Why Derek Carr Is Oakland Raiders' Most Pleasant Surprise After 3 Weeks

Back in March when the Oakland Raiders traded for Matt Schaub, head coach Dennis Allen immediately named him the starting quarterback. A month later, the Raiders traded away Terrelle Pryor. This left only Schaub and Matt McGloin on the roster, further solidifying Allen's prediction.

But this was before the draft. This was before the Raiders didn't try to trade up from their second-round spot and were rewarded for their patience when Derek Carr fell in their lap.

With his arrival, the speculation immediately began regarding not if but when Carr would take over as starter. Five games into the season? Eight? Next year?

As it turned out, the wait was much shorter than expected, and Carr has been the Oakland starting quarterback since the final game of the preseason. The question was, did Carr earn the spot, or did he just avoid being as ineffective Schaub?

Through the first three games of the season, Carr has not only shown that he deserves to start, but he's also begun to establish himself as the franchise quarterback this organization has been desperately seeking for more than a decade.

Earning the Job

Entering the preseason, the starting job was still Schaub's to keep. Carr was firmly entrenched as the backup, and that's where he was going to stay. But as he played more snaps and Schaub continued to struggle, he showed signs that he wasn't as far behind as the coaches expected.

Then, heading into the final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, it was reported that Schaub would sit, and Carr would get the start. Expectations were tempered knowing that the rookie would be going up against the NFL's top defense.

There was always the hope that Carr would have a good enough performance and earn the starting job. But in reality, the more reasonable expectation was that he would at least show he had progressed since training camp.

But in that game against Seattle, he didn't just play well—he was exceptional. Instead of just holding his own, Carr stepped onto the field and took over the game.

Preseason Week	Passes/Attempts	%	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	RTG
4	11/13	85	143	11.0	3	0	152.1

In only one half of play, Carr far surpassed all expectations. He showed off the rocket arm he'd exhibited in college while also displaying great touch. Even though it was just a preseason game, it was still by far the best performance by a Raider quarterback in years.

But it wasn't just the video game-like stat line that was so impressive. He was poised in the pocket, and he looked totally in control of the offense as he called plays and consistently made the right decisions. Both mentally and physically, he was in complete control of the action.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The insertion of Carr into the starting lineup led to the entire team playing with an energy that hadn't been seen in a very long time. The offense looked confident, and the passing attack was actually dangerous. Even the defense fed off the energy as it flew around against the Seahawks offense.

The starting job wasn't given to him. He took it. But would he be able to perform as well during the regular season?

Big Arm and the Accuracy to Match

Plenty of big-arm quarterbacks enter the NFL every year, and history has shown that a big arm doesn't guarantee success. The Raiders know this fact firsthand—remember the stories of JaMarcus Russell's 70-yard throws from his knees?

Coming out of college, one of Carr's biggest assets was his arm strength, both in distance and velocity. This, combined with his quick release, gave him the tools to be a dangerous passer. But none of that would matter if the ball didn't go where it was supposed to, and many questioned his accuracy.

Through the first three games of the season, Carr has shown that he has the accuracy and the touch to go with the arm strength. He's completed 63 percent of his passes, ranking him 21st in the league. To put in perspective, Peyton Manning, ranked ninth in the league, has completed 66.7 percent of his passes, a difference of only 3.7 percent.

This makes Carr about average in regard to completion percentage, which isn't a bad place for a rookie to be three games into his career, especially when he's ranked in the top 10 for pass attempts.

QB Completion Percentage Through Week 3 (partial list)
Rank	QB	Attempts	Percentage
1	Austin Davis (STL)	94	72.3
9	Peyton Manning (DEN)	111	66.7
15	Brian Hoyer (CLE)	95	64.2
21	Derek Carr (OAK)	108	63.0
25	Joe Flacco (BAL)	122	61.5
32	Drew Stanton (ARI)	62	51.6

Carr has thrown three interceptions, although only the first one was on a truly bad throw. His second interception, in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, occurred when he was hit as he threw, and a defensive lineman caught the football as it fluttered through the air.

On the third interception, from this past week against the New England Patriots, Carr hit Denarius Moore in the hands. Moore took his eyes off the ball, and the Patriots intercepted it off the bounce.

However an interception occurs, the result is the same. But it's worth noting Carr's limited role in two of the three picks and the fact that they weren't the result of poor decision-making.

His accuracy has been aided by the generally conservative play-calling, but as he's been allowed to go down the field more often, there's been no drop-off. As a rookie, there was always going to be room for improvement, but he's already been more accurate than expected.

Surprising Mobility Keeps Plays Alive

In all of the talk of Carr's arm, his mobility has gone virtually unnoticed. But he's much quicker than he's given credit for, and he's been able to use that ability not to run, but to create more time and improve the passing game.

Of this season's rookie quarterbacks, all of the attention regarding running ability was about Johnny Manziel and the quickness and speed he displayed in college. Per NFL.com's Chase Goodbread, Manziel ran a 4.68 40-yard dash at the combine.

What many didn't noticed was that Carr finished right behind him with a time of 4.69, making him the seventh-fastest quarterback at the combine.

Beck Diefenbach/Associated Press

It's easy to miss Carr's mobility, although it was on display in Week 2 as he took a quarterback keeper 41 yards. But he never has been nor will he ever be a running quarterback. He has only five official rushes through three games, and that big run was the only designed run.

Despite facing three of the better defensive lines in the NFL through the first three starts of his career, he's only been sacked twice. The offensive line has certainly played well, but this has as much to do with Carr's ability to escape pressure and still make the throw, and this is where his mobility is really on display.

What's most impressive about this is that the ability to run hasn't caused Carr to panic. There have been times when he could've taken off running, but he hasn't. Instead, he uses his legs to buy more time. He keeps his eyes downfield and is always looking for a completion. This displays a great deal of maturity for a rookie and an understanding of his role within the offense.

The "Intangibles"

This is one of the more difficult areas to look at because it is, by definition, indefinable. Several factors are encompassed here, such as vision and awareness. Perhaps the most important item on this list is leadership, something the Raiders have lacked for most of the last decade and something that Carr has already been able to provide.

USA TODAY Sports

Through the first three games of the preseason, there was an excitement that was lacking from the Oakland roster. The team seemed to be going through the motions. That all changed when Carr got the start in the final preseason game.

On both sides of the ball, the team suddenly looked as if it was expecting to make plays, not just hoping for them. This has carried over into the regular season. No, the results haven't been there yet, but the team now has a leader it believes in.

There's an excitement around the Raiders that things are finally going to turn around. The team is no longer a patchwork roster that might be successful. There's now a real foundation of young, talented players who the team can build around and find consistent success. So far this season, Carr has been the biggest reason for this change in mentality and attitude.

Room to Improve

Carr has thrown three touchdowns, but he has just as many interceptions. Whether they're his fault, they're still his responsibility. He has avoided making any major mistakes that cost the team a game, but as the leader of the offense, it's his job to keep turnovers to a minimum.

He's also struggled finishing drives. The offensive play-calling has improved over the first three games, and Carr has been given more opportunities to make plays as the offense has opened up. While he's completed more passes, the most important stat, points, hasn't improved. The Raiders have managed only 37 points all season, worst in the league.

This was especially frustrating in Week 2 against Houston, when the Raiders actually outgained the Texans in total yardage 364 to 327, yet they only scored 14 points and still lost in embarrassing fashion.

The same offensive deficiency was evident last week in New England as the offense managed only nine points despite successfully moving the ball through four quarters. The offense failed to take advantage of a surprisingly effective showing from the defense, and the responsibility for this falls on the quarterback.

Carr has played only three career games, and it's expected that he'll have plenty to work on. He hasn't come close to replicating the performance he had against Seattle. Still, he's shown that he has the ability to be the quarterback Oakland has been searching for since the retirement of Rich Gannon.

There have been growing pains, and they'll likely continue throughout the season. But Carr has already been Oakland's most impressive player, and with each performance, he further establishes himself as Oakland's franchise quarterback.

Unless otherwise noted stats provided by ESPN.com.

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