The Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers seemed to have swapped places for a day last Sunday.
The Raiders played tough, fundamental football, made enough of the right plays at the right time and escaped with a pretty thorough victory over a San Fran team that seemed somewhat distracted, discombobulated and unable to get out of its own way.
At the game's most important position, there was an even more stark contrast.
Colin Kaepernick, the one-time stud, dual-threat, future of the quarterbacking position and the 49ers organization, played an extremely poor game filled with missed opportunities and head-scratching mistakes.
Derek Carr, the neophyte NFLer with only 12 games of starting experience under his belt played a smart, sound game more reminiscent of a savvy veteran than a rookie facing a vaunted, supposedly Super Bowl-worthy foe for the first time.
At age 23 and still in his first year in the league, has Carr already shown enough to be dubbed the future face of the franchise in Oakland?
According to Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated's MMQB, the answer is a resounding "yes."
"Carr makes adjustments at the line of scrimmage," Benoit wrote. "He throws with conviction and velocity, suggesting that unlike a lot of young passers, he trusts what he sees and is willing to anticipate and attack tight windows.
"His fundamentals are encouraging though, granted, inconsistent. That inconsistency will abate once (O.K., if) he is surrounded by better receivers and a stronger running game."
Carr has been forced to operate with limited receiving options - James Jones and Andre Holmes don't scare NFL defenses - and a revolving door at right tackle. The lack of a formidable running game also limits Carr and the Raiders by making their offense one-dimensional.
"Despite the limitations around him, Carr has maintained the willingness to play from the pocket. That's something many coaches-for example, Jay Gruden in Washington-yearn for with young quarterbacks," Benoit explained. "Carr has a feel for the subtle footwork required to reset and throw when a receiver needs time. Not having had to make throws like these in college, scouts were unsure whether Carr would be able to do that in the NFL. (His brother wasn't.)
"Many of Carr's best throws have come against man coverage, often when aided by specific man-beater route combinations, which Oakland's wideouts need."
If the Raiders can improve some key spots on the offensive line and add a few more weapons in the offseason, Carr seems to have the potential to blossom into a true franchise quarterback in only his second year in the league.
