Saints star named MVP 'dark horse' for 2023
The New Orleans Saints should look a lot different in 2023 on offense. Of course, that's if they stay healthy. The biggest difference will be the addition of quarterback Derek Carr. Carr is a veteran presence that isn't afraid to push the football down the field. With a healthy Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, this […]
The New Orleans Saints should look a lot different in 2023 on offense. Of course, that's if they stay healthy. The biggest difference will be the addition of quarterback Derek Carr. Carr is a veteran presence that isn't afraid to push the football down the field.
With a healthy Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, this offense's ceiling is quite high in New Orleans. Not to mention, Alvin Kamara has looked great in practice this offseason, and the team added talent like Foster Moreau and Jamaal Williams as new weapons to put points on the board for the Saints.
With all of their talent, one outlet thinks that Derek Carr can be a contender to win MVP this season. Adam Schein of NFL.com believes in Carr and the Saints in 2023.
Regular readers already know how bullish I am on the 2023 Saints. Back in March, I picked New Orleans as my Cinderella team for 2023. In a BOLD PREDICTIONS piece last month, I posited that the Saints could earn the NFC's No. 1 seed. This franchise has missed the playoffs in both seasons since Drew Brees' retirement; Carr re-raises the ceiling in the Big Easy. After being unceremoniously dumped by the Raiders in February, Carr has to be a man on a mission. With a franchise that believes in him — SEE: four-year, $150 million contract — Carr is poised to rampage through a lackluster NFC South and quite possibly do major postseason damage in a top-heavy conference.
A healthy Michael Thomas would obviously be huge. Regardless, I see Carr making sweet music with second-year stud Chris Olave. And more crucially, in terms of overall team success — which is a big driver of MVP candidacy — Carr will be supported by a legit defense for the first time in his career. In Carr's nine seasons with the Raiders, the D never finished higher than 20th in points allowed, ranking dead last twice. The Saints, on the other hand, have ranked in the top 10 in scoring and total defense in each of the past three seasons. — Schein
If the Saints secure the top seed in the NFC as Schein believes they can, Carr will be in the MVP race. At +4000 odds to win the award, he is certainly a dark horse candidate. It will be an uphill climb, but he does have plenty of positives going for him in New Orleans.
The Saints will play in the easiest division in the conference. Carr will have an improved offensive line compared to what he has played behind with the Raiders as of late. Additionally, the Saints offense has aspects that are similar to Jon Gruden's offense when he was with the Raiders. Carr played the best football of his career in Gruden's scheme.
If Carr can mimic that type of play and elevate the Saints into a contender in the NFC, he will be in the MVP conversation.
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