Is Derek Carr the best quarterback in NFL?

An absorbing question was posed connected an ESPN speech amusement Tuesday greeting arsenic portion of a statement astir which NFL backmost they wanted to pb their team.

It was a reasonably mean statement this clip of year. Only it came with a twist, particularly for semipermanent followers of the Raiders.

The question being asked: Would you instrumentality Derek Carr implicit Kyler Murray of the Cardinals and Russell Wilson of the Seahawks?

The twist being, each 3 are playing arsenic good arsenic immoderate backmost successful the NFL. Which begs an adjacent much pertinent question: At the moment, is Carr the champion backmost successful the NFL? And if so, tin helium prolong it implicit the remaining 15 games and, perhaps, beyond?

The erstwhile is not arsenic farfetched arsenic you mightiness imagine. Carr leads the NFL with 817 passing yards — 128 much than Murray and 137 much than Patrick Mahomes. Against 2 historically tough, carnal defenses helium has completed 66 percent of his passes with 4 touchdowns against conscionable 1 interception portion compiling a backmost standing of 104.1.

In addition, his 12 completions of 20 oregon much yards are tied for archetypal successful the NFL. He’s outplayed some Lamar Jackson of the Ravens and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers and, astir importantly, led the Raiders to a 2-0 grounds and a stock of archetypal spot successful the AFC West.

The second remains to beryllium seen. But with the endowment astir Carr arsenic bully arsenic it’s been his full career, his mastery of Jon Gruden’s discourtesy successful afloat bloom and the beingness of a much-improved defense, each the indicators are pointing successful the close direction.

The idiosyncratic slightest amazed is Gruden, who stuck with Carr erstwhile helium took implicit 4 years agone successful spite of truthful galore radical predicting helium would enactment Carr connected the archetypal autobus retired of municipality successful favour of “his guy.”

Hence the praise Gruden heaped connected Carr aft his show against the Steelers successful Pittsburgh.

“I’ve been clamoring astir Derek Carr since I got here,” Gruden said. “Hopefully helium gets immoderate designation for what helium did today. Against 2 large defenses, 2 weeks successful a row, and it’s a large crushed we’re 2-0.”

This is simply a processing story. Please cheque backmost for updates.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore connected Twitter.