Raiders: How Josh McDaniels can get Derek Carr back to the Pro Bowl
By Jason Willis
Josh McDaniels was an excellent hire as head coach, and here is how he can make Raiders QB Derek Carr a Pro Bowl player once again.
After the hiring of new head coach Josh McDaniels by the Raiders, the attention immediately turned to Derek Carr. As an offense-first coach McDaniels number one priority will be to make Carr comfortable. Here is how he can do so.
When the Raiders elected to hire former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, they made a commitment to that side of the ball. This was necessary after the dreadful output to end the 2021 season. From week thirteen onward, the Raiders scored over 23 points just one time. The lowest point from that seven-week stretch was a nine-point output against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The offense was not void of talent, however. Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow emerged as one of the best slot receivers in the league with a stat line of 103 receptions for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. Darren Waller was still a crucial factor as well when healthy. Although his stats suffered from missed time, the dominant flashes were still there.
Then, of course, was Derek Carr who had one of the best seasons of his career. With 4,804 passing yards, he posted easily the best mark of his career in this category. Alas, it still felt as if something was missing.
Enter Josh McDaniels. Most known for his time with the New England Patriots, he was a crucial part of their dynasty throughout the 2000s. McDaniels, who has been with the Patriots for two separate stints, has been their offensive coordinator for a combined twelve years and is a six-time Super Bowl champion. For all but two of those seasons, he has worked closely with the legendary Tom Brady.
Considered by most to be the greatest player of all time, McDaniels close work with him and head coach Bill Belichick should bode well for his second tenure as a head coach.
The first task McDaniels will be faced with is constructing an offense around Derek Carr. Luckily, Carr’s skill set gels quite favorably with what McDaniels has done in the past. Likewise, the rest of the passing offense is well constructed.