ALAMEDA, Calif. - Derek Carrs rookie season has been like an advanced placement class for quarterbacks.Carr has faced the most fearsome pass rushers, toughest cover cornerbacks and most accomplished defensive schemers throughout the season with the Oakland Raiders.He has faced pressure from J.J. Watt, Von Miller, Justin Houston and Aldon Smith; attempted passes against Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman and Joe Haden; and matched wits against coaches such as Bill Belichick, Rex Ryan and Vic Fangio.The task doesnt get any easier this week when the Raiders (2-12) host the Buffalo Bills (8-6), who shut down Green Bays potent offence last week and did not allow a touchdown pass in consecutive games against Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers.Weve played every good defence this year, all the top ones, all the top pass rushers, which is great, Carr said Wednesday. For a first year, thats what you want to see. You want to see all that as soon as you can early in your career.Carr will have his hands full Sunday. The Bills lead the NFL with 49 sacks and are the only team with three players with at least nine sacks apiece in Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus and Jerry Hughes.Buffalo has allowed just 50 points in winning three of the past four games and held Manning and Rodgers in check. The two star quarterbacks combined to complete 31 of 62 passes for 358 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions the past two weeks.Im not concerned with what other people did, just concerned more importantly about how were going to approach it, Raiders interim coach Tony Sparano said. Derek is a young quarterback, and I get it. ... But hes played against a bunch of good defences right now in a row. Hes had some success against some of those defences.While Carr only has two wins his rookie season, he has shown signs of being a long-term NFL quarterback. He led a late game-winning touchdown drive to beat Kansas City at home last month and then threw three touchdown passes earlier this month to beat rival San Francisco.Following each of those home wins came a rough performance on the road as Oakland was outscored 83-13 in losses at St. Louis and Kansas City. Carr struggled in both those games as the line failed to protect him and he completed only 53.7 per cent of his passes and averaged just 4.2 yards per attempt.You learn a lot about yourself, Carr said. I learned about myself that I can continue to stand in there, take the hits, make the throws I need to make, make the reads I need to make. Thats going to pay off so much.Carr hurt his thumb and ankle in the loss to the Chiefs. He was limited in practice but was able to throw the ball and is expected to start Sunday.While Carr is hoping this experience as a rookie will help him down the road, he knows the future is uncertain in Oakland. The Raiders fired coach Dennis Allen earlier in the season and Sparano is unlikely to keep the job for next season.General manager Reggie McKenzie also could be in trouble following a third straight season of at least 12 losses.The fact that I dont know whats going to happen, thats hard, but right now Im focused on playing my heart out for (Sparano), Carr said. Because I love him, I love him to death, love playing for him. He pushes the heck out of me and I love it. Thats how I love to be coached. ... Not knowing is hard, but Im grateful that I do get to play for him now.NOTES: RT Menelik Watson (foot, ankle), CB Tarell Brown (foot), CB Chimdi Ckekwa (hamstring), DL C.J. Wilson (knee), WR Denarius Moore (knee, ankle), WR Vincent Brown (groin) and TE Brian Leonhardt (concussion) all missed practice. ... The Raiders signed DB Vernon Kearney and WR Greg Jenkins to the practice squad.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL [url=http://www.officialarizonacardinalspro.com/Pat-tillman-cardinals-jersey/]Pat Tillman Jersey[/url] . Beckham finished 2 for 4, adding a double in the first inning. Chicago has won eight of 12 to get back to .500 (27-27). The White Sox are 6-3 against Cleveland this season after losing 17 of 19 to their American League Central rival in 2013. Mike Aviles went 1 for 2 with a walk and drove in Clevelands run. [url=http://www.officialarizonacardinalspro.com/Haason-reddick-cardinals-jersey/]Haason Reddick Jersey[/url] . -- Cole De Vries had a couple of key strikeouts during what could have been the inning that doomed him to defeat against the Kansas City Royals, allowing him to escape further damage and keep the game tied up. 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The NFL creates a unique interest of not who is "the best", but much more who is "the best this week".Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca! Hey Kerry! Im wondering if you could give us some insight as to why Nazem Kadri got away with only a two for running Niklas Backstrom in Wednesdays game between the Wild and Leafs. Every replay showed an elbow to the head of Backstrom, clear as day. Is the fact that a new Ref was in the game? It seems to me that the weak call was at least partly responsible for the chippy atmosphere afterwards. Any insight would be great! Mike in St Paul, MN --- Hi Kerry, During the Toronto-Minnesota game, Nazem Kadri was given five and a game for a hit to the head. While Kadri got the game misconduct, Phil Kessel served the five-minute major penalty. How do they determine what player serves the five-minute major? Do the coaches pick a player to serve the penalty, and if so does that player have to be on the ice at the time the penalty was called? Kyle Moore Mike and Kyle: Nazem Kadri made two very irresponsible decisions with separate hits to the head of Wild goalkeeper Niklas Backstrom at 7:07 of the first period and then to Mikael Granlund at 8:41 of the third. Both of these illegal hits to the head were worthy of a five-minute match penalty! The match penalty, plus any additional penalties, shall be served by any player (excluding a goalkeeper) to be designated by the Coach through the Captain. The player designated, in this case Phil Kessel, must take his place in the penalty box immediately. Kadri got a two minute free-pass on the Backstrom hit by a rookie referee. Things happen much more quickly in the NHL than in the minor leagues. I am confident the young referee will learn from the experience he gained in his very first NHL game. We shall also see if Nazem Kadri is taught a lesson from both of these experiences? The responsibility is place squarely upon every player to avoid contact with a goalkeeper wherever possible. When contact is unavoidable through a collision the player must do everything within his power to minimize the force generated. Beyond zero attempt by Nazem Kadri to avoid contact with Niklas Backstrom he generated what appears to have been excessive force with his elbow/forearm directly to the facemask of Backstrom causing the goalie to crash the back of his head onto the ice. Following the two minute power-play the Wild enjoyed, Backstrom was forced to leave the gamee.dddddddddddd There is a provision for the referee to assess a major penalty under rule 69 for goalkeeper interference as well as major and game misconduct for charging and elbowing. However, given the fact that Nazem Kadri made a decision to accelerate his elbow/forearm with force directly to the face/head (main point of contact) of Niklas Backstrom elevates the call to a match penalty under rule 48 in my judgment. I see this beyond just a player running out real estate and finding himself in an unavoidable collision with a goalkeeper. Nazem Kadri had other options and a much better decision to make; the very least of which was to plant and finish with an extended forceful elbow/forearm to the head of Niklas Backstrom. There is certainly some precedent set in the area of player contact with goalkeepers both inside and outside of the crease. Classic examples of excessive illegal contact with a goalkeeper were demonstrated when Milan Lucic ran over/body checked Ryan Miller which resulted in a concussion to the Buffalo goalkeeper; then Jordan Tootoo crashed into Miller in the blue paint in the goalies very first game back after recovering from Lucic induced "concussion like symptoms"; in a play-off game Andrew Shaw of the Blackhawks caught Mike Smith with a shoulder cap to the facemask as the goalie played the puck behind the goal. The bar of justice was raised after Milan Lucic escaped with only a minor penalty for charging and no suspension. You may recall my reaction the following day in CMon Ref where I stated that a major penalty and game misconduct plus a three-game suspension was warranted whenever a goalkeeper was run over in that fashion. Both Tootoo and Shaw were assessed a 5 minute major, game misconduct and three game suspensions. The head contact Kadri delivered on Mikael Granlund was totally unnecessary, senseless, irresponsible, wreckless, and dangerous for starters. I could apply a host of other adjectives given the one goal lead the Leafs were protecting in addition to the separation between the two players and as Nazem Kadri approached to make what should have been a legal body check through Granlunds center mass. I must repeat; whenever a player elevates his posture prior to and through a check the head of his opponent is highly susceptible to becoming the main point of contact. The results of Nazem Kadris hearing scheduled this afternoon for hitting the head of Niklas Backstrom are pending. 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