The Las Vegas Raiders will turn to Derek Carr for Year 8 in 2021, and here is what his season could look like before all is said and done.
It will be Year 8 for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, a player who is as polarizing to the fan base as any member of the Silver and Black in recent memory. The fan base either loves Carr, or wants him shipped away, and it seems like we do this dance every offseason since Jon Gruden returned to the sidelines.
Well, Carr is still with the team and will be the starting quarterback in 2021, something Gruden is very happy about. While rumors have swirled in terms of their relationship, Gruden has been very complimentary to his signal-caller and expects big things from him once again this upcoming season.
In 2020, Carr exorcised a lot of demons, including winning in Arrowhead, and this upcoming year, he is going to build on what was a solid statistical season, though the team faltered late once again.
Raiders will lean heavily on Derek Carr in 2021
The Raiders have added more quality talent on offense, including John Brown, who will be wearing the familiar No. 15 worn by Michael Crabtree and Nelson Agholor during Derek Carr’s run with the team. He is going to play a big role in the passing game, and looking at the wideouts as a whole, Carr has a lot of talent to target in 2021.
Josh Jacobs is one of the best running backs in the league, and Darren Waller is as elite as they come at tight end, giving Carr a ton of options. Also, the offensive line got a facelift this offseason but is a very talented group, so he should have more than enough time to pick apart defenses.
Remember, Carr has thrown for over 4,000 yards in each of the last three seasons and has only 27 interceptions against 67 touchdowns.
Raiders projected to have the NFL’s fifth-worst defense next season
The Las Vegas Raiders have issues on all three levels of their defense, a unit that was recently ranked in the bottom-five of the NFL.
I believe it is going to be a huge year for Carr, who will win a bunch of games in front of the home fans inside Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders will get it right down the stretch, winning ten games, and clinching a spot in the AFC Playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.
This time, Carr will be active for the playoffs.
Projection: Carr leads the Raiders to the playoffs, posting 4,250 yards and 33 TDs against ten interceptions