After a subpar 2017 season, Raiders’ quarterback Derek Carr bounced back in a big way. He completed nearly 69 percent of his passes and had a passer rating of 93.9.
While the offense struggled last year, Carr was as good as ever. In the second half of the season, he played arguably the best football of his career, throwing 12 touchdowns to two interceptions in the final 11 games of the year.
One way Carr improved was by being more accurate down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, no quarterback was more accurate on passing 20 or more yards down the field than Carr.
Carr was on target on 52.3 percent of his attempts, beating Matt Ryan and Baker Mayfield at 50.8 percent. Per PFF, Carr has two of the highest accuracy seasons in the site’s history with his performances in 2016 (51.1 percent) and 2018.
With the team adding Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, that should help Carr become even more effective down the field. If Carr can be a little more aggressive in 2019 and take even more chances beyond 20 yards, it could lead to a much better Raiders’ offense.
We know he has the talent and ability to do so, it’s just up to Carr to push the envelope more next season.
