Las Vegas Raiders: 3 reasons Derek Carr will exceed expectations in 2021

Dec 26, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Las Vegas Raiders
HENDERSON, NEVADA – JULY 28: Yannick Ngakoue #91 of the Las Vegas Raiders runs during training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on July 28, 2021, in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images) /

Las Vegas Raiders: 3 reasons Derek Carr will exceed expectations in 2021

Raiders defense will help in a big way

Looking back at the career of Derek Carr, wins have been hard to come by for the Raiders, whether they are in Las Vegas, or back in Oakland. In his seven years as the starter, the Raiders have been to the playoffs only once, and in that season, he broke his leg late in December and had to miss the Wild Card matchup against Houston.

Over these last seven years, the defense has had some major struggles, including the last two seasons, when it looked like the Raiders would be back in the playoffs. Luckily for the team, and Derek Carr, the organization made a concerted effort to get better on that side of the ball this offseason, and that should take a lot of pressure off of him.

From here on out, Carr is going to be measured in wins, and with a defense that should be much improved in 2021, he should be able to stack wins on a more consistent basis. Las Vegas was bad on all three levels last season, and while the offense was top-10, they were in the bottom-3, something that cannot happen again.