PFF Recap: Grading the Oakland Raiders in Week 6
By Austin Gayle
Reactions to PFF’s grades of the Oakland Raiders after their Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Oakland Raiders (4-2) had an opportunity to extend their lead in the AFC West against a visiting division opponent in the Kansas City Chiefs (3-2) on Sunday.
Instead of rising to the occasion, the Raiders fell into their own black hole.
Dropping the contest 26-10, Oakland’s offense put together their worst performance to date, closing the gap between the Raiders and the rest of the division.
In an effort to explain their Week 6 sorrows, we will take a closer look at how ProFootballFocus.com graded the Raiders’ individual efforts against Kansas City.
Early Struggles Rattle Derek Carr at Home
Raiders third-year quarterback Derek Carr has previously noted that he allows his emotions to sometimes affect his play, especially against division opponents in front of his home crowd.
His emotions got the best of him on Sunday.
Carr, PFF’s top ranked quarterback prior to this Week 6 contest, fielded his worst performance this against Kansas City, and, as a result, the Raiders’ offense simply couldn’t get the job done.
Carr earned a 34.9 overall grade, pushing him down from No. 1 to No. 9 on PFF’s quarterback rankings this season.
After capping off a methodical, well-orchestrated drive with a beautiful touchdown pass to Andre Holmes to start the contest, Carr fell flat on his face.
Carr threw an ugly, ill-advised interception just two plays into his second drive, ultimately rattling both his and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s confidence enough to affect the two’s decision making for the duration of the game.
Musgrave simplified the offense in an effort to limit the turnovers and Carr simply couldn’t find his rhythm.
With Carr out of gas, the Raiders’ defense was forced onto the field early and often, a situation that obviously didn’t bode well for the Silver and Black.
The Raiders’ young, fiery quarterback lives and dies by his emotions, creating a significant disparity between his strong performances and his weak ones.
If Carr is going to superman dive over defenders for a first down and ignite the crowd doing so, he will also allow the pressure of the situation and an early interception bring him down.
He will need to find balance between the two extremes as he continues to progress in the league if the Raiders are going to lean on him in bigger games down the road.
Everyone loves a drag racer, but the Raiders need a high-performing commuter if they are going to finish in the winner’s circle in 2016.