Derek Carr is, so far, the anti-Colin Kaepernick

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During Derek Carr’s news conference Wednesday, on a concrete slab outside the Raiders’ locker room, the flimsy podium tripod stand holding microphones and digital recorders wobbled and seemed headed for disaster.

Carr, whose reflexes apparently are better than those of the gathered media folks, grabbed the tripod.

“I got it,” he said calmly. “I’ll hold it.”

Now there’s a team man, and we’re not even on his team.

No wonder Carr’s teammates seem to like him.

But is he a nice guy, or is he trying desperately to be loved, or at least noticed? Psychoanalyzing quarterbacks is all the rage in the Bay Area these days, you know.

As I drove to the Raiders’ HQ on Wednesday, sports-talk radio was crackling with quarterback discussion, and it was 100 percent Kaepernick. Sports fans and media are obsessed with the tire fire within a train wreck that is Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers.

Meanwhile, quietly and relatively unnoticed, Carr and the Raiders are kicking rear and taking names with an impressive two-game win streak. A lot of Raiders are playing well, but a lot of that comes down to Carr, the second-year QB who, I’m willing to bet, was the troop leader in Boy Scouts.

He’s the type of guy who probably keeps a lug wrench handy in his car so he can stop and help people change tires.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has two consecutive 300-yard passing games, including Sunday against Cleveland. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has two consecutive 300-yard passing games, including Sunday against Cleveland. Photo: Jeff Haynes, Associated Press Photo: Jeff Haynes, Associated Press Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Derek Carr is, so far, the anti-Colin Kaepernick 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Some say he’s a pretty good quarterback. Potentially great.

Past two games: Great.

It’s really unfair to compare Carr with Kaepernick right now, although it’s a free country, so have at it. But even throwing out Kaepernick’s last game, if you had to pick a star on the rise from between the two local passers, it probably would be the one attracting almost none of the attention.

Carr, working with a new set of coaches, a new offense, new receivers and many new teammates, has picked up where he left off last season. It is happening quietly. Which doesn’t seem to bother Carr. Johnny Manziel, he ain’t.

It’s not that Carr isn’t fiery. Assistant coaches had to calm him down before the game against the Ravens two Sundays ago. But he’s definitely aware that he functions better cool than overheated.

That’s how you have the presence of mind to save a podium full of valuable electronic equipment. Or show elite-level pocket presence.

This is only one stat, and only three games, but Carr has been sacked one time this season, when he ran out of bounds for a 1-yard loss. Basically, sack-free. That requires an effective offensive line, and blitz pickup from backs, but it also requires cool.

Carr is oh-so-grateful for the protection. His older brother, David, holds the NFL single-season sacked record, 76 in 2002, with Houston. In the 13 seasons since then, no NFL quarterback has challenged that record, except David Carr: 68 sacks in 2005.

There should be an annual award. The David Carr Golden Piñata.

David used to sit down with Derek — who was 11 when David set that one-season sacked record — and show him game video.

David would point out good protection, and zero protection. Derek was a rapt audience. Now he’s putting that knowledge to work.

David took 3.4 sacks per game as a starter. Derek is averaging 1.3 sacks.

David has told Derek, “Be thankful. It’s a blessing.”

“As I’ve learned from family experience,” Derek said, “you’ve got to be standing up to be able to throw the ball.”

Carr refers to his linemen as “my best friends. My wife appreciates them. My son appreciates them. I can pick him up when I get home.”

Head coach Jack Del Rio said Carr’s success, including his relative immunity to sacks, is attributable in no small part to study. Del Rio came to Oakland from Denver, where he closely observed Peyton Manning, the gold standard for scholarly quarterbacks.

“Derek has a tremendous desire to really understand pressures and protections,” Del Rio said. “For a young player, he’s advanced in his desire and his appreciation for those things. A lot of (quarterbacks) just want to know where the routes go and where can they throw the ball and how they can use their arm talents. But he’s really been a real student of the game in terms of wanting to understand protections and what the issues are.”

It’s one thing to understand the protections and issues, and another to put that knowledge to work effectively in an actual game. Bouncing back from the shaky season opener, Carr has back-to-back games with more than 300 yards passing and a 100-plus passer rating.

The surprising bounce-back hasn’t been enough to make Carr a hot topic in Bay Area bars, barber shops and on talk radio, but he seems to be cool with that.

Derek Carr contributed to this column by saving the recorder on which the quotes were captured.

Scott Ostler is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. E-mail: sostler@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @scottostler