Film Room: Why Derek Carr is a worthy starter for the Raiders

Derek Carr is nodding as he walks to the sideline. He knows this is it. He can feel it. The energy of the crowd, his teammates, his coaches. He sticks his right hand out to receive daps and pats and hugs and attaboys from his fellow Raiders. As he walks toward the bench, his chinstrap is still fastened as he slides off the silver and black helmet. He sits on the bench. His backup gives him a dap and then a coach comes over who wants one, too. It’s his play-caller. Theirs is knuckle to knuckle and on the same page, just like a starting quarterback and his play-caller are supposed to be.

The two just finished shredding the Seattle Seahawks' first-team defense on the opening drive. They drove 12 plays for 68 yards, with Carr making big throw after big throw.

On third-and-10 from his 44, he beat the nickel cornerback with a laser throw on a corner route for 13.

On third-and-10 in the red zone, he threw a back-shoulder strike to his outside receiver for 11.

The rookie did it for more than the quarter he played. He threw three touchdowns and drove the offense down for four, completing 11 of 13 passes for 143 yards. He made short and deep throws, evading defensive ends and attacking defensive backs.

On Carr's first touchdown, he dropped back from under center on play action. He snapped his head to his left and pointed his front leg in the same direction as he climbed the pocket. The free safety in the deep middle of the field ran recklessly over the top of a vertical route to that side, and then Carr craned his neck and cracked his hip to the right.

There, his receiver ran past the Seahawks sideline uncovered and into the end zone, where Carr hit him with a 36-yard strike.

After running down the field to celebrate like a young Brett Favre, Carr ran back to the Raiders’ sideline and received more daps and pats.

“That’s how you start fast!” his play-caller yelled.

This is part of the reason why the Raiders felt comfortable announcing Carr as their starter following the game. His arm is stronger than Schaub's and thickens the playbook.

Carr has the strength to make every throw on the field and from a variety of platforms, like from his back foot or without the room to roll his hips. This makes it harder for defenses to sit on the receivers' routes and allows Carr to test tighter windows like he did on his third touchdown.

He was in shotgun set with a single receiver split to his far left. It was third-and-6 in the red zone. Carr took a quick drop and pumped the ball. His feet came together as he waited for his receiver to run his fade route. This was a problem for him in college, but his arm strength frequently compensated. It would here again, as he rifled the ball off of one foot over the flat defender and to his receiver’s back shoulder, where he spun and stretched his arms to trap the ball. Touchdown.

Carr threw his fists up with his back to the camera, his name and number shining in the spotlight.

Overall, the performance was a microcosm of his potential as the Raiders’ starting quarterback. He had done it all preseason, throwing all over the field and particularly succeeding on play action. He had the second highest passer rating on play action in the preseason with 116.9, according to Pro Football Focus.

But the second-round pick from Fresno State still has room to grow. His aforementioned base has a habit of crumbling under him because he anticipates pressure, which he’ll deal with a lot of in his first game against the New York Jets.

Rex Ryan and the Jets defense will bring pressure from various angles, showing blitz on one side of the defense and bringing it from another. They’ll test Carr’s pre-snap and post-snap ability, forcing him to recognize the defense and find his hot routes, as well as avoid making turnovers. If he keeps his base intact, he’ll be able to get the ball out before the pressure comes and shred the Jets’ secondary like he did the Seahawks.