NFL

Raiders' Passing Offense is Falling Short

Carr and the Raiders are dinking and dunking down the field instead of challenging defenses the way they did it in 2015 and 2016

Coming into this season, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr brought a reputation as a swashbuckling playmaker with a quick release, eager to throw into the heart of defenses and go deep often.

Yet in Sunday’s 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Carr was an entirely different quarterback.

As Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com noted, 70 percent of Carr’s throws Sunday went five or fewer yards downfield. That’s the highest percentage of Carr short passes in a game in his NFL career, noted ESPN Stats & Information. He was 16-of-21 on those throws, but had just 106 yards – 5.04 yards per attempt – only five first downs and an interception.

In fact, Carr is averaging just 6.6 yards per attempt this season, his poorest average since his rookie season of 2014, when it was 5.5. The past two seasons Carr’s average yards per pass attempt was 7.0. His yards per completion average of 9.7 this season is also far below his averages of the past two years, 11.4 in 2015 and 11.0 in 2016.

Against the Chargers, Carr attempted only three passes that went 15 or more yards downfield. And, for the season, noted Gutierrez, Carr is just 7-of-16 on those deeper throws, for 185 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

It seems to be a regression for Carr, who had excellent numbers in 2016 when throwing deep, completing 26-of-56 for 858 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

After Sunday’s game, Carr said the lack of a deep-passing game had nothing to do with the back injury that forced him to miss the team’s previous game. The Raiders simply were taking what the Chargers defense was allowing.

“They play really soft zone coverage,” Carr told reporters. “That’s just what they do. … Pressure and hide some things. Usually when they play soft, you have to take those. We had some bigger plays that were called back and some questionable things.”

Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated’s Monday Morning Quarterback noted in a story Monday that the Oakland offense this year looks much different than the one run by previous offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.

Wrote Benoit: “Musgrave leveraged the power running game into first- and second-down aerial deep shots (often with extra men pass-blocking). He also used presnap motion and formational wrinkles to texturize the quick passing game and create matchup problems. We’ve seen some of this from new offensive coordinator Todd Downing, but only bits.”

The Raiders – now 2-4 with four straight losses – now face a must-win game Thursday night against the 5-1 Kansas City Chiefs, with just three days to prepare. If the Oakland offense is to be more effective than it has been over the past four games, Benoit says the offense will have to change. Downing must make some adjustments to allow Carr to throw strikes downfield.

“When waters get rough, an offensive coordinator must build rafts,” wrote Benoit. “The Raiders’ offense is young and talented, on the field and the sideline. Downing must open up his scheme.”

Thursday night’s game at the Oakland Coliseum is set for a 5:25 p.m. kickoff.

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