Raiders quarterback Derek Carr recalled a sequence of plays during training camp in which he repeatedly threw the ball deep down the field.
“There were some days where we were taking shot after shot after shot and just seeing which ones we liked for the season,” Carr said.
Those drills, Carr said, were designed to show that “we have the ability to do that” if defenses make the deep pass a viable option.
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Carr is in the midst of the best season of his career, producing career highs in completion percentage (72.0), passer rating (112.8) and QBR (80.6). He’s also averaging 7.3 air yards per attempt — a stat measuring how far the ball travels through the air — signalling more of a willingness to throw the ball deeper to speedsters like Henry Ruggs and Nelson Agholor. He averaged 6.6 air yards per attempt last season.