Individual accomplishments mean nothing when compared to the success of the team, but sometimes you have to marvel at what someone has been able to accomplish over the course of their career.
In his fifth season with the Oakland Raiders, Derek Carr has done a lot to help the team succeed. While the Raiders fell 40-33 Sunday afternoon to the Kansas City Chiefs, No. 4 did all he could to try and lead his sideline to victory, and notched another milestone in the process.
Earlier this season, the former Fresno State Bulldog surpassed former Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica (16,665) for third on the team's all-time passing list, and in Week 13 Carr eclipsed another Raiders legend, Rich Gannon. During his six seasons with the team, Gannon accounted for 17,585 passing yards, 114 touchdowns, and until Sunday sat second all-time on the Raiders' passing leaders list.
After moving into second all-time, Carr now sits just 1,445 yards behind Hall of Fame quarterback, Ken Stabler (19,078). For someone who grew up watching the Silver and Black, Carr appreciates the significance of his accomplishments, but cares more about the success of the team.
"It's very humbling, again, my dad was a Raiders fan growing up," Carr said postgame. "Kenny Stabler was his favorite, and I got to grow up watching Rich [Gannon] play, and Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, and all those guys, man. To be able to be up there, it means a lot to me, don't get it twisted. You guys know me, I just want to win, and I hate losing, but for those things to be there in my heart it means a lot. Now, can we translate it into some more wins? I'd give you all the yards back for some wins, but at the same time it's very cool, it's very humbling, and it shows me that I haven't done anything yet. We've got a long way to go."
Carr finished Sunday's game with a passer rating of 123.2, 285 yards passing, completed 76 percent of his passes, and threw three touchdowns. It was an impressive performance from the signal-caller, and he kept the offense within reach of the Chiefs for most of the afternoon.
Over the course of Head Coach Jon Gruden's career, he's met and coached some of the best quarterbacks around the league, and he helped Gannon in the early 2000s capitalize on his potential. Gruden has said for months now that Derek Carr is a primary reason why he decided to put the headset back on, and he reiterated those feelings postgame.
"That's why I'm here coaching," Gruden said in reference of Carr. "I enjoyed it, I enjoyed them both [Carr and Gannon]."
It's been a rough season for the Raiders as a whole, but Gruden and Carr are laying the foundation for what's set to come. As the two continue to build chemistry, No. 4 and the offense will start producing more consistently and effectively. Through 12 games this season, the Raiders have showed glimpses of what they're capable of when it's all clicking. At only 27 years old, Carr's career is far from over, and it'll be fun to see how he builds on his skill set in the future.
Next week, he'll try and defeat a talented Pittsburgh Steelers defense, and out-duel Ben Roethlisberger at home in a Week 14 battle.
