Raiders QB Derek Carr Ranked in Top 15 Prior to Week 1

One NFL Ranking puts Carr just behind Colts quarterback Matt Ryan.

The Las Vegas Raiders have a solid franchise quarterback under Derek Carr.

Steven Ruiz from The Ringer ranks him the 13th best quarterback entering Week 1 behind Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford and Matt Ryan.

“(Derek Carr is) a comprehensively talented quarterback who just needs to live a little,” Ruiz said.

According to Ruiz, Carr’s biggest strength is his pre-snap.

Ruiz says, “Carr isn’t keen to hang around too long in the pocket—look, those hits freaking hurt—so it’s a good thing that he usually has a good idea of where to go with the football before it’s snapped. His quick release is made possible by a deep knowledge of the playbook and the foresight to address any issues that could pop up once things are in motion.”

There’s no question Carr’s strength and knowledge of the playbook have been an advantage when a split-second decision matters.

However, as some may have observed, Ruiz says Carr lacks creativity which might be his biggest weakness.

“The most frustrating thing about Carr’s aversion to improvised plays is that he has all the necessary tools to be good at it,” Ruiz said. “Look at his combine numbers! He’s fast, agile, and has a strong arm outside of the pocket. He just doesn’t use that talent nearly enough.”

In other words, Carr sticks to the playbook and only the playbook for the most part. Granted, he has a new head coach this year under Josh McDaniels and first-year offensive coordinator under Mick Lombardi.

The playbook the new offensive staff brings and if they push Carr to be creative on the field, may be two big factors on whether Carr and the rest of the offense can succeed this year.

The first regular season game against division rival Los Angeles Chargers is this Sunday at 1:25 PM PT / 4:25 PM ET.

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