A Saints’ gamble: Count on Carr or roll the dice?

By Ed Daniels, Sports
Clarion Herald

The meme that circulated on social media during the Christmas holidays drew a lot of response, and it was patently unfair.

The young boy opens his gift, and it is a Derek Carr Saints jersey. The child is crying.

I am sure quite a few were laughing. I am proud to say I wasn’t one of them.

There’s some good things on social media, but much of it can be a digital cesspool. And, the constant attacks on Carr were a prime example of door No. 2.

Over the last six games, Derek Carr performed at an extremely high level. He completed 131 of 176 passes, just north of 74%. Carr threw 15 TD passes and only three interceptions.

For the season, Carr threw only eight picks. That was 10 interceptions fewer than Josh Allen, and seven fewer than Jalen Hurts.

Over the last six games, few quarterbacks in the NFL were in the same performance neighborhood as Derek Carr. Yet, if you talk to many Saints fans, Carr is a big reason why the Saints missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

I get it, to a point. When a team doesn’t win enough and misses the playoffs, the head coach, quarterback and offensive coordinator – in that order – get a hail of criticism.

Pete Carmichael is no longer here, and if I am Dennis Allen, I am very glad Derek Carr is.

I’ve heard from several Saints fans that the club should consider trading up for a quarterback or, at the very least, strongly consider one if the Saints’ pick at No. 14 in the first round.

But, the likelihood that North Carolina’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix would outperform Derek Carr for the next two seasons is not very high.

Rookie quarterbacks are always a roll of the dice. With Derek Carr, the Saints know who they have.  Carr was 13th in passing yards and 10th in TD passes. He is not a top five quarterback, but he is definitely good enough to win.

The Saints have so many other needs, including a dire need at offensive tackle. They need as many as two playmakers on offense, and they have an aging defense.

So, the Saints have hitched themselves to Carr’s wagon. And, you know what? He gives them the best chance to win next season, especially with limited money in free agency, and, right now, only two picks in the first two rounds of the 2024 draft.

I have heard from several folks that Jameis Winston could be the answer. The evidence doesn’t support that. In 2019, Winston was the only quarterback in the NFL to throw for more than 5,000 yards, yet he signed with the Saints as a backup to Drew Brees.

Let’s give Winston credit in 2021. Before he injured his knee and was lost for the season in game seven, Winston threw 14 TD passes against only three interceptions.

Winston, who turned 30 in January, has thrown almost 3,000 passes in the NFL. He will likely be a free agent in March. If he lands a starting job in the NFL, then let’s wish him success. But, he won’t be the starter in New Orleans, because Derek Carr is.

For the thousands on social media who bash Carr, all I can say is look at the tape and check out the numbers.

Let’s hope that the Derek Carr we saw late in the 2023 season is the gift that keeps on giving.

Ed Daniels is sports director of ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at [email protected].