There weren’t many national analysts who were blown away by Derek Carr’s first start with the New Orleans Saints, but general manager Mickey Loomis was pleased by what he saw on Sunday.
Loomis spoke about Carr’s performance on the Saints Coaches Show with WWL Radio this week, where he made time to push back on the narrative that Carr just managed the game. He sees Carr as an asset who elevates the offense more than the quarterbacks who preceded him.
Buy Saints TicketsHe explained his reasoning: “I mean, he made some plays that we haven’t seen made here for a while. Off-platform throws, plays breaking down, him solving problems. He did a lot of really good things.”
We’ve talked before about Carr’s effectiveness in this game, even if the Saints didn’t score a ton of touchdowns. He posted the highest net passing yards total (accounting for yards lost to sacks) in a win since Drew Brees was running the offense. He’s someone the coaching staff trusts more than Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston, Trevor Siemian, and the other fill-ins to take the field post Brees.
Obviously a 16-15 score isn’t going to wow many people. But the Saints have a good foundation to build off of here. If Carr can continue to efficiently get the ball to his receivers and navigate pressure, they’ll make real strides once the offensive line and running game get up to speed. Having one of the league’s best defenses to lean on certainly helps.
