Four-TD game vs Jets marks Derek Carr's breakout

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The Texans and Browns both passed on Derek Carr in 2014 — in the second round. Houston started Brian Hoyer on Sunday. Cleveland, Josh McCown.

Carr? He was busy shredding the Jets’ previously imposing pass defense. Gang Green entered Week 8 allowing a 54.8 completion percentage and 5.6 yards per attempt, both league best marks. By the time Carr was done, he had completed 23-of-36 throws for 333 yards (9.25 YPA), four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He tallied 163 yards and three scores in his first 15 passes (10.8 YPA).

It was an eye-opening afternoon, but hardly the first from Carr this season. The sophomore starter is now the owner of a 105.7 QB rating, and 15:3 TD:INT total. He’s completing 65.5 percent of his throws, and averaging 7.82 yards every time he attempts a pass. They’re breakout numbers, ones I admittedly didn’t see coming.

[BAIR: Notes: Raiders QB Carr 'made great decisions all day']

Carr was praised for his toughness and decisionmaking as a rookie, but I focused on his 5.46 YPA. I’ve long found yards per attempt to be best representative of a quarterback’s overall playmaking ability. Carr’s first-year mark was an historically bad number, one that put him in tragic company. Here is the complete list of quarterbacks to manage a lower YPA than Carr’s 5.46 since 2001: Blaine Gabbert, Jimmy Clausen, Brady Quinn, JaMarcus Russell, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bruce Gradkowski, Kyle Orton, Mark Brunell, A.J. Feeley, Ken Dorsey, Joey Harrington, Shane Matthews and Chris Weinke.

I didn’t think it was case closed, but if you had told me to wager on Carr’s future, I would have bet against him remaining the Raiders’ starter in 2018, let alone 2025. But then the Raiders drafted Amari Cooper, signed Michael Crabtree and made Latavius Murray their starting running back. Almost instantly, Carr transformed from a caretaker to a playmaker, shaking off a horrendous Week 1 to turn in back-to-back 300-yard performances. What’s followed hasn’t been perfect, but exceeded the expectations of all but the Raider-est of Raiders fans.

Without question, Carr has been not only the best quarterback from his draft class, but since the Luck/Wilson led crop of 2012. He’s a genuine signal calling prospect in a league turning out frightfully few of them. Just like I was overly harsh last season, perhaps I’m being too glowing now. It’s been known to happen in the #takes industry. All I know is, Carr has left me no other choice seven games into his sophomore season. I see the light, and the Raiders see their long-awaited answer at quarterback.

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