It’s been a rough start to the season for Derek Carr, but interestingly (maybe surprisingly) he’s actually been playing better than he did a year ago.
Carr’s completion percentage and passing yards per-game are way up, but for whatever reason, so are his interceptions. For four years, protecting the football has been arguably Carr’s greatest strength, but this year he has already thrown two more interceptions than he did in all of 2016.
ESPN shared this diagram comparing Carr’s 2018 season averages to his 2017 season and there’s no question he’s playing better outside of the interceptions and touchdowns (or lack thereof), which of course happen to be particularly important numbers.
There are a few theories to why Carr is seemingly more careless with the ball this year, but the consensus seems to be he’s simply been pressing too hard – or trying to do too much. That was the case on Sunday against the Chargers when he threw an interception from the one yard-line (on first down no less) that historically he would have gladly thrown away.
The conversation below is an interesting one. Some good points and some garbage, but certainly worth listening to if you have the time…
"He seems wound too tight." #Raiders pic.twitter.com/35Hz5dowlN
— Raider Posts (@RaiderPosts) October 10, 2018
A lot of theories flying around in there, but the idea that Carr folds under pressure doesn’t hood water considering the way he repeatedly rallied the Raiders in 2016.
As he gets more comfortable with his coach and the offense, hopefully Carr will be able to drastically reduce the mistakes going forward. It might also be nice if someone were to crack the code as to how Amari Cooper has become such a master of the Sunday afternoon disappearing act.
twitter: @raidersbeat
