The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t have a letdown whatsoever after their crazy season-opening victory, as quarterback Derek Carr and the offense took it to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ elite defense at Heinz Field in Sunday’s Week 2 showdown.
Carr threw perhaps one of the prettiest deep balls we’ll see all NFL season, hitting speedy second-year wideout Henry Ruggs III for a 61-yard touchdown:
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That third-down money throw ultimately made it a two-possession game, as the Raiders’ improving defense helped keep aging Steelers field general Ben Roethlisberger in check.
Carr is looking more and more like a top-10-caliber QB these days. Las Vegas has often failed him with bad defenses in years past, but his rapport with head coach Jon Gruden is undeniable. They’re very much in sync, and even against a formidable foe like Pittsburgh, these types of explosive plays are possible.
As of this writing, Carr had completed 27 of 36 passes for 357 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 2. This comes on the heels of an overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens in which Carr piled up a whopping 435 yards through the air.
If he keeps this up, maybe Carr will make a case for being a dark-horse MVP candidate – especially if the Raiders can hang tough in an AFC West division featuring Kansas City, Denver and the Los Angeles Chargers.
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