derek Carr is no stranger to cold-weather games. Unfortunately for Carr, he’s no stranger to losing them either.
Drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Derek Carr became the first quarterback in Raider history to start Week 1 of his rookie year. Carr has remained the team’s QB1 since and has appeared in six contests where the weather was 36 degrees or colder. In these games, the 31-year-old has a record of 0-6, never logging more than one touchdown nor leading his team to more than 19 points in any individual contest.
The Silver and Black will be in Pittsburgh on Saturday night, where the weather is expected to be 11 degrees. This time, the nine-year Raider insists he’s ready for the challenge.
Derek Carr is ready for the Steelers despite winless record in cold-weather games
It’s hard to prepare yourself physically for a football game in below-freezing temperatures, but Carr doesn’t believe physically preparing yourself is the way to handle these contests regardless. Instead, the Fresno State alum claims it’s all about mental preparation.
“If it’s rain or stuff like that, you can prepare, but just cold is like 90% mentality,” Carr replied when asked how he prepares himself for cold-weather contests. “They’re playing in it; you’re playing in it. At the end of the day, you have to execute at a high level.”
Carr may not have an abundance of cold-weather experience under his belt, but his favorite weapon does. Davante Adams, who the Raiders acquired in a trade back in March, spent the first eight years of his NFL career playing in Green Bay. Throughout both December and January, the average day in Green Bay has a high-temperature of under 36 degrees, with November frequently having days where the high-temperature is comparable. Adams has six 100+ yard games through December and January of 2020 and 2021 alone.
The last time Carr took the field when the weather was below 36 degrees, the veteran signal caller logged 310 passing yards and a touchdown. Expect Saturday to be his best performance in such temperatures to date, if for no other reason than Adams’ familiarity and success.
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*Top Photo Rick Scuteri/Associated Press