Quarterback Derek Carr
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was outstanding Sunday, not only leading his team to a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but also breaking the Raiders single-game record for most passing yards in a game with 513. The third-year quarterback fueled a majority of the team's success on offense , as he tallied 526 total yards on his own. The previous record holder was Cotton Davidson, who threw for 427 yards back on October 25, 1964.
This is the Raiders best start since the 2001 season, when quarterback Rich Gannon was under center for the Silver and Black, and now 15 years later, the team has a new quarterback at the helm, and he's putting up some serious numbers.
"It's great, I'm not going to lie to you, I was so overcome with emotion when someone told me that out there," said Carr. "That is stuff you dream of as a kid."
Carr dispersed the ball to an arsenal of weapons, connecting with a variety of receivers on multiple occasions. He attacked the Buccaneers secondary with the assistance of his receiving weapons. Amari Cooper shared in the festivities by hauling in 12 passes from Carr for 173 yards (both career-highs), and a touchdown. On the final play of the game, it was only fitting that Carr closed out the overtime thriller with his fourth passing touchdown of the day to wide receiver Seth Roberts.
In his third year in the league, Carr has continued to show why he is a franchise quarterback, and has been noted by many NFL analysts as a potential MVP-candidate this season. After completing the first half of the regular season, the Fresno State-product has amassed 2,321 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, and limited his interceptions to just three.
After his monster performance on Sunday, Carr currently ranks fifth in the league in total passing yards. He's also tied for third with Aaron Rodgers for passing touchdowns, and trails established veterans Matt Ryan and Drew Brees.
His passion for the game, determination to succeed, and leadership skills are all a piece of what makes him such a special player. At the end of the day, Carr isn't preoccupied with caring about his individual stats, all he wants is to win.
"I'm only 25 years old so I have a long way to grow," Carr said. "But I am just trying my best to every game play more confident."
Head Coach Jack Del Rio shared his thoughts with his quarterback's performance on Sunday, "I think we'll continue to see good ones from him," he said. "He's very confident, he's got some weapons that he's utilizing, and he had a heck of a performance today."
The Raiders quarterback is all about the team, and although his career day is impressive, he's most likely more excited that the team came away with a hard-fought victory Sunday.
