The New Orleans Saints finally have their starting quarterback back as Derek Carr is set to play in Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers after sitting out with an oblique injury sustained in Week 5.
“Derek Carr is off the injury report and will play,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on Friday.
And with that simple tweet, Saints fans rejoice as the team will look a lot more like the squad that started the season 2-0 than the one that has lost six straight. However, Carr is returning to a team that started to struggle with him under center in Weeks 3, 4, and 5, and one that now is without one of its biggest playmakers as Rashid Shaheed is out for the season.
The good news for Carr and the Saints is that he should have a pretty soft landing upon his return, as his team takes on the Panthers in Week 9. Yes, division games are always tough, especially in the frantic NFC South, but Carolina is arguably the worst team in football this season.
Prior to the Derek Carr injury, the veteran QB was having a good season. In five games, Carr had a 70.3% completion rate and threw for 989 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Whether the signal-caller can get back to those types of numbers and help the Saints get back to their winning ways remains to be seen. That said, there is no question that Carr gives New Orleans a better shot to win each week than Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener.
At 2-6, a Wild Card playoff appearance is starting to look out of reach for the Saints. However, even with that poor record, winning the NFC South is still not out of the question. The Atlanta Falcons are in first place in the division at 5-2, putting the Saints 4.5 games back. A victory over the Falcons in Week 10, though, would go a long way toward shrinking that lead.
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