The New Orleans Saints suffered a tough loss on Sunday in their Week 3 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The Saints started off the game strong, only to allow Green Bay to come back from a 17-0 lead.
So what changed? Well, it has a lot to do with New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr.
New Orleans Saints Star Derek Carr Injures Shoulder Vs. Packers
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
After a strong first half that saw them secure a significant 17-0 lead at the break, disaster struck for the Saints in the second half. Carr went down in the third in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, and right at the onset, the knock did not look good:
Saints QB Derek Carr was slow to get up after the previous play. pic.twitter.com/di3SHSGm12
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 24, 2023
The 32-year-old was slow to get up, and he had to be attended to by the team’s medical staff as he lay on the ground. Carr was eventually removed from the game and was unable to return.
After the game, Saints head coach Dennis Allen revealed that the team’s QB had to be rushed to the hospital to undergo further testing on his shoulder (h/t Josh Alper of PFT). The New Orleans shot-caller did not provide any details regarding the severity of the injury, but the fact that he had to be taken to a local hospital does not bode well for Carr’s status moving forward.
We should expect to hear more from the Saints in the coming days. As of right now, the four-time Pro Bowler’s status for New Orleans’ Week 4 matchup against the Tamps Bay Buccaneers next Sunday remains up in the air.
New Orleans Saints Suffer Brutal Loss Sans Derek Carr
Derek Carr was integral to New Orleans’ strong first-half performance. Unfortunately for the Saints, they felt the full impact of his injury right after he went out of the game.
Backup QB Jameis Winston came in to replace the injured Carr, but the former did not exactly do much to help his team’s cause. Winston did finish with a somewhat respectable 10-of-16 completed passes for 101 yards and zero interceptions, but he failed to get the Saints on the scoreboard throughout the second half.
To make matters worse, New Orleans’ defense also did not hold up as they allowed the Packers to come storming back and score 18 points in the second half of action. Green Bay escaped with a narrow, hard-fought win in this one, 18-17.
UPDATE: According to reports, Carr and the Saints appear to have dodged a bullet. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that while the New Orleans QB is still going to be sidelined because of this injury, he is still expected to return this season:
Some good news: #Saints QB Derek Carr seems to have avoided a more serious injury than originally expected, sources say. He could still miss some time, but this does not appear to be a season-ending scenario. pic.twitter.com/71xbLZ2ntq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 24, 2023
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