It seems like the formula for the Raiders going forward is simple; let Derek Carr go win games with his arm. With a new-look offensive line, the Raiders continue to struggle to run the ball. Peyton Barber did go for over 100 yards in Week 3, but the offensive line did not play well for most of the game.
Carr was fantastic again in Week 3, throwing for nearly 400 yards. He was able to shake off an early-game interception that dug his team into a 7-0 hole.
After three weeks, Carr leads the NFL in passing yards by a wide margin. He sits at 1,203 yards, The next closest is Tom Brady, who sits at 1,087 yards with the Buccaneers.
Through three weeks, only three quarterbacks (including Carr) have thrown for over 960 yards. Those three quarterbacks (Carr, Brady, Kyler Murray) have a combined record of 8-1. Not bad.
While the passing yards are always good, the more important and telling stat for Carr and the Raiders is the 8.8 yards per attempt. That is good enough for fifth in the NFL (among all quarterbacks who have started three games) and it’s a number that shows just how efficient Carr has been this season.
If Carr can continue to play at this level for the rest of the season, the Raiders will be a shoo-in to make the playoffs. And if averages around 9.0 yards per attempt, we may be looking at a possible MVP candidate.
