Since Jon Gruden has come back to the Las Vegas Raiders for his second stint as the head coach, Derek Carr’s completion percentage has shot up 8% where he’s now completing 70% of his passes. Questions have popped up about whether he’s the right fit for Gruden’s offense or if the Raiders will soon move on from the quarterback.
While Carr may have some issues, it’s also important to understand the context within which he’s playing. Often criticized for his lack of shots downfield, Carr is actually one of the most accurate deep throwers in the NFL.
Since 2016, Carr ranks third for accuracy on targets 20+ yards downfield. Throwing the deep ball isn’t so much the issue as is the frequency with which he throws it.
As his career has gone on, his intended air yards have steadily decreased year after year. But is this by design and a manifestation of the personnel and scheme or is Carr simply not a gambler and more comfortable managing the game through checkdowns?
With that being said, let’s dive into how Raiders quarterback Derek Carr can improve heading into the 2020 season.