The key to success for the Raiders this season will be how quickly Derek Carr and Antonio Brown can get on the same page. However, some doubt that the two will be able to co-exist well in Oakland.
In a recent article by Barry Werner of the Touchdown Wire, he ranked all 32 team’s best quarterback-receiver combos entering the 2019 season. Unfortunately for Oakland, he did not love the Raiders’ pairing, ranking them at No. 19. Take a look at Werner’s thoughts on Carr and Brown:
On the surface, this seems like an exacta you would love to punch over and over. However, Amari Cooper had precious little success after a while in Oakland. And if there is frustration in Oakland, you know Antonio Brown can run out of patience faster than he runs great patterns.
While it’s true that Amari Cooper and Carr struggled to get on the same page consistently, Brown seems like a much better fit in Jon Gruden’s offense. He can play all three receiver positions and is much more dynamic after the catch than Cooper.
This pairing is going to need a little time to work out the kinks, but expect Carr and Brown to have success right away. The two are just too talented to fail in Oakland. Look for both to have career years in 2019.
