Following the release of Derek Carr, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels finally has an opportunity to coach his guy at quarterback again. Depending on which member of Raider Nation you ask, Jimmy Garoppolo may be the sexiest free-agent acquisition of the offseason.
Here at The Raider Ramble, our staff members Phil Robinson III and Hunter Haas give their thoughts on the transition from Garoppolo to Carr.
Phil: There are many reasons why Jimmy G is an upgrade over Carr and a better fit for the 2023 Las Vegas Raiders. Instead of asking you to take my word for it, I brought in some help. Hunter Haas, Raider Ramble deputy editor, has accepted the challenge of showing you the superiority of the Raiders’ new man under center.
Hunter: What’s up, Phil? I admittedly came into this article expecting a minimal difference between Carr and Garoppolo. I am pleased to say that I was wrong. Let’s dive in for a deeper look at why Jimmy G is not only an upgrade but a considerable one.
Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Derek Carr
Records: Derek Carr Falls Short
Phil: Jimmy G is 40-17 as a starting quarterback. He has been to three NFC Championship games and participated in two, winning one. During his six seasons as a starter dating back to 2016, his worst two records are 3-3 and 1-2. Garoppolo boasts a winning record in every other season he has participated in.
Hunter: Carr, on the other hand, is 16 games below .500 as a starter. He lost his lone playoff appearance, only completing 53.7 percent of his passes vs. the Cincinnati Bengals. Granted, the Raiders haven’t been anywhere near as stable as San Francisco, but the numbers are damning all the same. When it comes to winning football games, Garoppolo towers over Carr.
Style: Mr. GQ Takes The Win
Phil: When it comes to swag, there simply is no competition at all. One looks like a camp counselor, while Jimmy G has blessed the cover of GQ magazine.
Hunter: When you are right, you are right. Garoppolo clears the field with his dashing good looks. Carr resembles childhood Hunter, rocking a buzz cut after his mom refused to go to a real barber. I feel your struggle, Derek!
On-Field Ability: Garoppolo Checks The Boxes
Phil: Jimmy scored higher on his Wonderlic than Carr. The Raiders franchise passing leader has better, more consistent arm strength. Additionally, Carr is an inch taller, 10 pounds lighter, and a superior athlete. The deciding factor is Jimmy G’s anticipatory ability to score, plus his production in the red zone. Meaning: He throws to where the receiver is going to be open, not at the receiver himself.
Hunter: Great analysis here, and I will follow it up with another nugget. Garoppolo ranks third in NFL history in completion percentage (minimum 1,500 attempts). Joe Burrow and Drew Brees are the only names above Jimmy G. This is a direct result of the anticipatory throws Phil touched on. Carr is the better athlete, but Garoppolo is better in most other areas.
Which QB Do You Want To Party With?
Phil: When adult entertainers are offering complimentary services for life, that may very well be the direction most young men are going to head in. The late great Kenny “Snake” Stabler was known for reading playbooks by the light of the jukebox. Garoppolo has got it all: The good looks, the swag, and the wins to back it up.
Hunter: Derek Carr seems like the poster child for the “I bet you’re fun at parties” meme. I’m sure the guy is actually fun to be around, but Garoppolo’s company would be a lot more… interesting. Jimmy G is the guy that hosts the party, while Carr is the one you go to church with on Sundays to pray for forgiveness.
Who Is The Best Fit With The Raiders?
Phil: Jimmy G is the better fit for the current installment of the Raiders. Carr is more of an old-school drop-back passer with modernized athleticism. Who passes the eye test when lined up shoulder-to-shoulder? Jimmy G is the one who fits the Raiders’ mystique.
Hunter: Hard to disagree with you, Phil. Garoppolo fits the vibe that Dave Ziegler and McDaniels are looking for. Carr is more likely to push back against McDaniels, while Jimmy G is more of a “yes man”. Typically, that isn’t a quality trait to have, but as an NFL quarterback, it is vital. The proven winner with a willingness to accept hard coaching gets the nod.
*Top Photo: Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports
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Whoever wrote this is a straight up idiot. JG had an offense AND one of the best D in the NFL. DC did not. JG gets injured whenever the wind blows
This is the dumbest article I’ve read in a long time. I think I lost IQ points from reading it. Jimmy G is a major downgrade. If he is ever healthy enough, he is only better in 2 places, wins which came from having great teams , coaches and defense, which we don’t. And completion percentage because he only throws short passes.
In front of Marc Davis.
Doing what 2 good little dogs do in order to revive a treat and a belly rub
I love my raiders but I don’t think next season is our year. Jimmy not going to be our permanent qb. They aren’t thinking long term. Mark just wants a Superbowl win. F*** sakes raiders need to wake the f*** and get some talent. We becoming pats 2.0 not in a good way. Just win baby has died long time ago. I really hope derk carr can prove that the raiders made the mistake of letting him go. I am keeping my eye out for the saints to see how much better carr plays. Carr better show the raiders why they still need him. Go carr!
Funny how they mentioned nothing about injuries. Carr missed a couple of games for us over roughly a decade, while Jimmy is likely to miss more in one season alone. I like Aidan, he is an accurate passer, I think he will get his time, and he will deliver.
Jimmy has thrown for 4000 yards how many times? Completed a season how many times? Gimme a break fellas. This is a major downgrade and we all know it.
Easy there, internet tough guy.
I don’t know why I waste my time on this site. Ramble indeed. Worthless drivel. Another “writer” wrote that Carr was a pXXXXXy. That is real quality journalism for you. These guys have an issue with Derek Carr and sit at their computer and ramble. I’d done here – a total and complete waste of time
Derek Carr is about as solid a human being as one can be. Loyal, a great teammate, husband father and man. And a solid NFL QB that plays great at crunch time. Overcoming a horrible defense, a revolving door of coaches, and the anti Raider bias from Goddell on down. And these individuals poke fun at him. And think they are being funny. That really says all that needs to be said. Guess what guys? You are not funny and your site is not at all informative. I bet you are closet…..Chief fans
Ok.
So now Carr gets bashed because he’s a family man? You guys blew it. You MAY.have been able to convince me if you’d said JG was a slight upgrade (I still wouldn’t buy it, but I’d consider it more). But to say he’s a significant upgrade…..can I get these last five minutes back that I completely wasted?
First of all, since when “style”” and “who would you rather party with” become reasons for determining the worth of your QB? After wasting an additional five minutes reading this a second time, it can be summed up with:
“Carr is more likely to push back against McDaniels, while Jimmy G is more of a “yes man”. ”
McDaniels knows so much more than everyone else in any room he’s in, he just wants robots programmed to not think on their own or on the fly and just do what tbeir told. The guy is always looking to throw someone (usually one of his players) under the bus, and he’ll do it every time.
jkg
Garoppolo’s career record is 40-17. Carr’s career record is 63-79. In nine years as the Raiders starter Carr only had a winning record twice: in 2016 (12-3) and 2021 (10-7). Carr was even in 2020 (8-8) and had losing seasons in his six other seasons as the Raiders starter. Yes teammates and coaching quality was different but Carr was not winning games. Don’t forget that the Niners stunk when Garoppolo didn’t start games from 2017-2021. The Niners were 8-28 in games not started by Garoppolo in the 2017-2021 seasons meanwhile they were 31-14 in games started by Garoppolo in the 2017-2021 seasons.
Garoppolo’s career completion percentage is 67.6%. Carr’s career completion percentage is 64.6%. Garoppolo’s career QBR is 99.6 while Carr’s is 91.8.
Garoppolo’s numbers are better than Carr’s.
Bottom line is that Carr wasn’t getting it done. He was the starter for nine seasons and the Raiders never won a playoff game during that time. The Raiders only went to the playoffs twice during Carr’s tenure and had a losing season six times.
I think the Garoppolo-McDaniels combo should be given a chance. Lets see what they can do. The offense should be good. It’s going to take time to fix the defense. Garoppolo is a proven winner and McDaniels comes from a winning pedigree in Belichick. I think the Raiders are going to surprise a lot of people this season. The offense will be good with Garoppolo. He will be an improvement over Carr.