The New Orleans Saints have to protect the quarterback to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Friday’s practice is any indication, that quarterback will be Derek Carr. Regardless if it’s Carr or Jameis Winston, the key remains the same. Protect him.
This isn’t a reaction to Carr getting injured last week. Pressure has been a prevailing issue for the offensive line, and could keep them from exploiting a major weakness for the Buccaneers. Cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Derrick Pitts Jr. have already been ruled out and Carlton Davis is questionable with an injury.
Buy Saints TicketsInjuries to the secondary make it imperative that the Saints protect the quarterback. You can’t take advantage of a weak secondary without time to throw. We saw that last week against the Carolina Panthers.
The Saints are also dealing with their own injuries along the offensive line. Offensive guard Cesar Ruiz will miss this game after leaving last week with a concussion. That likely puts James Hurst at right guard and Andrus Peat at left guard. The Saints offensive line will be less than 100% trying to deal with with a Bucs defense that blitzes a lot. Whether Carr is starting or not, the pass protection must improve from what we’ve seen as of late. If No. 4 is back there then a clean pocket becomes even more important.
