Saints QB Derek Carr dominates on third down, must continue trend after Week 9 win
The New Orleans Saints it atop the NFC South at 5-4 after a 24-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 9. The offense for the Saints had its up's and down's in the win, but Derek Carr played well – overall. On third down and in the red zone, New Orleans took advantage. You […]
The New Orleans Saints it atop the NFC South at 5-4 after a 24-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 9.
The offense for the Saints had its up's and down's in the win, but Derek Carr played well – overall. On third down and in the red zone, New Orleans took advantage. You could not make that statement for the first month of the season.
It seems that Carr and his receivers are getting on the same page more often, and the offensive line is giving him a bit more time to make plays. Week 9 was the second straight week that the Saints were at least 50% on third down and 75% in the red zone.
New Orleans is converting when it matters the most as of late. Carr is a big reason for that as he is finding space in the defense and delivering the football on time more consistently. Carr was 12/12 on in-breaking routes in Week 9, according to Nick Underhill.
On third down versus Chicago, Carr went 9/13 for 82 yards and two touchdowns. No turnovers.
That's legitimate improvement from earlier in the campaign for Carr. It has taken time, but that was always going to be the case.
The veteran QB looks much more comfortable for New Orleans, and that means a lot for the fate of the offense going forward. Cannot be overlooked.
Plus, Week 9 brought major involvement for Juwan Johnson in the passing game. Adding him to a very talented group of pass catchers gives the Saints a plethora of threats both on third down and in the red zone.
Carr needs to keep this momentum. The Saints have a lot of winnable games down the stretch to ensure a playoff berth and divisional crown this season.
