Looking towards the future, here are five reasons why Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will win a Super Bowl for the franchise.
In the wake of his record-breaking contract extension, Derek Carr should be very confident in his ability to win it all. The Raiders clearly believe in him and he has every chance to reward them with a Super Bowl. He is a leader, a great teammate, and an elite starting quarterback.
Sadly, last season ended in disappointment. In Week 16, Carr suffered a fractured leg against the Indianapolis Colts. His season was over, and with it, so was the Raiders. They lost in Week 17 against the Broncos and then again in the Wild Card round against the Houston Texans. The unfortunate ending to last season has Raiders fans anxious to see their team make another run.
Carr was a legitimate MVP candidate last season prior to his injury. There is a good chance he’s in the running again this season. Last season he had 28 touchdowns and six interceptions with a QB rating of 96.7. If he can repeat those types of numbers, and hopefully improve a bit, he will be right there.
His improvement over the last three seasons, both as a passer and a leader, has been impressive. Although he hasn’t played on the big stage, and has struggled against playoff-caliber opponents, Carr is in prime position to capture his first Super Bowl ring sooner rather than later.
5. He is determined to come back stronger than before
Carr fractured his fibula at the end of last season, but is determined to return stronger . In a game that the Raiders were up big, an interesting passing play towards the end of the game led to them losing their quarterback.
Carr must understand what he means to the team. The Raiders have some talent, but they are nothing without him. They were walloped by a Broncos team led by Trevor Siemian in Week 17 with the AFC West on the line. Without Carr at the helm, the Raiders looked helpless.
Carr had to sit at home on the couch and watch his teammates struggle in the Wild Card game against the Texans. He will be well rested, and stronger than ever heading into the 2017-18 season.
As if he needed any more motivation, Carr will be hungry to return to the playoffs and actually get to play. He should come out guns blazing, wanting to prove himself even more than he already has. His passion and hunger coming off of his injury will give Carr the edge he needs to bring home the Lombardi Trophy.
4. Carr has the faith of Jack Del Rio and Reggie McKenzie
This one may be a no-brainer, but that does not mean it lacks importance. It is said that the relationship between a head coach and quarterback is vital for winning championships. Look at Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and all of the success they have had over the last decade or so. The relationship Brady and Belichick built is ideal, and to have the success the Patriots have had, Del Rio and Carr will need to emulate their relationship.
Reggie McKenzie gave Carr his chance, drafting him early in the second round back in 2014. Carr owes McKenzie for everything, and he has made McKenzie’s investment well worth it. Carr has flourished in his three years in Oakland, and a large part of his success is a result of the faith his coach and general manager have in him.
Both Del Rio and McKenzie understand that Carr is their most valuable player, and have worked to build the team around him. In addition, Carr has had great offensive coordinators around him to help him improve. In his first season, Carr created a good relationship with Greg Olson and learned a lot from him. The following season, the Raiders brought in Bill Musgrave. Musgrave learned how to get the most out of Carr, and worked with him very well. Former QB coach Todd Downing is set to take over as OC this year, and already has a rapport with Carr.
With the amount of support being given to Carr, and all the coaches developing solid relationships with him, he has the backing needed to win. If he continues to strengthen his relationships with Del Rio, McKenzie and Downing, Carr will bring a ring to Oakland.
3. Carr has multiple offensive weapons around him
Quarterbacks need weapons alongside of them. They need players around them that they can count on to help carry the scoring load. The Raiders have arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. In addition, this offseason they added Cordarrelle Patterson as a receiving/returning threat.
Oakland also signed tight end Jared Cook. Cook will pair with Clive Walford and brings a solid pass-catching threat to the middle of the field. Cook and Walford will be huge weapons for Carr to have at his disposal, especially with the pass dropping the receivers have been prone to.
Carr had to shoulder most of the load on offense last season as the Raiders running game was rather lackluster. Latavius Murray was serviceable but not great, and rookies Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington impressed but still need to improve. Thankfully, they brought in Marshawn Lynch, whocreated a name for himself by becoming arguably the hardest runner in football. His tough-nosed style will fit perfectly in Oakland, especially behind its behemoth offensive line.
With all of this talent around him, Carr has everything he needs to lead a team to a Super Bowl. As long as the defense can pick up the slack so the offense doesn’t need to score 49 points to win, Carr has championship-caliber weapons at his disposal.
2. Carr Insurance
The Oakland Raiders offensive line is good, very good. They earned the nickname “Carr Insurance” for how well the blocked for Carr this last season. According to PFF, they were the fourth-best line in 2016-17. More often than not, the Raiders won the battle in the trenches and as a result, won the game.
Although Donald Penn is getting old, he still holds down the left tackle position. He allowed only one sack last season, and as most fans should know, it was incredibly on the play Carr broke his leg. Last year’s free-agent acquisition, left guard Kelechi Osemele, was nothing short of spectacular alongside Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson.
The right side was less overwhelming, while Gabe Jackson was solid and a Pro-Bowler himself, right tackle has several question marks. Austin Howard has never really put it all together and Menelik Watson could not stay healthy. Youngsters Vadal Alexander and free-agent Marshall Newhouse will challenge for a starting spot this season.
With Lynch behind them, the gaping holes they create will allow Oakland to eat teams up on the ground. More importantly, they will continue to protect their MVP. If Carr Insurance is as good as it was last season, Derek will have every opportunity to challenge for MVP again, and bring home the elusive Lombardi Trophy.
1. Derek Carr’s continual improvement and leadership qualities
Carr has shown flashes of excellence in his rise to becoming the highest-paid player in the league. He has constantly improved both as a passer and a leader in his three years in the silver and black. In his rookie season, Carr lost 10 consecutive games under head coaches Dennis Allen and Tony Sparano. Despite the horrific beginning to his career, Carr never let his confidence waver and continually sought improvement.
In his first season, Carr had an abysmal 58.1 completion percentage and only managed a 76.6 passer rating. Although not horrible for a rookie on a team that started 0-10 and finished 3-13, it was still nothing to be excited about. Carr showed improvement in his second season, finishing with a 61.1 completion percentage and a huge jump in passer rating at 91.1. This improvement led to a 7-9 record and plenty of optimism.
His best season was last season, where he again showed improvement, getting his completion percentage to 63.8 and his passer rating to 96.7. He led the Raiders to a 12-4 record, but still has room to grow. His improvement has been evident, but he will need to continue to improve as a passer and a leader.
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Carr continues to learn how to be a leader. His ability to improve at both, and maintain both at a high level, will result in Carr winning the Super Bowl with the Raiders.