Las Vegas Raiders: Midseason Awards at the halfway point of 2020

Las Vegas Raiders: Midseason Awards at the halfway point of 2020

MVP of the First Half – QB Derek Carr

Derek Carr was the MVP of the first quarter of the season and nothing has really changed as he continues to put this team on his back and lead them to victories. The veteran quarterback is on pace for the best season of his career and has thrown for 2,002 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just 2 interceptions with a 69.8 completion percentage.

Carr is doing this with a new approach to the game as he is taking more deep shots than ever and is having a career year so far in air yards per attempt and would have a career-best yards per attempt were it not for the brutal wind of the Week 8 game against Cleveland. In that game, largely due to the tough conditions, Carr showed a different side to his game as he made plays with his legs and showed he can be a threat on the ground as well as through the air.

The former Fresno State QB has showed a true mastery of the Jon Gruden offense and has built a connection with members of his supporting cast, including new faces like Nelson Agholor and Henry Ruggs. He has done so with a rotating cast on the offensive line that in Week 9 was down to just two starters.

Carr is carrying a team that is in the top 10 of the league in most of the major offensive categories but in the bottom five of the defensive categories. He is doing more with less on the other side of the ball than just about any other QB that still has their team in playoff contention.

If Carr continues playing at this level he will force himself in to the MVP conversation and could earn himself a few votes, especially with the poor defense he has. There is still a long way to go but Carr has firmly entrenched himself as the Raiders’ franchise QB and looks poised to lead them to the playoffs for the second time in his career.