Should the Raiders Move on from Derek Carr?
Love him or hate him, statistically, Carr has has been the best quarterback the Raiders have had in history. Of course, the game has evolved since the days of Ken Stabler and Jim Plunkett, but the fact remains. Since 2015, no quarterback has had more game winning drives (29) and fourth quarter comebacks (23) than Carr…
The media will formulate their own opinions on the veteran quarterback from Fresno, and rightfully so. But in reality, no one, not the media, not the players, and certainly not the fans, could ever say that he wasn’t clutch.
But as the old saying goes, “the past is the past”. It’s a new year for the NFL, and as of week four, the Raiders are 1-3. As a fan of the Silver and Black myself, we could’ve used a couple of those game winning drives right about now. We had a chance against the Chargers in week one, but Carr took too many sacks on the final drive. We had another chance in week two, but Renfrow fumbled twice on back to back plays, and cost us the game. In week three, the Raiders couldn’t do anything right on offense, and the failed two point conversion at the end of the game accentuates my point.
So with all of this in consideration, Raider fans have to honestly ask themselves…
Is it Time for the Raiders to Move on from Derek Carr?
The Case for No
I’ve been a staunch supporter of DC since he came into the league back in 2014. I remember watching him in the first preseason game and thinking that we had our franchise quarterback. For the first eight years of his career, that was obviously the case. A team captain almost since day one, he’s led us through our darkest years.
Carr’s (Almost) MVP Season
You could argue that in 2016, he was the front-runner to win MVP prior to his injury. To this day, I still think that he was the most deserving of the award. With Carr, the Raiders were one of the best teams in the AFC. Without him, we couldn’t win one game. You think about what it truly means to be an MVP, and he qualifies in every sense of the word. But now, looking at it from the fan’s perspective, you can certainly understand why you’d be frustrated with number four.
Vegas is coming off a year in which they just made the playoffs, after battling an unbelievable amount of adversity. From Henry Ruggs to Jon Gruden, to having one of the toughest schedules in the league, the Raiders overcame it all. With no disrespect to players like Maxx Crosby or Casey Hayward, our defense didn’t give us much help last season. We were constantly giving up points late in the game, and almost lost a nail biter to the Chargers in the regular season finale. When we won, it was almost always because of Carr.
In terms of passing yards and overall performance, Carr’s always finished top 10 among NFL quarterbacks. He may not be on the same level as an Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but he’s held his own. I’d still take Carr over half the other guys out there. Until we find a guy that can beat him outright in a QB competition, Carr will remain the starter. It very well may be his final year in Vegas, but realistically speaking, it’s highly unlikely.
The Case for Yes
“Red zone percentage”
That’s the one thing that’s always irked me about Derek Carr. It’s something that he’s struggled with ever since he was a rookie. If you need three points, he can get you three points. If you need seven points, he can get you three points.
A Broken Down Carr
Carr will drive his team all the way down the field, but run out of gas inside the 10. That’s why he finishes every year with right around 25 touchdowns, and not 40. That’s why fantasy owners never pick him in the early rounds of the draft. He doesn’t put up enough points (a.k.a. touchdowns) on Sundays. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still clutch. He’s come through more than once for us over the years. For him, it’s not the fourth quarter that gives him issues, it’s the first three. Part of the reason he has so many game winning drives is because the Raiders struggle to pull ahead early.
As a Raider fan myself, I can confidently say that we rarely, if ever, win a game by more than 10 points. With all due respect, I’ve never said to myself “oh we got Detroit this week, we’ll be fine”. By the way, I love the Lions so that’s no diss to them. But the fact remains, you should never get your hopes up when it comes to rooting for the Silver and Black. Regardless of who they’re playing, as a fan, you’re almost always guaranteed at least one heart attack every Sunday.
Key Takeaway
Maybe it’s not all Carr’s fault. Maybe we should stop blaming the starting quarterback for everything that goes wrong with a franchise. When DC throws a pick and we lose, is it on him, or is it on the defense, who couldn’t stop a nosebleed? But on the other hand, Raider fans are getting restless. They’re tired of having to go through the same process year after year. Is this the year Vegas starts to weigh their options at quarterback? Only time will tell.