Manning, Carr Trending In Opposite Directions
Over an 18 year career, there haven't been too many times when Peyton Manning was not the best quarterback in his division. With the Denver Broncos sidelining Manning for who knows how long with a planter fascia injury, all attention at the quarterback position in the AFC West shifts to Derek Carr.
Carr has been looked at as a quarterback of the future in the NFL, but the way he has played this season has shown that the future is now.
The NFL is a quarterback driven league. If you have the best quarterback in your division, chances are, you have the best team in the division as well.
The Broncos sit atop the division right now with a record of 7-2. While Manning was Denver's quarterback for all of its seven wins, the team didn't win those games because of him. The defense for Denver has been outstanding. The pass rush, as well as the secondary, have given opposing teams nightmares.
Manning hasn't been the same this year. He hasn't really been the same going back to the latter part of last season. It's always tough to watch one of the greatest players of all time suddenly hit that wall where it's just sad to watch them play.
That's exactly where Manning was. It was tough to watch him slowly drop back and put everything he had into a throw just to watch it flutter into the defense's hands.
On the opposite spectrum, however, Carr has made the Raiders relevant once again. His 21 touchdown passes in the first 9 games this season ties the amount he had last season in all 16 games.
He has easily become the leader of a young Oakland offense.
The Raiders are 4-5 and three games behind the Broncos. With just seven games left in the season for both the Raiders and Broncos, there may not be enough time for the Silver and Black to climb atop the AFC West.
However, the Raiders are just one game behind the Buffalo Bills who currently hold the second wild card spot in the AFC.
For Oakland to climb up into a playoff spot and maintain it through week 17, Carr will need to lead the offense over great defenses within the division.
Four of the team's last seven games are against division opponents. One against both the Broncos and San Diego Chargers, and two games against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chargers are beatable, the Raiders have already proved it after beating San Diego 37-29 in week seven. Kansas City and Denver, on the other hand, may not be so easy for Carr and the Raiders.
The Broncos were able to hold the Raiders offense to just 10 points in a 16-10 victory over the Silver and Black.
Carr threw for just 249 yards with one touchdown and one interception. It wasn't the best performance, but since that game, the Raiders quarterback has thrown for 13 touchdowns in just four games.
The second year quarterback is heating up at the perfect time.
The 18th year quarterback is also doing good things at the perfect time. Not so much for the Broncos, but for the Raiders and the rest of the division.
The weight is beginning to shift in the AFC West. While the records don't indicate it at this point in time, Carr and the Raiders are ready to begin the leap as the future of the division while Manning sits back and hopes his team can win without him.
