After Derek Carr fumbled the ball through the endzone, the Raiders saw their playoff hopes all but vanish. On social media, in bars, all over RaiderNation, people dragged him. In all honesty, 2017 remains an extension of the nightmare ending to 2016. Yet, Carr is not blameless in all of this. If you look at the last twelve months, Carr and the Raiders both made giant missteps.

Downing

When the Raiders let Bill Musgrave walk, they elevated Todd Downing to offensive coordinator. Before anyone pines for the days of Musgrave, remember he also exhibited fits of inconsistent playcalling. With that said, hiring someone with no experience to guide the offense cannot be undersold as monumentally inept. Now, Carr does not walk away from this. Downing served as his quarterback coach and they maintain a close relationship. The question of if Carr pushed for the hiring remains nebulous. Granted, loyalty to friends is admirable. Conversely, loyalty to winning should be the goal. Downing failed and neither Carr nor the Raiders seem open to admit that.

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Too Unselfish

When does Derek Carr stand in front of a microphone and question the playcalling. Some label that behavior as throwing someone under the bus. While it is, times warrant such honesty. Everyone could see the offense fail through drops and dink-and –dunk playcalling. However, Carr never wavered from the overall message of team unity. Any outward showing of frustration goes a long way to secure the reins of this team. Derek Carr is the perfect teammate and player. He never chirps just plays. If he added an edgy, some brutal truth, that could cement his status on this team.

Idiotic Comparisons

With fear that some fans/media actually do their homework, Carr sees many unfair parallel. No, he is nowhere near Kyle Boller type of awful. Then again, he is not Tom Brady, either. Derek Carr fits in the Top 15. Now, that list is fluid, but he is above average, not upper echelon elite, yet. With a strong offensive scheme, Carr proved his near-MVP mettle.

In essence, Derek Carr is what people want him to be. Whether that is fair to him, the Raiders, or fans, remains to be seen. He is simultaneously far from perfect and miles above average. If you are honest, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is good but not great, at this point. More importantly, how he bridges that gap is a mystery.