At this point in 2015, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was performing like one of the NFL’s best young quarterbacks.
After nine games the Raiders were 4-5 and he had just had three consecutive 300-yard passing games and five overall. He’d thrown 21 touchdown passes vs. six interceptions. In five games, too, he’d posted a quarterback rating of 90 or more.
But over the remaining seven games, Carr hit a slump as Oakland went 3-4. He had just one 300-yard game, threw 11 TD passes vs. seven interceptions and only once had a quarterback rating over 90.
Plus, after being sacked just 10 times in his first nine games, he went down 21 times over the final seven.
So, as the Raiders go into their bye this weekend, will Carr – who’s had a sensational first half of this season – be able to avoid a slump and carry his team into the playoffs?
The answer: probably.
Over the second half of 2015, the Raiders running game regressed, wide receiver Amari Cooper became hobbled and the offensive line play slipped. Plus, Carr’s play declined, too, said former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski.
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Jaworski said Carr became more hurried over the second half of the season and less methodical.
“He’s got to calm himself down,” Jaworski told Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group in April. “I think there’s a tendency to play a little fast.” Jaworski said Carr “forced plays.”
This season, Carr has taken his game to a higher level. He’s become an MVP candidate, leading his team to a 7-2 record and first place in the AFC West. He ranks fifth in the NFL in passing, has a 99.1 quarterback rating and 17 TD throws vs. just three interceptions.
Plus, the running game now ranks among the NFL’s best, Cooper is healthy and the offensive line – with the additon of Kelechi Osemele – has developed into one of the league’s best. He’s been sacked just 11 times and been given time to throw.
Jonathan Jones of Sports Illustrated recently wrote that Carr is poised to be an MVP finalist in just his third season.
“If Carr keeps up this pace in the second half of the season and Oakland wins the AFC West, the youngster could be the winner,” he wrote.
The Raiders return to action on Monday night, Nov. 21, vs. the Houston Texans in Mexico City.
