Rodgers 2.0? Packers star, Carr a lot alike
ALAMEDA — Derek Carr is coming off two of his worst games statistically as a pro, which isn’t perhaps the best time to bring up the comparisons to Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers.
But it’s a comparison that’s been made in the past and one that both sides of Sunday’s matchup acknowledged as fair.
“Neither one of them are monsters,” Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said of Carr, listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and Rodgers, who is 6-2, 225. “But they’re both athletic. They both have real quick releases. I think obviously Aaron is a little more accomplished in what he’s doing. But we love Derek, we’re glad we have our guy. I know they’re
glad to have their guy.”
Packers receiver James Jones, who is back in Green Bay after spending last season with the Raiders, might’ve been the first to make the comparison when he referred to Carr as “Baby A-Rod.”
“I can see why he says that,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday on a conference call. “He plays with great confidence, and he can make any throw to any quadrant of the field. I think that’s definitely what you see in Derek. He has moxie, just the way he runs around. He’s also very smart with the football. He doesn’t take sacks. I could see why James would make that statement.”
Cleveland Browns cornerback Tramon Williams, a former Packer, also made the comparison after Carr guided the Raiders (6-7) to a win over his team in September.
Carr humbly concedes he’s not ready to receive that type of praise.
“Obviously, Aaron is so accomplished — MVPs, Super Bowls, all those kinds of things,” Carr said of Rodgers. “I haven’t done anything near that so I don’t compare myself to him at all. He’s one of, if not the best quarterback in our game.”
The numbers, this year at least, do favorably stack up. Carr has thrown for more yards (3,313 to 3,175), has a higher completion percentage (62.2 to 61.2), has thrown the same amount of touchdown passes (28) and has a similar passer rating (Rodgers has the edge at 97.5 to 96.5). Carr has also taken 12 fewer sacks.
Rodgers’ biggest advantage comes in interceptions, with five to Carr’s nine, and he has his team sitting in first place in the NFC North with the Packers (94) marching along to a likely seventh consecutive playoff appearance, which they’d clinch with a win Sunday.
Carr’s last outing — when he overcame an awful first half to rally the Raiders to a 15-12 win over the Broncos — saw him complete a career-worst 41.4 percent (12 of 29) of his passes and his 135 yards were the least of his career, save for this season’s opener when he left in the second quarter with a thumb injury. That followed up his outing two weeks ago against Kansas City when Carr threw a career-high three interceptions.
But Carr remains on pace to become just the third Raiders’ quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards and is six touchdown passes shy of matching Daryle Lamonica’s 46-yearold record of 34 touchdown passes in a season.
Safety Charles Woodson, who spent seven seasons in Green Bay with Rodgers and the past two in Oakland with Carr, sees some similarities.
“I think just mechanicswise, they’re pretty similar,” Woodson said. “Same build, they both can move around the pocket.”
Rodgers has seen a little bit of Carr’s play this year while studying film of common opponents and is impressed with the secondyear quarterback.
“I think he’s had a great year,” Rodgers said. “He has a good group around him, but he really looks like he’s coming into his own and is playing really well. The franchise has to be really happy about the longterm future.”
Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career after tying a franchise record with five sacks in Sunday’s win.
“It’s pretty cool,” Mack said. “It’s exciting, but now it doesn’t really mean much. We’ve got to get prepared for the Packers.”
Asked what came over him in Sunday’s epic outing, Mack said, “It was a must-win situation. You’re playing on the road, playing against a great team, their defense was holding it down so you wanted to make those plays and have some kind of impact on the game.”
Mack sat out Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury, just as he did a week ago. It’s more aimed at getting him rest that letting an injury heal.
Long snapper Jon Condo, placed on injured reserve Tuesday, will have surgery on his right shoulder. His replacement, Thomas Gafford, practiced with the team for the first time Wednesday.
“Working to get him up to speed with our group and ready to roll,” Del Rio said of Gafford.
Amari Cooper missed Wednesday’s practice with a foot injury. He was limited for a practice last week as well with a foot injury and is coming off his first zero-catch game of his NFL career.
Nate Allen, who missed last week’s game with a knee injury, returned to practice in a limited capacity. Neiko Thorpe (neck) was also limited. Right tackle Austin Howard, who injured his knee early in the third quarter Sunday, didn’t participate, and running back Taiwan Jones (knee) also sat out. Woodson (shoulder) took his normal Wednesday off.
Defensive end Max Valles, a Raiders’ sixthround pick who has spent this season on the practice squad, was signed to the Bills’ 53-man active roster.