Oakland Raiders Film Room: BAL at OAK
By Evan Ball
Laser Beam to Andre Holmes
Derek Carr did a lot of good things against Baltimore. Many will point toward his 351 passing yards and 3 TDs. Others might point toward his 100.9 passer rating. To me there are three things which are most telling about Derek Carr’s game on Sunday: 1) Carr was rated at 107.2 when under pressure (according to Pro Football Focus, subscription required); 2) Derek Carr actually went through progressions more than twice this game. 3) Average yards per attempt against Baltimore: 7.6. Average YPA all 2014: 5.46 (lowest in NFL among QBs with 50% of snaps or more).
On this early 2nd quarter play, Oakland uses 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3WRs) against Baltimore to get the big gain and set up for the touchdown. Baltimore sneaks up safety Will Hill before the snap then runs man coverage with a single high safety. The gamble works against the Ravens as Andre Holmes’ route attacks the exact space left behind by Hill.
Holmes burns by CB Kyle Arrington, likely expecting a crossing route after the motion considering the leverage he gave up, and attacks the seam ruthlessly. Derek Carr gets the ball out quickly following the play-action, throwing an absolute laser beam to Holmes in the perfect spot away from the cornerback. Credit to Holmes for making the amazing catch and holding on to the ball after getting absolutely destroyed by safety Kendrick Lewis.
With accuracy being a major issue in the preseason it’s incredibly refreshing to see Carr make this elite-level thread-the-needle throw.
Next: The Winning Drive