IN CARR THEY TRUST
QB’s adjustments at the line are paying off at key moments
ALAMEDA — Derek Carr had a good idea what his coaches’ reactions were when he dropped back against the Chargers and fired a fourth-down pass toward the end zone to Michael Crabtree.
“I laugh,” Carr said, “because I know what they were thinking: ‘We didn’t call that.’ ”
The Raiders’ 34-31 win last week over San Diego was powered largely by the decision Carr made to audible late in the third quarter as Oakland faced fourth-and-2 from the Chargers’ 21-yard line.
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave called for short slant routes by both Crabtree and Amari Cooper to pick up the first down, but Carr read single coverage on the outside with a safety in the middle that wouldn’t be able to help over the top.
Carr barked out his audible, gave a quick glance
to the right to Crabtree, then connected with him on the fade route despite strong coverage from San Diego cornerback Casey Hayward.
And, contrary to what Carr assumed, Musgrave and the coaches didn’t have that ‘‘What is he doing?’’ reaction.
“We have an idea of the adjustments he can make at the line of scrimmage,” Musgrave said. “We have certain routes that we like versus certain coverages and certain routes that we like versus others. He knows his criteria and he applied it perfectly there.”
The ability to change plays at the line isn’t new to Carr, who did plenty of it as a rookie in 2014 under former offensive coordinator Greg Olson.
“(Olson) let me do everything at the line,” Carr said. “That was just his system.”
Carr had some freedom last year in Musgrave’s first season in Oakland, but it’s increased as the third-year quarterback has gained more knowledge in Musgrave’s offense.
“I think probably every year you’re in a system, you evolve and the system evolves to handle things that you see,” Musgrave said.
Carr is developing into a premiere clutch quarterback, with that play as the latest evidence. He currently leads the league with a passer rating of 114.8 while trailing in a game to go along with a 66.3 completion percentage and seven touchdowns and no interceptions in those situations. His leadership has helped the Raiders to a 4-1 start and alone in first place in the AFC West after the Denver Broncos lost Thursday to the San Diego Chargers.
And the better he does, the more freedom coach Jack Del Rio and Musgrave are willing to afford him.
“As he’s made good decisions and made accurate throws in those situations, we give him more leeway to do those things,” Del Rio said.
Carr wouldn’t have it any other way.
“That’s the way I love to play,” Carr said. “I love having a lot put on my back.”
And while Carr may joke about how Musgrave or quarterbacks coach Todd Downing might react to a particular audible, he in fact knows they don’t mind him doing so.
“It’s nothing outside the framework of what they want me to do or being aggressive and those kinds of thing,” Carr said. “I would never be an insubordinate. I’m not like that. I try and stay in the framework and run the offense the way coach Musgrave and coach Downing want it.”
Raiders cornerback Sean Smith has already matched a career high with his two interceptions this season — a surprisingly low total for a player around the ball as much as he is.
“Early on, we knew he had good instincts,” defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. explained. “We knew he had good knowledge. But he always dropped the ball.”
That rings true going back to Smith’s exhibition debut with the Raiders, when he dropped a potential interception against the Arizona Cardinals. He also saw one incredulously go through his hands in another exhibition game against Tennessee.
“We put him on the Jugs machine and we threw the ball to him often,” Norton said. “We talked to him about how to catch and we have certain drills set up for him. We really individualized his drills to make him aware what his weaknesses are. He really listened and you can tell it’s shown in his ability to get his hands on the ball often.”
Smith has responded. He had his first interception in Week 3 against the Titans, picked off a twopoint conversion a week later against the Ravens and had an interception of a deep pass in Sunday’s win over the Chargers.
Running back Latavius Murray (turf toe) missed practice again and his chances of playing Sunday are looking slimmer. Right tackle Vadal Alexander (ankle) also missed practice. Austin Howard, who replaced him for 11 snaps after he was injured Sunday, is no longer on the injury report and should be healthy enough to start.