**
Q: Coach Sparano brought up the fact that you're the fifth-most pressured quarterback in the league this year. How do you evaluate how you've handled that pressure this year?**
Carr:"Good so far. We were doing a great job of being one of the least sacked teams in the league. That was something that was really important to me. Something, really funny I say it, but something my brother always taught me that was important, obviously, because of he went through, making sure our protection plan was sound and all those things. [Offensive coordinator Greg Olson] 'Oly' and [quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo] 'Flip,' that's the number one thing we talk about every week is protection plan. I think a lot of it has to do with being a rookie, obviously, in our room also. Some teams maybe don't pressure but we expect it, just because I am a rookie, they're just trying to throw looks at you and just trying to get pressure on you and all those things and, so far it's been good though."
Q: Growing up where you did, being in Raider territory, explain to us your take on this 49er-Raiders rivalry now that you're in the middle of it?
Carr:"Like you said, growing up where I did either you are a Raider fan or a Niner fan. I hope to think that Bakersfield and Fresno are turning more Silver and Black than anything. It's definitely something that's important to the fans obviously, I know that, it's very important to them and they always get amped up for it every time that these two teams kick it off and so I know the importance of it to our fans. But to us, it's so important to remember, hey, we have to execute. This is a game, it's going to be another NFL game and that's what our mindset is and that's how we have to take it."
Q: With the 49ers recently owning this series, how can the Raiders gain respect from this team?
Carr:"I don't know, this is my first year here, so, not saying it in a funny way but I wasn't here to be a part of it so I don't know how each side looks at it. I know in my days when I played Boise State they would beat us forever, I knew that feeling and I knew a part of it until we finally could beat them. For me, this being my first time at it, I'm literally taking it this is another game for me. This is another opportunity to go out there against a really good defense, a really good football team and compete against them. Again, knowing how important it is to the fans and all that, but at the same time, keeping focused on it."
Q: Fans have said, 'If we just beat the Niners, I'll be excited about this season.' Do you feel that it could rectify what has happened so far this year?
Carr:"I've had people tell me the same thing, I have. You just take it for what it is. Obviously we go out there and we want to win every game we play, I promise, we do. We're going out there, we're working our tails off, I know I am. Going out here working as hard as I can to bring wins, to see people smile. That's my favorite thing, I've told y'all that before. I don't play it for myself, I play this thing for others. I play it for my faith number one and to see the joy that this game could bring to people. If we can go out there and win this one, it'd be a fun one to see our fans go crazy."
Q: Coach Sparano said Latavius Murray has been cleared to play. Are you at all curious what can this guy do over the course of a longer stretch?
Carr:"Yeah. Obviously what he's done already, I know it's only a couple carries here, a couple catches here, but you can't take it away from him. The guy went out and did it. You've got to be excited for him for that. He's done a great job of staying the course and staying positive. Obviously like we talked about before, he was the third-string guy. He dealt with this injury now. He's going through a little adversity on top of what our team is going through, so to see him just stay positive and keep working through it has been awesome to see because it says a lot about him and his character. To go through this time and still have the right mindset, but I will be excited to see obviously what he can do obviously with more touches. Hopefully it's more 90-yard runs."
Q: You guys have 27 passes completed on third down, but short of the first down stake. Do you give that stat much thought or credence?
Carr: "I don't, especially with this last week. Last week was different, with the way that they were playing and certain things. But before that, it's hard enough to complete a pass so you can't really pass on the open guys in this league. Obviously, I am learning how to manipulate coverages with my eyes or my drop or my shoulders and those things to push the ball down the field. We did some things in this last game where 'Flip' [quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo] was teaching me these things and we went out and did it a couple of times. I got to see, 'Oh, I can really do these things.' So, I'm learning, but at the same time, like I said, I am going to run the play to the best of my ability. If No. 1 is there, I am going to give it to him, and hopefully we can get the first down that way."
Q: Do you think teams are trying to manipulate you into throwing that ball short?
Carr: "Absolutely. We're taught also when those things are happening, versus certain blitzes and it depends on what protection you're in, you know there is a time clock. You know what pressure is coming, you know what the coverage is, you have to get the ball out. You have to get it out because there are one-on-ones, and those are tough blocks. So, that's the way that, obviously, quarterbacks are trained and taught, but there is a fine line finding it. You do it one way, you do it the other way, it's bad either way. You have to find the right line to where it works for us. So far, we're getting completions, but obviously we want more first downs. Hopefully, tomorrow is a big day for us on third downs and we'll have a good day at practice doing it."
Q: For instance the touchdown pass against the Chiefs where James Jones made that double move, that was a play that you hung with and waited until a guy cleared?
Carr: "Yeah, and it was based on coverage too. They had no help in the middle. They were playing their zero flats deal, where there was no help in there. The guy knew he was going to jump a short route. That's why we were able to throw that certain route. If they had a safety in the middle of field, I would have been getting called other names. (laughing)"
Q: Do you have any familiarity with Colin Kaepernick at all?
Carr: "Yeah, so we never really hung out with him or anything like that, but obviously our teams played and I watched him run up and down the field all the time with his 4.2 [40-yard dash time] it seems like. I definitely watched him play. Our teams definitely met a couple of times."
Q: That was in college?
Carr: "Yes, in college."
Q: Despite the fact that they've lost some guys due to injury, that linebacking corps is still pretty explosive off the edges. Can you talk about the challenge of facing this front with pass rushers everywhere?
Carr: "Absolutely. I feel like that's something that comes up every week. We play the Seahawks with all their rushers, Denver with their rushers, Kansas City. I can go on and on – obviously Houston. You can go on and on about all these teams with great rushers and this is another one. Obviously, it presents the challenges that are there. They're obviously talented. It's easy to see that when you turn the film on and they're running right through people and around them and all those things. You have to be able to schematically do some things. Also, you have to trust that we can win our one-on-ones as well. That's what it comes down to in this league, I've learned. Each man has to win, and hopefully we can do that on a consistent basis. We know the challenge it's going to be, especially against these guys."
