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Q: You've had a number of fourth-quarter drives that you put the ball in the end zone but you didn't get the win. How much bigger was it to have one pay off with a win?**
Carr: "It meant so much. It did. Especially being the first one. My brother, of course we're so competitive. So, he of course let me know that he did it on his first try. Just the way that it's happened, just the way that it's unfolded this year for us, like you said, we have put the ball in the end zone late in games plenty of times. Obviously, it didn't result in wins, so you kind of look at it and you're still upset about it and all those things but the fact that this one was a winning touchdown or a winning drive, that made it nice. It showed us that we had all that practice at doing it, and we finally put it together when we needed to."
Q: In the fashion that it took place, how much does that help with your confidence?
Carr: "To be honest, I am very confident from the start. Never arrogant, just extremely confident in my teammates and just what we can do. I will say it was a relief that it ended up in a win. I was tired of coming in the next day and having to watch the film on a loss. Everything is better when you win. I learned that in this league too. There was still some things in that game that you want back and always. It's been the same way the whole year, but when you win, you can look at those things and say, 'OK, we won but let's fix these things.' It's the first time we've gotten to do it, so it was kind of nice. Confidence-wise, I am always extremely confident. We've played against some really good football teams, and I've been extremely confident in all of those."
Q: You've talked a number of times about the conversations you've had with your brother. Do you talk to him every week about football, about the games and what's coming up?
Carr: "I wouldn't even say really about football. I talk to him every week, not really about football, really making fun of him or stuff like that, as brothers do. He fires back because he knows football, so he knows what plays are made. He's like, 'Why did you throw it there? What are you doing?' Those kind of things, just as a big brother would. Football-wise, it's probably 10 percent of what we talk about. When it's something to be said, he'll say it. He'll speak his mind and all of those things. But, never to step on toes or anything. He just wants the best for me."
Q: T.J. McDonald said on the conference call today that you guys have crossed paths. What do you know about him and how long have you known him?
Carr: "I've known him for awhile. He came out, I think it was his first year, in the offseason to our practices and wanted to do some seven-on-seven work. He wanted to get some one-on-one work. Of course. We're all about getting better for our receivers as well. He would come out and do those things. I've known him then. I've known him, obviously, because his dad coached on our staff, so I've known him then. His brother, everybody. I've known them all. I've known him for a long time. I don't know exactly the years or anything like that, but I've known him a long time. As a player, the guy is physical. The guy is awesome. He was great in college running around hitting people. He is still doing the same thing. You turn the film on and you just see him fly around hitting people. I'll have to tell him to calm down a little bit."
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Q: Last week was probably the first week your defense had to really respect your running game. Did you notice a difference in the way the Chiefs were playing you last week in the second half?**
Carr: "They're a team that likes to play a lot of man coverage to begin with, load the box, stop the run. That's what they like to do. So, it's hard to say against a team like that because that's what they do. That's what they want to do, especially with their big, physical corners and those kind of situations. But, the way that we ran the ball, that's my best friend. Those things are awesome, especially those one-play drives. Those feel really good."
Q: This defensive front gets a lot of sacks. Is it a real emphasis this week that you really need to be right on your protection calls?
Carr: "Oh yeah. You turn on the film, you just see their players too. They are so talented. I say that a lot, especially in this league. Obviously, I could say it every week. But, you just look at that D-line, I think they have three first-rounders on the D-line. They are all great players. I could name them all and tell you what they're all great at. It's pretty much everything. Just talent-wise, they're very talented. But yes, you want to be perfect on the calls because you don't want to give these guys any kind of chance to have a free open shot or things like that. You just do your best and you go out there and play. For me, I won't be looking at him, so my eyes will be looking at T.J. most of the time."
Q: Is there part of you as a rookie that one of the special things that you'll take away is a chance to play on the same team as a guy like Charles Woodson?
Carr: "Oh my goodness, of course. Just to be on his team, pick his brain. I've said it before too, have him critique me, have him tell me things that sometimes maybe hurt because I want to be great. I want to be better."
Q: He does that?
Carr: "Oh yeah, he does it. I asked him at the beginning, I told him, 'Hey man, I want to be great.' He's like, 'OK, this is another rookie telling me these things.' But I was being serious and I told him I wanted to. He told me, he said, 'OK.' He gives me advice every time I ask. He'll come up randomly – he's done it before – and say, 'Hey, come talk to me for a second. I need you to do this, this and this.' OK, it's Charles Woodson. Whatever is going to help me get better and be great. Sometimes, it hurts. Not literally, obviously."
Q: Can you give an example?
Carr:"Obviously, I want to keep that between me and Charles, just out of respect to him wanting to give me advice and things, and just some of the things that he said. It's nothing crazy. It's just little things that I can get better at. This was early on."
Q: Like looking off defenders and basic football stuff?
Carr:"Just stuff like that and maybe some things – yeah, it's a variety of things. But he's so willing to help me, it's been awesome. I just watch our relationship grow and to him, me being the 8-year-old pretending I was Charles Woodson at my house to now I'm looking up to him, taking advice from him, trying to be great just like he is, it's something I don't take for granted. Each and every day I try and at least talk to him or pick his brain, or even sometimes just watch. Sometimes that's the best way to learn, is just watch how the guy works when he doesn't even know that you're looking."
Q: Would you call it tough love? He says he likes to give rookies some tough love and truth.
Carr:"Absolutely, yes. I'm glad that he does because it's something that I asked him to do. It's something I was like, 'Man, if there's anything I ever do wrong' – which as a rookie, there's going to be plenty of things that I do wrong – 'tell me,' because I want to be on his level. I want to be a future Hall of Famer like he is. Obviously, I aspire to do these things, and so he is like, 'OK.' So he does, and the cool thing about him is he'll tell you when you do it right, too. I can't thank him enough for what he's done for me."
Q: Have you found that you have to get back in sync with Rod Streater, who you probably didn't work a lot with in camp before he got hurt, or was it more like picking up where you left off?
Carr:"I would say it's kind of where we picked up where we left off, because I've thrown just so many balls in general. Obviously, he might do something at the top of a route someone else does different on certain situations versus certain coverages, which that will come with time and just seeing and doing again. But we had a pretty good feel before he got hurt, especially with anticipation throws. Really, there's so much in knowing how your receivers run routes to trust that OK, I'm going to let this go five steps early, which we had to do especially, I think, back to the New England game. There were a couple of third downs in there where I just – it's one of those things, you have to throw it early. But you know how he runs the route. I kind of have a good feel for him, but obviously, there's going to be little things here and there."
Q: I'm sure all your receivers have different strengths.
What does Rod do really well? Carr:"He's so explosive – so explosive in and out of breaks, which against man coverage is awesome. It's something that we really love to have, his explosiveness, his acceleration out of his cuts. So not just stop-start, just really getting to Point A to Point B a lot faster than a lot of people, just because that's his skill set. And obviously, once the ball's in his hands, he could take it to the house at any moment. That's another thing that he does great. I look forward to getting him back out there. It'll be good."
