Will Raiders QB Derek Carr be able to overcome his cold-weather struggles in Week 8?

Derek Carr is in the middle of the best season of his career in 2020. He’s on pace to set record-highs in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating. In fact, Carr is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the AFC and currently has the seventh-best QBR in the NFL.

However, the biggest test of the season awaits him in Cleveland in Week 8. The Raiders will take on the Browns in a critical matchup that could decide who does and doesn’t make the playoffs in the AFC. Not only do the Browns have a talented defense that Carr will have to beat, but he will also have to take on the weather conditions.

As of Saturday morning, the weather forecast calls for rain and wind gusts up to 40 mph. While that certainly could be a problem for the Raiders, it’s the colder weather that is the bigger concern. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 40s and that isn’t good news for Derek Carr.

Since being drafted by the Raiders, Carr has failed to win a game in which the temperature is below 50 degrees (2-9). Both of his cold-weather wins came in 2015 (at Denver, at San Diego) and he was awful against the Chiefs and Jets last season in the cold. Carr’s passer rating drops to just 71 when playing in cold weather compared to over 94 when playing in a dome or above 50 degrees.

Sunday will be a big challenge for Derek Carr for several different reasons. But if he can clear this hurdle, it will be a big step for Carr to becoming a better quarterback. Keep an eye on the weather in this game as it could easily decide the final outcome between the Raiders and the Browns.

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