NFL Oakland Raiders

Derek Carr Will Be X-Factor For Oakland Raiders In Week 7

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By @MWCompton

Derek Carr Raiders

Robert Stanton-USA Today Sports

Oakland Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano made the right call in opening up the offense and turning it over to rookie quarterback Derek Carr last week against the San Diego Chargers. The decision nearly led to an upset and the first win of the year for the Raiders, as the poised first-year signal caller responded by throwing four touchdown passes (a Raiders rookie record) in a 31-28 loss.

Now that he is playing with more confidence than ever, Carr, who isn’t shy about throwing in the direction of big-play cornerbacks and faces another one on Sunday in the Arizona Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson, is the Raiders’ x-factor in Week 7.

Like any rookie quarterback, Carr struggled early, but he appears to be gaining confidence with each start and is steadily improving. In his breakout performance against the Chargers, he set the tone early with an impressive 77-yard touchdown pass to Andre Holmes on the initial drive of the game.

Carr amassed 282 passing yards and earned a 107.7 passer rating despite throwing one interception. The intelligent pocket passer with a rifle of an arm was also effective on third downs, completing six passes (three for touchdowns) for 184 yards.

On the season, Carr has thrown for 1,016 yards, connecting on 102-of-167 attempts for a completion percentage of 61.1 and has thrown eight touchdowns to five interceptions. Carr spreads the ball around, but his favorite target is eight-year pro and former Green Bay Packer James Jones, who has caught 26 passes on 35 targets for 328 yards and three touchdowns.

James should know a thing or two about talented quarterbacks, having played alongside Aaron Rodgers. James said earlier this year that Carr reminds him of Rodgers and refers to Carr as a mini A-Rod. If Carr follows Rodgers’ trajectory, the Raiders definitely have the franchise quarterback they have longed for.

Carr hails from a football family and attributes his accelerated development in the NFL to his older brother, David Carr, a former quarterback for the Houston Texans. Carr says he used to watch game film with his brother when he was 11 years old.

The early tutelage appears to have paid off. Carr understands defenses and is more prepared for what’s being thrown his way than the average rookie quarterback. The maturity is evident, as Carr doesn’t appear to be in awe of anything he sees on the field.

In his young career, Carr has already successfully challenged accomplished corners in New England Patriots’ Darrelle Revis in Week 3 and Brandon Flowers of the Chargers. He isn’t likely to back down from Peterson on Sunday, especially with his recently granted freedom on offense.

The Raiders’ running game improved last week in Sparano’s first game at the helm. Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew combined for 114 yards on the ground in Week 6. If the rushing attack continues to flourish, keeping opposing defenses honest, Carr will have more opportunities to take advantage of his strong arm in throwing the deep ball.

The Raiders may not have the firepower or experience to defeat the Cardinals on Sunday, but based on last week’s improved performance against the Chargers and behind a reinvigorated running game and Carr’s leadership, the Raiders have plenty of upside as the franchise continues to build for the future. Carr’s football smarts and arm strength should be enough to keep Raider Nation engaged until the talent translates to wins.

Michael Compton is a Jacksonville Jaguars writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter at @MWCompton and connect with him on Google.

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