Oakland Raiders make adjustments to win on road

Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass under pressure by Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Randy Starks (94) and linebacker Karlos Dansby (56) in a NFL game at FirstEnergy Stadium.The Raiders defeated the Browns 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Derek Carr

Quarterback Derek Carr’s last two games convinced me the Raiders would have done better against the Bengals had he not been injured in the first half. Carr went out midway through the second quarter of that game with the Bengals only up 10-0. I originally said that he wasn’t very sharp in that game before he went out he was 7-12 for 61 yards.

But he should have been 10-12 with close to if not more than 100 yards at the point he went out. Carr misfired a couple of times but Amari Cooper and Marcel Reece of all people combined for three drops. And it did look like he was starting to move the offense before he got hurt on the stiff-arm.

The Browns have a much better pass defense than the Bengals and look what Carr did to them. Carr was 20-32 for 314 yards and two TDs Sunday for his second 300-yard game in a row. His first one was a 351-yard performance against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has him throwing the ball down the field more.

Next: The running game