Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has had an impressive start to the season. The Raiders were hoping he'd take a step forward in his second year, but they likely didn't expect him to be this good.
Through four games, Carr is completing 62.2 percent of his passes and has thrown for 922 yards with seven touchdowns and just two interceptions. He's been especially effective for fantasy owners who got him for a late round pick or as a free agent pickup this year. Yet he may be in for a tough day against the Denver Broncos this weekend.
"Sorry Oakland, this is not your week," ESPN Senior Fantasy analyst Matthew Berry wrote in his weekly Love/Hate column. "Denver's defense is on a mission this season, and that mission does not involve Derek Carr doing anything against a secondary that has allowed the fewest passing yards per game (185.3) and the fewest passing touchdowns (two) in the NFL."
Denver is also one of the most aggressive teams in the league with an NFL high 18.0 sacks. One silver lining, though, is Carr's improved effectiveness against the blitz this year.
Last season, Carr completed just 33.6 percent of his passes under pressure while throwing one touchdown against eight picks. This year, he's completing 54 percent of his passes when pressured and his 11.2 yards per attempt on such throws leads the NFL.
Also helping matters is Oakland's success keeping Carr upright. The Raiders offensive line ranks in the top five for both sacks (five) and QB hits (15) allowed so far this season. Denver's defense is arguably the best in the league and the Raiders aren't quite ready to make a playoff push just yet. But perhaps this game will be slightly more competitive than Berry is expecting.
