The Las Vegas Raiders are off to a hot start at 2-0. Quarterback Derek Carr is playing at an MVP level. However, both the team and the quarterback don’t appear to be content with any early success just yet.
The 2021 NFL season is still very much in its infancy. It’s borderline impossible to determine who will and won’t be contenders come December. However, the Raiders, specifically quarterback Derek Carr, are earning some high praise in this young season. While it is warranted after a thrilling win in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens and a more convincing win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, the team isn’t growing complacent. Carr made this abundantly clear with a single sentence during his weekly press conference.
Carr for MVP?
After two weeks of action in the NFL, Carr is second in the league in passing yards with 817. His play was the primary factor in the two victories previously mentioned. Carr’s performance so far has earned the attention and praise of several people around the league. Among those people are former players, NFL news reporters, and the national media as well.
Derek Carr has the most passing yards in a 2-game span in Raiders franchise history (817). Is he the early favorite for MVP? https://t.co/Ifm6IgOj9e
We can all be sure that Carr appreciates the praise. However, it’s evident he knows there’s work to be done to get to where they want to go.
Gas pedal must remain engaged
The Raiders started 2-0 last season and finished with a pedestrian 8-8 record. There is a classic saying that many of us have heard at some point that says, “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.” That holds true to many walks of life, but in the NFL, more so. Being 2-0 should not be ignored nor scoffed at. It’s hard enough to get one win, let alone two in a row. However, the Raiders and Carr can’t afford to let this hot start go by the wayside.
They must maintain the focus that they have shown and continue to play solid football. In Week 3, they will take on the struggling Miami Dolphins. This team is also without young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. However, that doesn’t mean they can take the week off. In the NFL, anybody can beat anybody any given Sunday. If the Raiders want to be taken seriously, they have to win games like this and win them decisively. It is time for the Raiders to show the league they’re contenders and not pretenders.
*
More must-reads: