Quarterbacks Derek Carr and Blake Bortles won’t go head-to-head at any time during Sunday’s Raiders-Jaguars game. Every football fan knows that’s not how it works.
Yet when the teams tangle, Carr and Bortles will take center stage.
Each is a young, thriving quarterback from the draft class of 2014, and fans and analysts will always wonder which franchise made the better decision.
Was it Jacksonville, in taking Bortles with the third overall pick of the first round? Or was it Oakland, which was able to wait until Round 2 to snag Carr, with the 36th overall choice?
Certainly, both franchises got what they were looking for: a franchise quarterback.
In 38 games – all starts – Carr has a 14-24 record and has completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 8,865 yards, 65 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. His quarterback rating is 86.2.
In starting 34 of his 35 NFL games, Bortles is 10-24 and has completed 59.1 percent of his passes for 8,657 yards, 54 TDs and 42 interceptions. His quarterback rating is 80.0.
Raiders
As Carr worked this week to lead his 4-2 Raiders into the matchup with the 2-3 Jaguars, he told reporters he knows he and Bortles always be compared, as will the other QBs of that draft class: Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and Jimmy Garoppolo.
“You think about all those guys that were in that class and that will always be forever,” said Carr. “When you think of your class, you always think of those guys. But, as I’ve been playing through the years, you don’t really think about it because it’s so far removed.”
When ESPN polled nine NFL media members this week about which quarterback they would rather have, Carr or Bortles, eight took Carr.
The Raiders, coming off a loss to the Chiefs, hope to plug some of the leaks in their defense vs. the Jags. Oakland ranks last in the NFL in defense, so the Raiders will have to make some improvements if they want to stay atop the AFC West. Otherwise, Oakland might again have to outscore its opponent, as it has four times this year.
The Raiders are looking to start a season 5-2 for the first time since 2001. Also, a win vs. Jacksonville will give the franchise a 4-0 start on the road for the first time since 2000.
Carr and the offense may benefit from the return of starting running back Latavius Murray, who missed the Chiefs game with an injured toe. The Raiders may need him against the Jags defense, which is No. 8 in the league and is led by veteran linebacker Paul Posluszny.
Oddsmakers have made the Jaguars’ 2-point favorites for the game, set to kick off at 10 a.m. in the Bay Area.
