Scout's takes: Why I'm impressed with Oakland's Carr, Detroit's Stafford

Former NFL scout Matt Williamson writes about the league from an X's and O's perspective. In this week's five observations, he focuses on players who have improved significantly from last season. 

Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders QB

Give credit to Jon Gruden, who has squeezed more from his quarterback this season than last. (He has squeezed more from the team too: The Raiders, 3-2, surprisingly have a winning record.) While scheme and a vastly improved offensive line help without question, Carr has worked his butt off to get better. He's on course to have his best season as a pro, and it isn’t like Oakland is loaded with great talent at skill positions.

Protection is the key with Carr -- he's not a guy who can operate well with a lot of bodies at his feet, something I've noticed since his college days. Recognizing this, the Raiders invested heavily in talent on the offensive line. In 2018, the Raiders selected offensive tackle Kolton Miller in the first round. In the off-season, they made free-agent tackle Trent Brown, a former Patriot who has delivered big-time, the highest-paid offensive lineman in history. (The Raiders have allowed only eight sacks, three behind the league-leading Steelers.)

What stands out for me is Carr's efficiency. He's completing 73.3 percent of his passes, remarkable considering his career mark is 63.4 percent. Carr is an exceptional thrower, with a sharp, compact release, and he throws accurately to all levels of the field.

I've also noticed he has something special going with tight end Darren Waller (37 catches for 359 yards), much as he did last season with Jared Cook, now with the Saints. Now I want to see the Raiders let Carr throw downfield more. He's averaging only 6.9 yards per attempt.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions QB

Early in his career, Stafford was considered a reckless player. Then he was reeled in and became a dinker and a dunker under the pre-Matt Patricia coaching staff. But in his second year with Patricia, the ex-Patriots defensive coordinator, we see the best of both worlds. Stafford is now an outstanding combination of efficiency and aggression.

Stafford (1,387 passing yards, 61.3 % completion percentage) still has the giant arm and fits the ball into small windows as well as anyone. By play design, the Lions are driving the ball deep downfield much more than in the past few years. Smart move.

Stafford also has a good (and underrated) supporting cast, with receiving playmakers at every spot, and an offensive line that is among the best in the NFL. Kenny Golladay (24 catches for 364 yards and four TDs) has become a true No. 1 wide receiver, and rookie TJ Hockenson (15 catches for 187 yards) is a star-in-the-making at tight end. Detroit also has a legit running game, although it was shut down (56 yards) in a Week 6 loss against the Packers. (Detroit should have won, but that's another story.)

Jamie Collins, New England Patriots LB

Clearly Collins does his best work in a Patriots uniform. Go figure. After a 2 1/2-year exile in Cleveland, he is back where he belongs in Bill Belichick’s defense. Collins has played 78 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps, and that includes him resting for a large portion of the Patriots' Week 2 blowout of Miami.

The Patriots (6-0) are undefeated, but the combined records of their opponents is 10-23, and only the Bills (who have a suspect offense) have a winning record. The Patriots allow a league-low eight points a game. I wasn't a math major in college, but if Tom Brady can somehow put up nine points a game, New England should be in good shape.

But I digress ...

Collins (6-3, 255 pounds) is a huge reason for the effectiveness of New England's defense. What I especially like about him is his versatility. He can be deployed as an edge rusher as well as in coverage against athletic tight ends. This excellent athlete also plays the run well, and when it comes to making plays, Collins is exceptional. He already has 4.5 sacks, despite not being a full-time pass-rusher, and three interceptions.

Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR

What a breakout season we are witnessing from Godwin (43 catches, 662 yards), and he's only 23!

As we saw when New Orleans' Marshon Lattimore recently shut him down, Mike Evans is still treated as Tampa Bay’s No. 1 receiver by defensive coordinators. That certainly benefits Godwin, a second-year player from Penn State. But here's the deal: Tampa Bay barely uses its tight ends or running backs in the passing game. Godwin and Evans, who have combined 70 catches, account for a robust 53% of Bucs receptions.

Godwin (6-foot-1, 209 pounds) is a much different receiver than Evans. He's not huge or super-fast (4.42 at combine). He's becoming a great player because of his crisp route running and ability to catch the ball in traffic and be effective wherever he's aligned. Godwin fits Bruce Arians’ vertically inclined passing game and is a much-needed safety blanket for turnover-prone quarterback Jameis Winston.

Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons tight end

Hooper is on fire for a team that's floundering. Too bad, because if he played on the Patriots, this guy would be a superstar. You can tell Matt Ryan loves throwing to the former Stanford star, targeting him 50 times in six games. Twenty-three of Hooper’s 42 receptions (for 480 yards) have resulted in a first down.

As we often see from tight ends, Hooper is hitting his stride in his fourth season. He has a great feel for coverage, finding soft spots in a zone and shielding off coverage players in man-to-man. His ability to separate is superb (he ran a 4.72 40 at the combine), and Hooper clearly has become a sharper route runner as he has matured.  I especially like his ability to run after the catch. He's a much faster and explosive athlete than you might think.

The Falcons (1-5) don't regularly target Hooper deep, but that doesn't take away the luster of his game. Although he racked up more receiving yards (130) in Week 4 against the Titans, Hooper’s best game was in a Week 6 loss to Arizona. He caught all eight of his targets for 117 yards.