San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Quarterback looks to rebound in Denver after rocky opener
There were times earlier in his career, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said this week, when he would see receivers Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree in tight coverage, know he had options elsewhere and still feel a pang of indecision.
“You want to force that pass,” Carr said. “But it’s like, this matchup over here … is a little bit better.”
In Week 1 against the Rams, Carr, more often than not, went with the matchups. As the Rams schemed to take away Cooper and Jordy Nelson, Carr targeted tight ends or running backs on 31 of his 40 throws, following a plan the Raiders had laid out during the week.
Jared Cook caught nine passes for 180 yards, setting a franchise yardage record for tight ends. But that went for naught as the Raiders lost 33-13, with Carr and the offense stalling after halftime and Cooper and Nelson, their top two receivers, combining for just four catches.
For quarterbacks, it can be a delicate balance between playing conservatively and taking risks. Much of the discussion around Carr leading into Sunday’s game against the Broncos in Denver has involved which way he ought to lean.
Cooper, arguably the Raiders’ most dynamic receiver, was targeted three times in the opener, finishing with one catch for nine yards. While the Rams were aware of him, Gruden said there were opportunities to find Cooper during the game.
“If we had more first downs in the second half, had more time of possession, perhaps we would have seen more of Cooper,” Gruden said this week. “But you look at the film, we had him wide open deep. We didn’t go there. He was open a couple times, and for whatever reason we didn’t go that route.” Carr — whose average depth of target in Week 1 was 4.5 yards, according to Pro Football Focus, 29th among quarterbacks — said “there was one” play on which he recalled seeing Cooper open downfield but instead threw to Cook for a meaningful gain.
“That’s the one I was talking about, where you sit there and are like, we had a chance at that (deep route), but there’s a matchup where we ended up picking up the first down,” Carr said. “Where is that fine line? I’m not going to second-guess anytime on the line of scrimmage.”
Carr said that Gruden frequently encourages him if a look isn’t open to “play the team game … ‘Dirt it, come off the field and I’ll get something better the next time.’ ” Carr threw out of bounds intentionally several times Monday night and said he initially meant to throw away the pass he ended up floating to Rams linebacker Cory Littleton for a second-half interception.
Offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who worked with Carr as a rookie in 2014, also referenced the “fine line” in decision-making. But he said the point isn’t to take away Carr’s edge.
“We are always going to be aggressive,” Olson said. “I think that is a mind-set we have offensively, and we never want him to lose that. … Moving forward and throughout his career, we are always going to want him to be a guy that can push the ball down the field.”
That figures to be a challenge Sunday. Denver lost Aqib Talib but returns most of its secondary from a defense that ranked fourth against the pass last season. Carr is expected to have another target in speedy receiver Martavis Bryant, who resigned with the Raiders on Wednesday. Carr and Cooper, though, haven’t produced much in Denver: one catch on 13 targets in two games.
Offensive tackles Kolton Miller and Donald Penn will also have their hands full protecting Carr from Broncos edge rushers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, the fifth overall pick in April’s draft. A return to Denver serves as a reminder of what can happen if they don’t.
It was in Denver last Oct. 1 that Carr suffered lower back fractures on a sack by defensive end Adam Gotsis. Carr missed only one full game to the injury. But Gruden was among those who suggested Carr’s back contributed heavily to his struggles last season.
Carr, who had previously suffered a broken pinkie finger and fractured leg during the 2016 season, insisted this week that the only time he considers that history on the field is after he gets hit.
“I don’t think about it until I’m laying on the ground and making sure everything is all right,” he said. “You don’t think about it in the game because honestly you’re flooded with decisions and coverages, fronts and pressures.”
Still, when the Raiders try to get back up Sunday from the blow they took in Week 1, Carr could use a clean pocket — and a clean game.