The New Orleans Saints suffered a tough loss against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. They entered the fourth quarter with a 17-0 lead only to allow their opponents to mount a wild comeback in the final period to escape with an unlikely 18-17 win at Lambeau Field.
Derek Carr left the game with an injury, and there’s no denying that his loss played a key role in New Orleans’ defeat against the Packers.
New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr Looking to Play Vs. Bucs
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Carr went down in the third quarter and was unable to return. In fact, he had to be brought to a nearby hospital for further testing on his shoulder. Fortunately, there was no major damage.
Be that as it may, the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback’s status for their Week 4 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remains up in the air. If it were up to him, though, Carr would be on the field against the Bucs:
“I’m going to do everything I can to be out there with my guys, and if I can play, I’ll play,” Carr, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN. “If I physically just can’t play, then I can’t play. But if I’m out there, that means there’s no fear of reinjury, there’s no fear of … being able to help the football team. I’m doing everything I can to be out there but never hurt the team at the same time.”
It’s not all up to him, though. This decision will also be made by the team’s medical staff, who will have Carr’s and the squad’s best interests in mind.
Even Carr admits that he will understand if the team opts not to get him out there, especially if he is unable to practice throughout the week:
“I’m not saying that I don’t need practice, and everybody needs practice reps, but sometimes situations are different, right? And especially during the season, you want as many reps as you can get,” Carr said. “There’s still stuff I’m doing with the trainers and there’s still stuff I’m doing to … see where we’re at.
“But, if I didn’t throw a ball all week — who knows if that’s going to be the case — but if it is, then I’d still feel confident on Sunday. … I’ll never put the team in a bad place with the roster spot. If I’m out there, that means I feel confident that I’m good. I’m solid, that means I’m ready to play and I can help us win.”
If Carr is unable to go, backup quarterback Jameis Winston will step in to take his QB1 spot against Tampa Bay.
Derek Carr Looking Ahead
Carr has had a relatively strong start in his first few games with his new team. In three games played, the 32-year-old has completed 57-of-87 passes for 636 yards. He has scored two touchdowns, but Carr has also had two interceptions during that span.
It’s a long season ahead for Carr and the Saints, which is a fact that will weigh heavily in the quarterback’s playing status for their Week 4 matchup against the Buccaneers.
“I’ve taken a lot of pride in not missing football games no matter what,” Carr said. “It’s a tough pill to swallow, but at the same time, looking ahead, how long the season is and all that, you have to be smart. That’s what DA and I talked about. … I’m preparing to get ready. I’m preparing to get ready to play, just like Jameis is, just like Taysom [Hill]. We’re all preparing to get ready to do whatever our role is and hopefully it works out to where I can play. But for me, we’ll just keep it up in the air for now.”
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