A Look Back on Derek Carr's Raiders Debut

Derek Carr made an immediate impact on the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders in his first start.

Sep 7, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) takes the snap from center Stefen Wisniewski (61) during the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

September 7, 2014. 

A new era was underway for the Oakland Raiders. 

The team selected Fresno State star Derek Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, intending to make him their quarterback of the future. 

Quarterback of the future, Carr did become. 

His first game came on the road against the New York Jets, who boasted one of the best defenses in the league. 

They ended the year poorly overall but ranked sixth in total defense. Their offense could not move the ball, leading to their failures that season. 

Nevertheless, Carr was a 23-year-old, fresh-faced rookie trying to make a name for himself in the NFL. He became the first Raiders rookie quarterback in franchise history to start the season opener. 

Carr’s first career pass went for no gain to fullback Marcel Reece. He threw his first touchdown pass to Rod Streater on a short route on third-and-goal. That drive came after Charles Woodson intercepted Geno Smith.

After that touchdown drive, he struggled to move the ball, and the Raiders had to punt on eight straight drives. The Raiders went 3-of-12 on third downs, which was not an encouraging start to Carr’s career. 

In the time the Raiders were not moving the ball, Smith flipped a shovel pass to Chris Johnson, who punched in a touchdown to put the Jets on top going into the half. 

The Raiders’ defense played at a high level in this game. They held Smith to just 6.1 yards per pass and sacked him twice. The defense did its job, giving Carr multiple opportunities to take the ball down the field and score. 

However, he struggled to move the ball. He averaged just 3.9 yards per pass and was also sacked twice. 

The Raiders trailed by just six in the fourth quarter before Chris Ivory took a 71-yard run to the house to put the Jets up 19-7. 

Carr floated a beautiful ball to James Jones from 30 yards out, who brought it in with one hand for a touchdown. It was just a five-point game. 

The Raiders could not recover the onside kick, and the Jets spoiled Carr’s debut. 

Despite the loss, Carr showed enough to convince Raider Nation that he had what it took to be the Raiders’ franchise quarterback.

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