ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders were in the market for a quarterback in the spring of 2014.

Their short list included Matt Schaub, Mark Sanchez and Michael Vick. After acquiring Schaub in a trade with the Houston Texans, then-Raiders coach Dennis Allen immediately anointed Schaub as Oakland's starter.

Two months later, though, the Raiders drafted Derek Carr out of Fresno State in the second round. Thanks in part to Schaub suffering from elbow tendinitis in the preseason, Carr won the gig and has not looked back since.

Except, come Sunday in the Superdome, Carr will be looking directly at his past in Allen, who was fired after four games of that 2014 season and has resurfaced as the New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator.

Though Dennis Allen, back, is now in New Orleans, he still keeps in touch with Derek Carr. Brace Hemmelgam/USA TODAY Sports

"Obviously, he's not going to be rooting for me this week, but I just wanted to say ... I was thankful," Carr said Wednesday. "And he knows that. I've expressed it to him, how thankful I am that he not only gave me a chance to play in the NFL but give me a chance to start and trust in me for that. Anytime but this week, I think the world of him.

"But as a coach, he's very smart. He's obviously going to bring some exotic stuff and all those things. You try and prepare for things that maybe he hasn't even shown. I know him; he loves his defense. It's his baby. I know that he'll try and maybe do some unscouted look. You never know."

Allen is not available to the media until Friday, but Saints coach Sean Payton was on a conference call with Bay Area reporters Wednesday and was asked if New Orleans might have some sort of advantage since Allen knows Carr so well.

"I think that would be very overrated," Payton said. "I think, hopefully, we know Derek based on all the film study and all the games, just like they would know Drew [Brees]. When you get the whole season in its entirety and the preseason, you're able to see strengths and weaknesses. You're able to see arm strength, decision making, his ability to run. You're able to see a lot of those things.

"I don't think [Allen’s familiarity with Carr] factors in, really. At times, personnel overall might, when you're dealing with an entire roster, but I don't think specifically [with Carr]. Especially at starting quarterback."

Carr, whose 53 touchdown passes in his first two seasons are the second-most by a QB in his first two years in NFL history -- behind only Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino and his 68 TD passes in 1983-84 -- has already drawn comparisons to Brett Favre as a gunslinger at QB.

But Brees was not offering any appraisals ... just compliments.

"I think he's extremely talented," Brees said of Carr. "I can't say I've seen a ton of film, but over the last two years we have had some similar opponents and so I've had a chance to watch him a little bit. I think he's, no doubt, as good they come.

"He can make all the throws. He seems like a guy who loves football and loves to compete. He's played very well in some high-pressure situations. I think he's one of those guys that I look at and say, of all the young quarterbacks, he probably has the opportunity to be one of the best."

Indeed, Carr is expected to make a jump in his third NFL season. That would be impressive considering he passed for 3,987 yards, 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season.

So who is more responsible for Carr being a Raider ... Allen or San Jose State? Consider: Had the Spartans not upset Carr's Fresno State squad in 2013, his Bulldogs would have played in a BCS bowl, thus giving Carr a bigger stage than the Las Vegas Bowl.

And sure, Carr and Fresno State were thumped by USC in Sin City, but had Carr been in a bigger game, perhaps his stock remains high enough that he is no longer available for Allen and the Raiders to select at No. 36 overall as the fourth quarterback taken, behind Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater.

So sure, Carr vs. Allen might seem like a chess match, but as Carr said, two years is a long time.

"(It) makes a lot of difference," Carr said. "I had some definite weaknesses my rookie year that I had to work on and hopefully I've gotten better at those.

"But ... he did give me my chance. For that, I am grateful and I'm very thankful for him. I root for him all the time ... just not this week."