Derek Carr has put up solid statistical numbers over the past two years for the Raiders, but he will only be measured by wins in 2020.
Since Jon Gruden came back to take over as Raiders head coach in 2018, rumors have been swirling that he would make a move at quarterback. Gruden likes his quarterbacks to make things happen with their feet, and take shots downfield, and Derek Carr has a reputation of not doing either.
So for the past three offseason, Carr has been in the cross-hairs of the media, putting his name in trades, stating the team would draft his replacement, or adding any free agent quarterback to the Raiders roster. Through it all, Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock have said they back Carr, love Carr, and know they are lucky to have him, so why all the noise?
Last season, Carr put together a fantastic statistical campaign, throwing for a career-high in passing yards, while finishing only second to Drew Brees in completion percentage. In fact, he completed more than 70 percent of his passes, accomplishing the feat without a true WR1 at his disposal.
However, the media, and members of Raider Nation still feel the team will move on from him in 2021, or possibly even during the 2020 campaign, as they brought in Marcus Mariota to back him up this season.
Raiders QB Derek Carr will be measured by wins only in 2020
Derek Carr through the years
It did not take long for Carr to take over as the franchise quarterback, as he beat out Matt Schaub as a rookie, and has not looked back since. Taking over a team with multiple issues in 2014, Carr was a big part of the team becoming a contender in the AFC a few years later, as that Raiders 2014 draft class was something special.
Jack Del Rio took over in 2015, Carr’s third head coach to that point, and led the team to a seven-win season. Carr made his first Pro Bowl that season, throwing for what is still a career-high in touchdowns at 32, and showed the kind of late-game heroics that would be his trademark during the team’s magical 2016 season.
Unfortunately, we all know how that 2016 season ended, as Carr broke his leg on Christmas Eve, and any chance of the team making the Super Bowl went out the window. Since that ill-fated day, the team has yet to put together another winning season, and for Carr, the losses are mounting.
Over his last two seasons, Carr has mastered Jon Gruden’s offense, and became the first quarterback in franchise history to put together back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons. He was one of the higher rated quarterbacks in the league last season, but for the fifth time in six seasons as a starter, the team had a losing record.
In 2020, he will only be judged by one statistic: Wins.
Raiders QB Derek Carr will be measured by wins only in 2020
Carr needs to stack wins in 2020
The 2020 Raiders will play in their brand new stadium in the desert, and the expectations are going to be high. This offseason, the team did a great job adding talent on both sides of the ball, and as they said they would, built around Carr in a big way on the offensive side of the ball.
Mayock added two premier wideouts in the draft, and also brought in a playmaker in Lynn Bowden Jr. from Kentucky, a guy who can play multiple positions. In addition, they brought back Carr’s entire offensive line, and tight end Darren Waller and running back Josh Jacobs are premier players at their position group.
With guys like Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards, and Tyrell Williams on the outside, Carr is going to be expected to take more shots downfield. Truth be told, Carr is actually an incredibly accurate downfield passer, and in 2020, he will have the weapons to take advantage of teams deep.
With these weapons, and the added talent on defense, Carr is going to be expected to lead this team to a winning record.
In fairness to Carr, he has seen a lot through his first season seasons as a starter, including multiple head coaches and offensive coordinators, a revolving door at wide receiver, and some teams that were downright terrible on defense. If I had to bet, my money would be on the Raiders finishing with a winning record and a playoff appearance in 2020, and Carr being a big reason why.