What determines a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback? Stats? The eye take a look at? System compatibility? It’s onerous to find out, and it’s arguably inconceivable to find out, particularly for quarterbacks caught in horrible conditions for a majority of their careers. Matthew Stafford was fortunate sufficient to discover a approach out of his horrible state of affairs in Detroit and win a Super Bowl with Los Angeles, proving that he was the truth is the high-end expertise that his defenders all the time claimed he was, even when 2022 hasn’t gone fairly as properly. I’ve an odd feeling Derek Carr might observe the identical path.
2022 was Derek Carr’s ninth 12 months with the Raiders. Here’s how his 9 years examine to Stafford’s ultimate 9 years in Detroit on a per-17-game foundation:
Stafford (2012-2020) — 63.3 completion proportion, 4659 yards, 28 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 4.4 TD proportion, 2.1 INT proportion, 7.3 adjusted yards per try, 91.1 passer ranking, 5.9 p.c sack price, 26 fourth-quarter comebacks, 32 game-winning drives
Derek Carr (2014-2022) — 64.6 completion proportion, 4217 yards, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 4.4 TD proportion, 2.0 INT proportion, 7.1 adjusted yards per try, 91.8 passer ranking, 5.1 p.c sack price, 28 fourth-quarter comebacks, 33 game-winning drives
Stafford was 32 years outdated in his ultimate season with Detroit. Carr can be 32 in two months. Both gamers reached the playoffs at the very least twice (though Carr solely performed in a single sport attributable to damage), however by no means managed to win a playoff sport. Stafford endured 4 completely different head coaches in his ultimate 9 seasons with Detroit. Carr has endured seven. Stafford had arguably one of the best large receiver within the NFL for a couple of years in Calvin Johnson. Carr had Davante Adams this 12 months. He additionally had a receiving corps together with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree for a number of years as properly.
Stafford and Carr by the numbers
The similarities between these two quarterbacks are evident, and it goes even deeper than the stats I already talked about. In phrases of adjusted internet yards per try, Stafford posted a mark of 6.44 between 2012 and 2020. Carr has accrued a determine of 6.41 between 2014 and 2022. Stafford had 26 fourth-quarter comebacks. Carr had 28. Stafford engineered 32 game-winning drives. Carr? 33.
I’m not saying Carr can be a sure-fire hit on a unique crew. I might by no means speak in such absolutes. There are positively some worrying stats with Carr. For instance, Carr’s interception proportion has risen every of the final 4 seasons, from 1.6 p.c in 2019 all the way in which as much as 2.8 p.c in 2022. Meanwhile, Stafford stayed put, fluctuating minimally between 1.7 p.c and a pair of p.c in his ultimate 4 years.
Carr’s Raiders have usually had a way more constant working sport between Latavius Murray, Marshawn Lynch, and Josh Jacobs than Stafford’s Lions had with Theo Riddick? Kerryon Johnson? Ameer Abdullah? Joique Bell? 35-year-old Adrian Peterson? Furthermore, Stafford by no means acquired benched for the likes of Jarrett Stidham. However, that was doubtless a preventative measure to make sure Carr doesn’t get damage and value the Raiders an extra $35 million over the subsequent two years.
Despite the considerations, the similarities between Carr and Stafford outweigh the variations by a large margin. Carr remains to be younger, extraordinarily sturdy, and has offered a useful veteran presence within the Raiders’ locker room for years now. I perceive the considerations with Carr’s play this 12 months. With the addition of Adams, he was speculated to take an enormous leap ahead. While Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts skilled great progress with the additions of Tyreek Hill and AJ Brown respectively, Carr stayed stagnant and even perhaps regressed, however I’d argue that had extra to do with head coach Josh McDaniels.
Can Derek Carr flip it round?
Since 2016, Carr has had 5 completely different play-callers. Here is Carr’s passer ranking within the first and second halves of every season with every play-caller.
2016: 90.1 1st half passer ranking, 91.7 second half passer ranking — Bill Musgrave was the play-caller
2017: 88.5, 79.6 — Todd Downing
2018: 89.9, 97.2 — Jon Gruden
2019: 108.8, 91.6 — Jon Gruden
2020: 110.2, 92.2 — Jon Gruden
2021: 90.0, 97.8 — Greg Olson
2022: 96.6, 73.5 — Josh McDaniels
Do you see the difficulty? Carr has confirmed he can nonetheless sling the ball with efficient play-calling, however within the second half of video games this season, Carr turns into his older brother David? I don’t suppose so. That wasn’t an issue in 2021, or the 12 months earlier than, or the 12 months earlier than that, so on and so forth. McDaniels should not know learn how to regulate an offensive sport plan at halftime or one thing as a result of a distinction that giant is probably going not a coincidence. It’s not simply passer ranking both.
Carr within the first half of video games in 2022:
66 completion proportion, 1852 yards, 14 touchdowns, six interceptions, 7.45 adjusted yards per try
Carr within the second half of video games in 2022:
54.96 completion proportion, 1570 yards, 9 touchdowns, eight interceptions, 5.74 adjusted yards per try
McDaniels has held Carr again in 2022, however the place the Raiders are in too deep on McDaniels cash-wise to surrender on him now, Carr’s departure can be way more money-friendly, and thus, he most likely received’t return in 2023. That mentioned, there are a number of groups that might massively improve at quarterback by including Carr to their roster, and he’s positively value a shot and even perhaps a long-term contract. Will he instantly win a Super Bowl like Stafford did? Unlikely. Not solely is that virtually unpredictable, however the Rams additionally had a litany of high-end expertise between Andrew Whitworth, Cooper Kupp, Jalen Ramsey, and Aaron Donald on their roster. Most groups can’t match that degree of all-around expertise, however there’s a shot.
Carr has been undervalued and gone unappreciated for many of his profession, and maybe a change of surroundings is strictly what he must get out of the shadow of the Black Hole.