Derek Carr Will Be X-Factor For Oakland Raiders In Week 10

By Chipper Bounds @iCAB_Sports on November 5, 2014

To say that a quarterback will be the X-Factor in a game is normally not much of a stretch, but for the 0-8 Oakland Raiders, quarterback Derek Carr is far and away the most important player on the team.

Saying that the Raiders have had a poor season thus far is a huge understatement, as the team is currently on pace to finish the season 0-16. Things will not get any easier for them this Sunday, as they host Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

The Oakland defense has been surprisingly strong this season, as they are currently ranked ninth in the NFL in total defense. The issue has been the offense which ranks dead last in the NFL and will need to seriously step it up if they are to compete with the Broncos high-powered offense.

So far this season the Raiders offense has been remarkably one-sided as their run game has been virtually non-existent, averaging a paltry 65 yards per game. Because of this, Carr has been called upon to carry the offense, and the rookie hasn’t done a poor job considering the state of the rest of the offense.

The reason that Carr is the X-Factor for the Raiders this week is because the Broncos are almost guaranteed to put up at least 30 points. Derek Carr will have to play the best game of his young career if the Raiders are going to have a chance at beating the Broncos and winning their first game of the season.