LUXURY CARR
Can QB power Raiders, unlikely 2-0, to playoff run?
LAS VEGAS — Derek Carr never has been considered one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, mostly because the Raiders rarely were winners during his first seven seasons as the starter. But maybe all of that is starting to change.
Two weeks into his eighth year, Carr leads the league in passing yards and his team is 2-0. It’s only two games and obviously no time to overreact. Still, the Raiders were underdogs in both games and expected to be 0-2, so there are questions worth asking.
Of the seven teams in the league that are 2-0, four teams (Broncos, Buccaneers, 49ers, Rams) were favored in each of their two games and two teams (Cardinals, Panthers) were favored once. Only the Raiders were ’dogs in both games.
Are the Raiders for real? Is Carr’s hot start sustainable?
“I’m not buying it yet,” DraftKings sportsbook director John Avello said. “Carr just put together two of his best games ever, so can he continue to do that? I don’t think so, and I’ll tell you why. I don’t think Jon Gruden is a good coach.”
In the fourth year of a 10year, $100 million contract, Gruden has yet to produce a winning season in his second tour with the Raiders. He went 4-12 and 7-9 in Oakland and finished 8-8 last year, the franchise’s first in Las Vegas. To be fair, Gruden needed time to rebuild the roster, and he’s got a tall mountain to climb with the Chiefs being the dominant team in the AFC West.
To be realistic, this is the year Gruden needs to show something, and the same is true of Carr. With a coach who’s a self-acclaimed quarterback guru, Carr always is under pressure to produce or be replaced. Offseason rumors linked the Raiders to Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, three unhappy quarterbacks who wanted trades.
In victories over the Ravens and Steelers, Carr totaled 817 passing yards —
the most by a Raiders quarterback in a two-game span in franchise history — and four touchdowns while outgunning Lamar Jackson and Ben Roethlisberger in statement-making upsets.
“In the NFL, you never want to take anything for granted, but there are two big reasons why the Raiders can make a playoff run,” said VSiN’s Brent Musburger, the radio voice of the Raiders. “One, Carr is an underrated QB. Two, [new coordinator] Gus Bradley has improved the defense dramatically. Big question: can the offensive line get out of the blue tent? Stay healthy and the playoffs are a real possibility.”
In the preseason, oddsmakers tagged the Raiders with a season win total of either 7 or 7.5, and DraftKings posted Las Vegas as a 22/1 long shot in the division and a 7/2 proposition to make the playoffs.
Nobody is predicting a Chiefs free fall or a Raiders rise to the top, but it’s not pure fantasy. It’s worth remembering that Carr is off a year in which he passed for 27 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He also put the
team in position to sweep Kansas City last season, passing for six touchdowns and leading the way to 71 points in a split of two games against Patrick Mahomes.
It’s also true the Raiders started 2-0 last year and were 7-5 before fading in December.
Las Vegas is a 3.5-point home favorite against the Dolphins in Week 3, when two other 2-0 teams will collide in a true test of strength.
The Rams are 1-point home favorites against the Buccaneers. Is Matthew Stafford ready to outshoot Tom Brady? Tampa Bay boasts the league’s No. 1 scoring offense at 39.5 points per game.
The Cardinals are No. 2 in scoring offense (36.0) behind red-hot Kyler Murray, whose seven touchdown passes rank second to Brady’s nine. Arizona is a 7-point favorite at winless Jacksonville.
“The Cardinals are in a division that’s extremely tough, but I look for that team to make the playoffs,” Avello said. “I like the quarterback. Murray is very talented, and he might be the fastest quarterback
in the league.”
The NFC West features three 2-0 teams, including the 49ers, who survived a road trip through Detroit and Philadelphia. San Francisco is a 4-point favorite against Rodgers and the Packers on Sunday night.
The Panthers, off a convincing victory over the Saints, are 7.5-point favorites at Houston to open Week 3 on Thursday. Carolina shows promise with the return of running back Christian McCaffrey providing a boost to new-look quarterback Sam Darnold, a Jets castoff.
“There’s going to be a surprise team during the year,” Avello said, “so why not the Panthers?”
The Broncos, who opened with road wins against the Giants and Jaguars, are 10.5-point favorites over the Jets. Denver’s soft early schedule leaves the door open for doubts.
Who’s for real? The Buccaneers, 49ers and Rams. Who’s phony? The Broncos, Cardinals, Panthers and Raiders still have a long way to go and a lot to prove.