IN DEEP TROUBLE
Carr has had problems making connections with receivers on passes down the field
ALAMEDA >> Derek Carr’s heave for Clive Walford on Sunday soared toward the left pylon, but Walford turned right. Sideline spectators stood closer to the ball than Carr’s intended receiver when it hit the turf.
The Raiders’ quarterback stood near Kansas City’s 40-yard line, left observing another deep ball that fell incomplete. Marquette King trotted out for the second of his seven punts on the afternoon.
Far more often than the Raiders would like this year, Carr hasn’t connected with his receivers on deep balls. According to Pro Football Focus, Carr has only converted
15 of 53 deep balls this season
(targets of 20 or more yards downfield). His
58.6 passer rating on such passes ranks 30th in the league. Both Carr and his head coach gave similar answers when asked why shots downfield haven’t been successful for the Raiders (6-7) this season. Carr: “I don’t know.”
Jack Del Rio: “I’m not sure.” “Each play is its own beast,” Carr said, “so I’m not going to go into just a whole broad scope.”
Plays like the aforementioned clearly feature a route miscommunication, that time between Carr and Walford. Some involve
Carr overthrowing or underthrowing his target. Others can be blamed on receiver drops. Regardless of who’s at fault for incomplete deep balls, they’ve plagued a Raiders offense that’s been far less explosive than a year ago.
This year, Carr’s 15 completed deep balls have resulted in 504 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. Last season, he completed 26 of 56 deep passes for 858 yards, eight touchdowns and only two interceptions. His 117.6 passer rating in 2016, fifthbest in the league, dwarfs his 58.6 mark in 2017. (Stats courtesy of PFF’s Austin Gayle).
Carr has said he thinks numbers can be misleading. But these illustrate a troubling trend that Oakland has yet to solve.
“I think you get opportunities to bring (the ball) down,” Del Rio said. “I’ve always considered him really an accurate deep ball thrower. We’ve taken a few shots and haven’t been able to connect on them, or not as many as we’d like. It’s something obviously, we’d like to have the answer.”
While Del Rio may see his quarterback as possessing pinpoint accuracy on deep passes, this season tells otherwise. Over 42 percent of Carr’s incompletions on targets of 20 or more yards downfield have resulted from inaccurate throws, per PFF. That’s an increase of almost six percent from last season.
Plays like Carr’s deep ball that hit Johnny Holton in the face against New England or the one that bounced off Holton’s hands and was intercepted against the Chiefs last Sunday obviously aren’t the quarterback’s fault. Yet 16 of 53 deep balls falling incomplete because of No. 4’s inaccuracies can’t sound good to the Raiders.
“If we went and watched the film, I’m sure that we could sit there together, and I’d be able to describe to you what happened, all those things,” Carr said. “We just don’t have that kind of time.”
The Raiders, too, don’t have much time. They need to win out and receive help in order to make the playoffs. Oakland controlled its own destiny heading into Arrowhead but squandered a chance to re-write its narrative on a disappointing encore to last year’s breakout season.
Converting on those deep passes would certainly help an offense that remained stagnant for three quarters last Sunday, and it’ll get a chance to do that in a must-win primetime game this weekend.
“We’re not going to wait. We’re not holding anything. We’re trying to execute the best we can,” Del Rio said. “That’s definitely something we haven’t done as well this year.”
• The Raiders placed starting linebacker Cory James on IR with a knee injury Wednesday. James played in nine of 13 games this season, recording 56 tackles and a forced fumble. He’s been a frequent feature on the Friday injury report with a knee issue, and the Raiders finally ended his season after James missed Oakland’s past two games against the Giants and Chiefs. In a corresponding move, defensive tackle Darius Latham was recalled to the 53-man roster. To fill Latham’s spot on the practice squad, Oakland signed defensive end Joby Saint Fleur.
• Oakland’s injury report was a lengthy one. DNP: DL Denico Autry (hand/ankle), WR Amari Cooper (ankle), DE Mario Edwards Jr. (ankle), G/C Jon Feliciano (concussion), S Obi Melifonwu (hip), TE Clive Walford (concussion/ neck), LB Bruce Irvin (rest) and DE Khalil Mack (rest). Limited: CB David Amerson (foot), TE Jared Cook (wrist) and DB Keith McGill (knee).