Raiders News: Derek Carr Makes History Through First Two Games

Originally published by RaidersNewswire.com

The Las Vegas Raiders are off to a stellar 2-0 start, thanks in large part to the efforts of quarterback Derek Carr.

Carr overcame an ankle scare during the third quarter to secure a 26-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. He completed 28-of-37 passes for 382 yards and two touchdowns in the process.

It appears his performance to start the season has helped him make some history.

Carr became just the fourth QB in NFL history to throw for at least 380 yards and multiple touchdowns in the first two games of a season, via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez:

Consider: Carr is just the fourth quarterback in NFL history with at least 380 passing yards and multiple TDs in each of his first two games of a season, joining Drew Bledsoe (2004), Tom Brady (2011) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (2018).

Plus, Carr’s 817 passing yards through his first two games are the most in Raiders franchise history.

While last week’s game script called for a heavy dosage of tight end Darren Waller in the passing game, Carr was able to spread the love this time around. Waller was one of four pass-catchers to record at least five receptions in the win over Pittsburgh.

The most encouraging performance undoubtedly came from wide receiver Henry Ruggs, who finished with five receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. His outing was amplified by a 61-yard bomb from Carr to put the Raiders ahead by two scores in the fourth quarter.

The big game from Ruggs is a promising sign that the former first-round pick has finally started to make some strides in his development. But, of course, he will need to show that he can produce consistently.

Fortunately, Las Vegas has good reason to be optimistic about how Carr has been playing to start the season. They made concerted efforts to beef up his supporting cast with explosive weapons, and it has paid some major dividends for the offense so far.

This group will have a much easier task in Week 3 going against a Miami Dolphins team that is coming off a 35-0 shutout at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. However, another big week could mean more history being made for Carr to begin the year.

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