Derek Carr
Not many gave the Raiders a chance on Sunday after the tumultuous week that preceded the game, but we honestly should not have been surprised to witness Derek Carr utilize all the chatter as fuel.
He looked vintage 2016 MVP candidate as the offensive line provided excellent protection, and even when there was pressure Carr stood tall in the pocket and launched it downfield to his receivers, specifically the touchdown throw to Brandon LaFell where Carr scrambled and evaded the sack beforehand.
Carr ended the day completing 75 percent of his passes, tossing three touchdowns for a 136.6 QBR while also rushing for a score at the goal-line. Safe to say that the performance Carr put on
Sunday was the best we’ve seen in a while, and his ability to handle the pressure was the key difference between the MVP-candidate we remember from two years ago and the underwhelming play we’ve witnessed as of late. Maybe the gossip and chatter fueled him, and if that’s the case then fans should love it and he’ll need to bring the same swagger Thursday night as they look for Bay Area bragging rights against the San Francisco 49ers.