5 Stats That Prove Derek Carr is the Future of the Las Vegas Raiders
Don't let the 7-9 record fool you. Derek Carr could very well turn the Raiders into a playoff-bound team in a few short years.
1. QB Rating.
Believe it or not, Derek Carr finished with a quarterback rating of 70 or below just once in the entire 2020 season. While that might be hard to believe, especially with how bad the season was for the entire team, Carr was one of the highlights. In fact, he might even be the best player on the entire team for the consistency he has brought to this time.
Again, the season isn t really a good indicator of what Carr is capable of, but he does play quality football most of the time. Of course, some will argue that his nine interceptions in a season aren t exactly consistent, but he was actually ranked the 10th best quarterback in the league in some polls.
2. 4000 passing yards in 2020
If you want a stat that proves Derek Carr should be the starter going forward, look no further than the fact that he is one of 12 quarterbacks in the league to reach 4000 yards during the regular season. Not only does that again put him in the same company as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees, it also shows what he can do if the Raiders would just put the right team together.
3. 7.9 yards per passing attempt.
7,9 yards might not sound like much at first glance. It might even seem like proof that Carr isn t the future of the franchise. However, the problem with that is that only four quarterbacks have higher averages than him. Those four QB s are Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Aaron Rodgers. That s pretty good company to be in.
Unfortunately for Carr, he does not seem to have the right receiver core yet, and the defense is subpar at best. That s what s stopping the Raiders from being competitive and his detractors need to realize that.
4. Missed 1 game this year.
Derek Carr is Mr. Consistent for a reason, and a lot of that has to do with how durable the man is. Keep in mind that Carr has only missed a total of three games in a five--year career, which is a pretty good record for the young quarterback. Furthermore, his injuries have been minor in nature, with his last one being a groan tear during the Week 16 game against the Chargers.
Carr just doesn t have an injury issue, which is why he is a much better option than the injury-riddled Marcus Mariota.
5. 11th in total touchdowns this season
Although some believe this shows how bad Carr really is, it is a blooming sign of his potential. In fact, Carr s touchdown numbers have been trending upwards since 2018 and he doesn t even seem close to done. Beyond that, imagine what he could do if the team were somehow able to get him some better weapons.
Seriously though. What if Carr had someone like Rob Gronkowski, Sammy Watkins, Amari Cooper, or another top receiver on his squad? Sure, he has Nelson Agholor and a promising group of young Receivers, but there's no one that can be Carr s go-to person. If the Raiders do want to make it to the postseason next year though, they need to change that.