One of the biggest reasons the Raiders had so much early-season success was due to the play of Derek Carr. In the first seven games of the year, Carr averaged 8.53 yards per attempt and was completing nearly 68 percent of his passes.
But over the last three weeks, the yards per attempt have dropped down to 7.15 and he has thrown as many interceptions as touchdowns. A lot of the reason is due to not having Henry Ruggs III as he was their No. 1 receiver. But it’s also due to a lack of aggressiveness by Carr.
Take a look at his passing chart from Week 11 via the NFL’s Next Gen Stats and you’ll see only two passing attempts beyond 20 yards. Carr connected on both, but they did not challenge the secondary of the Bengals very frequently.
Here is #Raiders QB Derek Carr's passing chart from Week 11 pic.twitter.com/RStt1w0oGX
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) November 22, 2021
If the Raiders want to turn things around on offense, they have to be more aggressive in taking shots down the field. They could certainly use more of Bryan Edwards, who did not receive a single target in Week 11. That has to change going forward or else this offense will continue to struggle.
Expect Carr and the Raiders to be more aggressive this week as they take on the Cowboys in Week 12 on Thanksgiving Day.
