While we are just seven games into the 2019 season for the Oakland Raiders, it is clear that Derek Carr is playing at a higher level than we saw in 2017 or 2018. He is currently completing more than 72 percent of his passes and has a passer rating of 103.6, which is his career-best.
In Pro Football Focus’s latest quarterback rankings, Carr finished at No. 15, which is a big improvement from where he was in the preseason. Take a look at where senior writer Steve Palazzolo sees growth in the Raiders’ franchise passer:
Carr has settled in as one of the more conservative quarterbacks in the league, ranking 15th in big-time throw percentage and posting the second-lowest percentage of negatively graded throws while posting the third-lowest average depth of target at 7.0 after tying for the lowest aDOT last season. Carr is more than capable of making big-time throws down the field, and perhaps a Stafford-like aggressiveness would add more value to the Oakland offense, but for now, Carr is moving the chains and letting his playmakers work while doing a fine job of avoiding mistakes.
Carr is always going to be a conservative passer by nature, but Jon Gruden and the rest of the Raiders’ coaching staff have designed an offense that best suits his skill set. They are even starting to find weapons that make sense with Carr, such as tight ends Darren Waller and Foster Moreau.
Assuming the team can improve on defense, and at wide receiver, there is no reason the Raiders can’t win a ton of game with Carr at quarterback. His improvement has been one of the best signs for the Raiders’ futures moving forward.
