Raiders QB Derek Carr is set up for a career-defining season

Raiders QB Derek Carr is set up for a career-defining season

The Scheme

Carr will be set up for success under McDaniels. For years, McDaniels has been one of the game’s elite play-callers and play designers. McDaniels has a history of successfully adapting his scheme to the personnel around him and now he has more talent than ever.

Carr worked under a famous play-caller in Gruden, but Gruden’s play-calling was often conservative and uninspiring. There were so few play action plays called under Gruden, a play that Carr excelled at in 2016 under Bill Musgraves, and when he did it was often very successful. Gruden also rarely schemed receivers open.

McDaniels has already mentioned using more play action, which should open the field for Carr. McDaniels scheme will be tailored perfectly to Carr and as a veteran Carr will have McDaniels full trust. A more advanced run game, route patterns, and play action should give Carr more space that he’s ever had to operate.

Carr looked like an MVP candidate for the first 5 games of 2021 under Gruden, but the dropoff to Greg Olson was abundantly clear. Carr should shine with McDaniels like Tom Brady and Mac Jones have.

McDaniels scheme will also elevate so many players around Carr. Carr’s presence alone led to the Raiders being able to trade for superstar receiver Davante Adams, who only wanted to play with Carr. Adams will be far and away the best receiver Carr has ever played with and should do wonders for the offense. The most underrated aspect is Carr and Adam’s continued chemistry. Carr and Adams won’t have to worry about developing that chemistry because of their tight relationship and former college days. Adams should elevate Carr to levels not seen before.