Oakland Raiders Building Around Two Big Blocks

Dec 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks to throw a pass against the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The 2nd-Round Pick

Carr does not lie when he says he’s going to be the same guy in wins as he is in losses but it’s even deeper than that. He’s the same guy when he’s not playing well and losing as he is when he’s playing well and winning. He shook off a shaky start with the coverage being tight and the pass rushers getting to him to figure things out and get the job done.

Carr was 17-34 for 214 yards two touchdowns no interceptions and a quarterback rating of 89.6 on the day. Those aren’t big numbers but that was the same Buffalo Bills defense that held Aaron Rogers to 185 yards, two picks and a rating of 34.3. They also held Peyton Manning to 173 yards, two interceptions and a quarterback rating of 56.9.

So you can see that he figured them out just like he’s figuring this whole NFL quarterback thing out. A big part of his figuring-out process was remembering he’s a good athlete that can extend plays with his legs instead of throwing the ball away. He also showed leadership by holding himself and the team together through the rough start and set the example of staying in the game when hurt.

Carr is showing everything that you can show in a franchise quarterback and Harbaugh will choose him over Michigan this offseason. On the season now, Carr has 3,112 yards passing with 58.9 completion percentage with 20 TDs, 11 INTs, and a quarterback rating of 77.7. With those numbers, Carr is more efficient than both Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck in their rookie years while they had more help than Carr has.