Derek Carr has been a top-six fantasy football QB each of the last two weeks
The greatest theme song for any team. I realize that I post that video in many of my articles, but you know what? I don’t care! The Raiders are 4-3 on the season and actually look like a competent NFL team. I’m excited! Raiders fans all over the country are excited! It’s been a long time in the making, but there is Joy in Mudville.
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A big reason for the euphoria has been the development and play of second-year quarterback Derek Carr.
| CMP | ATT | CMP% | AVG | TD | INT | RAT |
| 150 | 229 | 65.5% | 1,793 | 15 | 3 | 105.7 |
He is tied for fifth in the league with 15 passing touchdowns. The impressive part is that he doesn’t rank within the top-10 in completions, attempts or yardage. He has been hyper-efficient and made the most of the opportunities.
LIKE A SURGEON
To become a surgeon requires four years of undergraduate school, four years of medical school and up to 10 years of residency. The complexities of the human body are so vast and the consequences of operating on it are so immense that it makes sense. It takes time to absorb all the material, but more importantly, it takes time for things to become second nature. In the chaos of the emergency room, a surgeon must remain calm. The brain must be allowed to decipher the situation and figure out the best way to address it.
Playing the quarterback position in the NFL is akin to being a surgeon. Defenses are complex and constantly adapting. The consequences of making a mistake are not a matter of life or death, but there is pressure. The position requires cognitively deciphering how best to exploit the defense as 250-to-300 pound lineman are charging to tear your body apart. The fundamentals better be ingrained because there is only a two-to-three second window to make a decision and execute.
Derek Carr is a surgeon. A young one, but a surgeon nonetheless. He played four years in college and four years in high school. What happened earlier in his life is what separates Carr from many of the other players in the league and allows him to play at the current high level.
Derek had an older brother, David, who happened to be the No. 1 overall pick of the Houston Texans in 2002. At an early age of 11, David would sit down with Derek and break down tape. He’d ask questions, tutor him and teach him how to decipher defenses and figure out protections. Dan Greenspan of NFL.com wrote a great article in 2014 detailing the relationship.
If you watched last Sunday’s game against the Jets, describing Carr as a surgeon would be apt. He was not sacked and torched one of the top passing defenses for 333 yards and four touchdowns.
OUTLOOK
Below is the remaining schedule, with the rank in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks (lower=more generous).
| TEAM | OPP RANK |
| PIT | 19th |
| MIN | 21st |
| DET | 4th |
| TEN | 20th |
| KC | 18th |
| DEN | 32nd |
| GB | 22nd |
| SD | 16th |
| KC | 18th |
The schedule does not look favorable on paper, especially that meeting with Denver. With that said, Carr did pass for 249 yards with a touchdown during their Week 5 showdown. He did throw a costly pick-six, but the Raiders were in that game and able to move the ball pretty effectively. With the way he dissected the Jets last week, Carr could be matchup proof.
What helps make Carr potentially matchup proof is his supporting cast. Amari Cooper is a straight stud. If you don’t believe me, listen to Darrelle Revis. “The sky is the limit for him. A special player, he is.” On the other side, Michael Crabtree has been a force. He actually has two more receptions than Cooper and is tied for 17th in the league.
While Latavius Murray has been inconsistent, he does have two 100+ yard games this year and is a threat to score on any possession. Just having the threat of a competent running game keeps opposing defenses from teeing off on Carr.
The offensive line has been great in 2015. FootballOutsiders.com has Oakland’s line rated No. 10 in run blocking and No. 1 in pass protection. They’ve definitely been helped by how quickly Carr gets rid of the ball. Among quarterbacks that have thrown at least 100 passes, Carr ranks third in the number of sacks taken this year.
This GIF sums up why I am so optimistic for Carr’s future prospects. The Broncos are the top-rated pass defense in the league and just held Aaron Rodgers to 77 yards passing. They send the house on Carr. Not only is Carr able to decipher where to throw, but he stands strong in the pocket knowing that he’s going to get blasted.
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Carr has the physical tools, the cognitive ability, emotional makeup and experience to succeed in the NFL. He has the supporting cast as well. It’s going to be fun watching Carr and the Raiders going forward. Enjoy the ride.
Stan Son is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.
