Derek Carr airing it out as the Raiders build an first-half lead

Derek Carr’s touch and placement in the vertical passing game helped the Raiders build a first-half lead in Denver.

After the Las Vegas Raiders dealt with a week of headlines that had nothing to do with the play on the field, the team finally got back to action on the road against their long-time rival the Denver Broncos.

And the right arm of quarterback Derek Carr played a huge role in the first half.

The Raiders took a 17-7 lead to the halftime break thanks in large part to Carr and the vertical passing attack. The quarterback, who showed last season an ability to push the football downfield that had been missing from his game in year’s past, hit on 13 of 19 passes for 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the first thirty minutes, giving him an impressive 11.1 yards per attempt.

Carr connected with second-year wide receiver Henry Ruggs III to open the scoring in the first quarter:

Notice Carr’s eyes on this play. He opens to the right side of the field first, before flashing them to the left to pick up the streaking Ruggs. You’ll notice that the post-safety is just a step late to react to Ruggs, likely influenced by how the quarterback used his eyes at the start of the play.

With time winding down in the first half, Carr dropped into the pocket and lofted a throw downfield to tight end Darren Waller:

This play needs time to develop, as the tight end works all the way across the field from the left to the right. Carr cannot step into the throw, as he has pressure at his feet, but the touch and placement from Carr on this pass is elite.

How did that possession end? With Carr again using touch and placement on a vertical throw, this time to running back Kenyan Drake on the out-and-up route:

As with the previous play, Carr delivers this throw with pressure in his face. But having identified the matchup he wants — Drake on a linebacker — Carr delivers this throw with pristine touch and trajectory.

Thanks to the play of their quarterback, the Raiders enjoy a lead on the road against their rivals.

And likely some relief from what has been a whirlwind few days for the organization.