Oakland Raiders: 5 best offensive players heading into the bye

In the last few weeks, quarterback Derek Carr has emerged as the second-best offensive player for the 2017 Raiders. Being able to spread the ball around in Todd Downing’s offense has allowed Carr to again tap into what made him a truly special player from last season.

According to Pro Football Focus Carr has a 79.4 overall grade heading into the Week 10 bye. A 78.9 passing grade on 303 passing snaps has Carr middle of the pack among NFL quarterbacks. Do keep in mind that he did miss a game back in Week 5 versus the Baltimore Ravens due to a transverse process fracture in his back.

We have to consider that into the equation when judging Carr’s overall season. Frankly, he’s been better since coming back from that injury. He didn’t have a 300-yard passing game pre-injury. Now he has hit that passing threshold in the last three games. It should come as no surprise that the Raiders are 2-1 over that brief stretch of games.

Overall, Carr has as 4-4 record as a starter. He has completed 65.2 percent of his passes, well ahead of his career average of 61.5. Carr has thrown for 1,954 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He is averaging 7.2 yards per attempt, slightly better than his career average of 6.6. While this isn’t a Pro Bowl level year for Carr, he could get there as an alternate if he plays well and Oakland doesn’t make the AFC playoffs.