Carr, Mariota share the same pain
Both quarterbacks broke their right fibula hours apart
ALAMEDA » Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota are bonded by a fracture.
The rising young NFL stars sustained season- ending broken right fibulas hours apart last Christmas Eve. And each quarterback will take his first big comeback steps Sunday when the Raiders face the Tennessee Titans in the regular- season opener in Nashville.
Carr and Mariota have talked only briefly over the years, but they recognize their shared experience. Both are young players known as much for their charismatic leadership style as their arms.
“I love him,’’ Carr said Wednesday. “Sometimes I don’t really talk to my brothers a lot either, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love them. ... I really think that he’s a great leader. He’s very poised, very accurate, very mobile and makes great decisions, especially in the red zone.”
Mariota said the feeling is mutual.
“I’m glad to see him healthy,’’ the quarterback said on a conference call with Bay Area writers. “He’s a great guy, someone very nice and it’s always very cordial when we get to meet each other.”
With those pleasantries out of the way, the combat begins Sunday.
Mariota threw 26 touchdown passes last season to become the third quarterback in Titans franchise history with at least 25 touchdown passes a single season. The others are George Blanda and Warren Moon, back when the team was known as the Houston Oilers.
Mariota’s passer rating of 93.8 ranks sixth in NFL history after two seasons.
Now, Mariota will open a season of great expectations against the Raiders defense that finished 26th in the NFL last season. There are a lot of people in Tennessee banking on a big step up -along the lines of what Carr did between Year 2 and Year 3 of his career.
“Another similarity,’’ Carr said. “We both have seen a lot of things. A lot of blitzes. A lot of different coverages. As you continue to grow, I like to say that we get faster and the game stays the same. ... He’s going to no- tice that. He probably already noticed stuff in training camp.”
Carr was merely a pretty good quarterback for a mediocre team in 2015 before transforming last season into an MVP candidate for a 12- 4 juggernaut.
He did so thanks to an improved supporting cast and more mature decision-making. After throwing 12 interceptions as a rookie and 13 the following year, Carr cut the total in half with 6 last season.
In all, Carr threw picks on just 1.1 percent of his passes in 2017 to tie Aaron Rodgers for fourth in the NFL. The only quarterbacks better were Tom Brady (0.5 percent). Sam Bradford (0.9) and Dak Prescott (0.9).
Is it Mariota’s turn for a big leap forward?
“I think they’re really similar careers, the way they’ve started and their progression,” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. “Hopefully Marcus can do what Derek has done. I think Derek has gotten better and better, and I love his confidence. Marcus understands the game. He’s very studious when it comes to this game. I think he sees things much faster and knows what’s going to happen more now than he ever has.”
Mariota’s decision-making in the Red Zone is already preposterous. From inside the opponent’s 20yard line, he has completed 60 of 94 passes and has a 114.6 passer rating. Incred- ible but true: Mariota has thrown 33 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in the red zone.
The big difference between Carr and Mariota, of course, is that only one of them runs.
For that reason, that broke leg was extra alarm- ing for Mariota. He said Wednesday that he was 100 percent ready for the regular-season opener.
That means Sunday will be a matchup between two quarterbacks looking to put their best foot forward.
“They have both rebounded and had good off seasons,’’ Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said. “They’re both good, young players. I think that’s certainly part of the story line for this week. ... I know both teams are glad they have their guys. They’re both healthy and ready to roll.”
• Defensive end Khalil Mack was a full participant in practice after missing the previous day with a knee injury.
Place kicker Sebastian Janikowski was again limited but ESPN reported he had agreed to a restructured contract which will drop his salary from just over $4 million to $3 million, with a chance to get back $250,000 should he make 83 percent of his field goal attempts.
Cornerback Gareon Conley was limited in practice and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. didn’t sound overly optimistic about the first- round pick playing against Tennessee.
“You have to work off the rust a little bit, trying to get his footing right,” Norton said. “It’s been awhile, so he’s got a lot of work to do.”