Oakland Raiders Need Derek Carr to Bounce Back with Big Performance in Week 2

Derek Carr went down with an injury in Week 1 of the NFL season, but the Oakland Raiders need him to bounce back with a big performance in Week 2.

Oakland expected to see Carr come out in his second NFL season and have a huge year. He showed signs of being a legitimate franchise quarterback last season, which is exactly what the franchise has been needing for years. They still think they have just that, but they are hoping that he can show them more signs against the Baltimore Ravens.

It isn't going to be an easy game and Carr has to be a bit concerned about the way that Baltimore's defense played against the Denver Broncos last week. Carr is going to see quite a bit of pressure and will be forced to make quick decisions against a very talented secondary.

During Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Carr ended up completing seven of his 12 passing attempts for 61 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He struggled throughout preseason work, which was a concern for quite a few Oakland fans that have seen talented quarterbacks fail for their franchise. Carr isn't the same type of quarterback that those players were, however, and should be able to prove that this week.

Looking ahead at Week 2 against Baltimore, there are three things that Carr must do to bounce back strong.

First and foremost, he has to stay healthy. That may seem like a dumb point, but health concerns have ruined many NFL careers in the past including recently with Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. Carr likely won't have those issues as he is more of a pocket passer than a playmaker with his legs.

Secondly, Carr has to focus on mixing up his passes to the targets that he has been given. He still doesn't have star laden receiving corps, but he does have first-round pick Amari Cooper who is more than capable of putting up big numbers for the Raiders. Carr has to figure out how to work the football around to everyone and make his players better around him.

Thirdly and finally, Carr needs to take leadership of the offense and becomes the guy that his teammates look to throughout the game. Leadership is something that can take a quarterback from being good to great and Carr is ready to take that leap. He may be young, but he showed last season the qualities of being an excellent leader.

Needless to say, it will be very interesting to see what kind of game Carr has against the Ravens this week. Oakland is hoping to get back on track after a disappointing Week 1 performance. They were expected to take a big step forward in their rebuilding process, but that didn't happen last week.

Expect to see Carr get back to being the dominant quarterback for the Raiders that many thought they would see this season and to get his year back on track.