Those who went out on a limb this preseason and said Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders would be dominant this year have looked like sooth sayers. They have seen those prognostications realized. We Actually kind of saw this coming last preseason. We had a couple exclusive conversations in the summer of 2015, with Jim Nantz and Tony Gonzalez, about the potential of the Raiders to be competitive last season.
Both Nantz and Gonzalez conveyed some optimism for Derek Carr and company. Gonzalez was really very high on Khalil Mack.
They were right about the Raiders making the forward to being decent last season, and now the sliver and black have taken another step forward towards being elite.
They are right up their with New England battling for supremacy in the AFC.
(CBS Sports Network Analysts from “NFL Monday QB” on Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders)
Warren Moon: The guy that makes it all go is Derek Carr, who is having an MVP type season. You throw in Khalil Mack on the defensive side of the ball; he could be the defensive MVP. They’re a very talented team and they have it going on right now.
Rich Gannon: It feels good to say that: the Oakland Raiders are back… Carr has been terrific especially late in games. You look at Mack… Nobody can block this guy. The other thing I like about Mack, he shows up in the running game. He is a complete player at that position.
“He always told me, ‘You’re gonna be praised, and you’re gonna be criticized. Ignore both because neither matter.’ That always stuck with me.” – Derek Carr on what he’s learned from his brother David Carr, while appearing on NFL Network Sunday night after the 38-24 win over the Buffalo Bills
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.