Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr played like a Pro Bowler in Week 1, throwing for 239 yards and a touchdown on 22-for-30 passing in the team's 34-30 win over the Carolina Panthers.

He was efficient, responsible with the ball, and accurate. Plus, he spread the ball to nine different Raiders pass-catchers.

The Panthers are used to being victimized by their long-time NFC South foe Drew Brees. In fact, if Carolina fans thought Carr's performance was reminiscent of the great New Orleans Saints QB, well, that's kind of what Carr is going for.

“We model a lot of what we do as quarterbacks based on what he does,” Carr said on Wednesday, speaking about Brees. “He’d rather throw a completion than throw a 40-yard pass for an incompletion. And he has a Super Bowl ring, so he doesn’t care much about it. So I love his game. He keeps the ball moving. He’s efficient. They stay on schedule.”

Beyond the stats, though, Brees and his head coach, Sean Payton, have set the template for a healthy, continuous relationship between a QB and coach. Payton has called plays for Brees since 2006.

Carr and Gruden are now in Year 3 together, and Gruden noted Brees' longevity as a source of inspiration.

“A lot of guys, they get a little bit older, they lose a little bit of interest in it. Perhaps they don’t relate to the young crowd like they used to,” Gruden said on Thursday. “It’s just amazing the effort he continues to put into it. He sacrifices more than people realize. And he’s one of the top four, top five competitors I’ve ever met in my life.”