Derek Carr
It’s a bit of a cop-out to list the starting quarterback as an x-factor, but Carr has a perfect opportunity in front of him. Detroit allows 289.7 passing yards per game, the worst in the NFL. After seeing this statistic, the Raiders signal-caller has to be licking his chops.
Also working in the gunslinger’s favor, last week the Lions traded away Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs. The defensive back was arguably the best player in the Motor City’s secondary and the team clearly missed him. In their first game without Diggs, rookie quarterback Daniel Jones tore Detroit’s defense apart for 322 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
With Oakland’s defense struggling to get stops, Carr and the Raiders offense has to light up the scoreboard on Sunday. The veteran quarterback has yet to eclipse the 300-yard mark this season, but this matchup against the Lions could be his most impressive performance to date. Winning the game will likely take a 30 plus point effort, so the franchise leader in passing yards needs to be up for the task.