Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Oakland Raiders: Friday Fact or Fiction

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October 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes the football against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Derek Carr will throw an interception: FICTION

After the 2015 regular season, there was a legitimate argument to be made about who the better quarterback was – Derek Carr or Blake Bortles. Heading into week 7 of the 2016 season, the answer couldn’t be more clear. Blake Bortles might still have a higher ceiling than Carr in the long term, but it’s no question who the more polished, effective, winning passer is right now.

One of the biggest positives about Carr is the steady progress he’s made since his rookie year. Carr has gotten noticeably better in almost every aspect over the last two years, culminating now in what has been a borderline MVP season. He was directly responsible for two game winning touchdowns and he’s been instrumental in orchestrating key 4th quarter drives to win games.

Carr has never done well under pressure, but the Raiders have done an outstanding job of surrounding him with one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. Carr still sometimes falters against good pass rushes, but luckily for him the Jaguars don’t have one of those yet. Yannick Ngakoue and Dante Fowler Jr. have been just OK so far and that spells trouble against an accurate and efficient guy like Carr. Don’t expect any interceptions this Sunday.

Next: The Jaguars are going to win maybe

The Jaguars surprised me (sort of) by pulling out a road win last week against the Bears. I didn’t think they had the fortitude to win a game against a worse opponent on the road under Gus Bradley. Despite the win, I’m not convinced this is a good team. The Jaguars had an extra week to prepare for the Bears and they looked like garbage on offense for the better part of three quarters before putting together a few drives at the end. That won’t work this week against one of the better offenses in the NFL.

And oh yeah, Jack Del Rio is coming back to the place that kicked him out the door unceremoniously. The Jaguars have been a laughingstock ever since. I think Jack will have the Raiders ready to go this week.

PREDICTION: Jaguars 17 – Raiders 30

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