One of the biggest differences why Derek Carr is having more success this season is due to his aggressiveness in throwing the ball down the field. Not only is he attempting more deep passes, but he has eliminated a lot of the check-down throws and now is targeting the middle of the field more often.
That has made the offense for the Raiders more difficult to defend and has now made them one of the league’s most efficient passing attacks. But just how much has Carr improved in this area?
According to the NFL’s data; a lot. He is now averaging a career-high 9.3 ADOT, which just means the average depth of target for a quarterback. Here is a snippet of the breakdown of his aggressiveness via Aaron Schatz of ESPN and Football Outsiders:
“Based on NFL GSIS data, Carr had never had an average depth of target (aDOT) over 8.6 yards in his career. He dipped down really low with 7.0 yards in 2018 and 6.7 yards in 2019. That was the third-lowest aDOT in the league two years ago. Last season, Carr bounced back to an aDOT of 8.5 yards.
But this season, Carr is throwing it even deeper. Through Week 7, Carr’s aDOT of 9.3 yards ranks ninth in the NFL. Carr is succeeding on those deep throws, too. He leads the league with 923 passing yards on passes over 16 yards through the air, and he ranks fifth in DVOA on such passes.”
It’s important to note that since Greg Olson has started calling plays, Carr’s average depth of target has fallen some. However, he has still been among the league’s most aggressive quarterbacks.
If Carr can continue to be aggressive and successful throwing the ball down the field, the Raiders will be a legit contender in the AFC. Carr has been one of the league’s best quarterbacks in 2021 and is a legitimate MVP candidate.
