The Oakland Raiders’ 2016 season has resembled, as head coach Jack Del Rio likes to call it, a return to greatness. The franchise took a dramatic turn in the right direction, as Del Rio and quarterback Derek Carr embarked on a successful 2016 season.
While the organization seemed to be practically moving to Las Vegas at the beginning of the season, the improvement of the Raiders has Mark Davis and the organization reconsidering their options. The Raiders went from being viewed amongst the bottom dwellers of the NFL to a top-tier franchise in one season, thanks to Carr.
The franchise quarterback made steady improvements during his first two seasons in the NFL, but took a franchise step when he came into the 2016 season. As the vocal leader of the team, the 25-year-old emphasized a trusting mentality, creating varying friendships in the locker room.
The team rallied around their leader, going on to complete their first winning record and playoff appearance since the 2002 season.
During ‘The Herd With Colin Cowherd’, Colin Cowherd took an unpopular opinion and stated that Carr is a bonafide NFL MVP candidate. According to the Las Vegas odds, Carr isn’t even in the top-six ranking amongst candidates, behind the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot.
Earlier this season, Cowherd also made another bold prediction in favor of Carr. During the early stages of the regular season, Cowherd emphatically stated that Carr is a franchise quarterback and will aid the Raiders back to greatness.
In 15 starts this season (with two injury games), Carr totaled 3937 passing yards on 357 attempts, with a career high 63.9 completion percentage. During those games, Carr was able to reach 28 touchdowns, while only throwing six interceptions.
The Fresno State alumnus had seven game winning drives this season, while also playing specifically from the shotgun formation after injuring his finger. Standing with perhaps the best offensive line in the NFL, Carr was sacked the least from any starting quarterback, as his offensive line took pride in protecting him.
While headlining the culture change in Oakland, Carr demonstrated that he lives for the clutch moments and wants to guide the Raiders’ return to greatness. Although his season has been temporarily (depending on playoff results) been cut short, he made a loud statement as to his case for the NFL MVP.
You can watch Cowherd’s compelling case here, via ‘The Herd With Colin Cowherd’:
