Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr’s 2018 season using advanced stats
By Sanjit T.
![MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders and head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders during the second quarter against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders and head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders during the second quarter against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fjustblogbaby-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2018-2F09-2F1038453510-850x560-b259a17c074b9031460b0413c9263e729a29d17d319ce8c97766899e27df9638.jpg)
Time in Pocket
Another big factor as to a player doing well is his players around him. A wide receiver relies on his quarterback, and a running back relies on his offensive line. In Derek Carr’s case, he has to rely a lot on his offensive line to pass protect well. Last year, they didn’t do that well, as Carr was sacked 51 times, which was the most he had ever been sacked in his career.
When you look at the average time he had in the pocket, 2.48 seconds, you’d see that’s a lot less time than the league average of 2.70 seconds, and significantly less than someone like Josh Allen, who led the league with time in the pocket of 3.20 seconds. If a QB can’t have the time he needs to throw the ball, he won’t be able to succeed in the NFL.
Lastly, Carr’s average time to a sack was 3.0 seconds, which was the sixth-worst. Joe Flacco’s average time to a sack was 4.1 seconds, and that ranked him as the quarterback with the most time before he was sacked. The NFL average was 3.3 seconds and although it might look like Carr compared to the NFL average isn’t that big of a difference, in the world of quarterbacks, 0.3 seconds is huge.
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Conclusion
There are a lot of nice stats out there, and a ton of different variables in the NFL in order to have success. From a system a quarterback plays in, to the players he plays around, nothing is set in stone. This is what makes it so much fun for us fans. Like much of you, I didn’t enjoy the Raiders season last year. We had an awful season in 2018, however, with help, I believe Carr is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and lead the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl.