ALAMEDA –Derek Carr has been shockingly efficient early this season, even by his own standards. The Raiders quarterback has 492 yards, five touchdowns, no picks and a 126.5 passer rating over two games.
Not half bad for the $25 million man.
He nearly threw a perfect game against the New York Jets. Carr completed a career high 82 percent of his passes in Week 2, going 23-for-28 for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Accounting for receiver drops and throwaways (one each), Carr only misfired on three passes. All darn day.
The Raiders scored six touchdowns in 10 drives and punted only three times. It's the type of game this Raiders offense is capable of, with maybe the league's best offensive line and a stable of skill players.
Nothing, however, happens without the triggerman. Carr expectedly deflected praise for recent performance.
"The O-line, and the wide outs, running backs did great," Carr said. "With the way we're able to pick up blitzes, we're able to hit go-routes for touchdowns, we're able to push the ball on deep. (Michael) Crabtree going across the middle on a deep route a couple times. You know, without them doing their job, I can't do it by myself. Everyone gives the quarterback credit and all those things because you always touch the ball, but I give all those guys the credit."
Carr has been accurate and decisive working with offensive coordinator Todd Downing, operating with great comfort at the line of scrimmage, before the snap.
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"I think he's done a nice job," Downing said. "And we're not trying to make it a scenario where every play he's walking up to the line of scrimmage and has to evaluate something. We want to him to be able to go play fast. It's probably not as frequent as it may seem, but when he does have those opportunities, he's really done a nice job of helping us out. As I told him, if he sees something that makes me look like a better play caller, have at it."
The offense is in great sync at this early point, which has been noticed by the opposition. Carr has long commanded respect, but it's certainly heightened after an MVP-caliber year in 2016.
"He's about timing," Washington cornerback Josh Norman said, via ESPN. "...He's precise at what he does. It's cool to see. He doesn't have any turnovers, and he doesn't make mistakes. So it's more for us as defensive backs to make plays on the ball because he's so methodical and timing-based on how he does things. He's a good quarterback. He really is. We've got our work cut out for us."