All the Saints really need from Derek Carr is for him to not lose games and let that vaunted defense do their thing. And that’s just what they got from the 10th year former Raiders QB Sunday. And thus Carr starts his pst-Raiders career 1-0 thanks in large part to the Saints defense interception Titans QB Ryan Tannehill three times.
Even with the interceptions, it wasn’t an easy win for the Saints in part because Carr’s slow start.
Buy Raiders TicketsRaiders fans have known for a while now the Derek Carr tends to struggle when in a new system. Today, not only was he in a new system, with a new offensive coordinator, for the first time in his career, he was suited up for a team other than the Raiders.
The results were not ideal.
Carr went the first half without a touchdown and finished things off with an interception. He also had at least one fumble that was incorrectly ruled an incomplet pass despite the ball clearly being knocked out of his hand before coming forward.
His two trips to the red zone in the first half yielded no touchdowns and two field goals, and had the Saints down 9-6 at the half.
The quarter saw Tannehill picked off twice. Two of those picks led to ten points for the Saint, including Carr’s first TD pass as a Saint on a 19-yard pass to Rashid Shaheed.
With the Saints defense more than playing up to expectations, Carr’s first touchdown pass would give them a 16-9 lead.
The Titans would add a couple more field goals, but it wasn’t enough. The Saints would just hold on for a 16-15 win.
Carr finished 23 of 33 for 305 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a 96.1 passer rating.
