Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles

Katherine Terrell, ESPN Staff Writer
May 26, 2024, 06:00 AM ET

METAIRIE, La. -- Quarterback Derek Carr shook his head when asked if he was bothered by low expectations for the New Orleans Saints in 2024.

"No, no. I've been on teams where that was the case and that was our best team," Carr said. "Then you come in and you play good football and you just try to just string good days together. ... That's the exciting part about this game, is you always get another chance. Not every time, but this group of guys will get another chance to put that ball down and say 'This is what Saints football is this year.'"

Carr, speaking to reporters after the Saints' first practice of OTAs on Tuesday, sounded as positive as he did a year ago, just a few months removed from signing a four-year, $150 million contract in free agency . Since then, New Orleans finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Carr believes the chemistry the team started to develop at the end of last season will translate to 2024, and he thinks the work everyone has put in this offseason is already producing positive results.

"We're so far ahead of where we were last year, just as a team, just as a group of guys," he said.

Ahead of Carr's first season as a Saint, he and the team were excited about the season's possibilities; he and wide receiver Michael Thomas gushed about each other and the capabilities of the offense. The 2023 season certainly saw some highs, like decisive wins over the New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But the lows included three losses where Carr was injured, public spats with teammates and a growing sense of frustration among the fans, a number of whom sold their tickets and booed the offense during home games. Thomas, who is now a free agent , publicly criticized Carr on his social media.

"Last year we were so excited. Everyone was so excited, but we really didn't show why we were so excited until it was too late," Carr said. "So for us, you get humbled a little bit. That's unacceptable for what we have in that room."

Carr played some of his best football in the final two games of the season, completing 76.6% of his passes for six touchdowns, no interceptions and a 131.3 quarterback rating. He said he wants to get off to a quicker start than last year, and the team will have the opportunity to do so when the season opens against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 8, a little more than three months away.

That momentum from last season can translate only so much, however, as Carr will enter this season working with his fourth offensive coordinator in four years dating back to his last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders.

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Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Looks like his head is in the right space. I'm curious about synch and execution now.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Raiders kicked this dude to the curb. No matter how much lipstick you put on it, WE DAT curb.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

The Raiders are a poor Barometer to judge any move. Between 2019 and 2021, the Raiders had 6 that's SIX first-round draft selections. Currently, there are only two that are still on the Vegas roster, and only one — Josh Jacobs (2019) — is actually seeing considerable playing time. The other, Ferrell (2019), has seen only 221 snaps throughout all of 2022

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Derek Carr is a poor barometer to judge Saints QB highlight reels.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Hilarious how people can complain about how poor an organization the Saints are, then turn around and nock Carr for lack of success with an organization that has been objectively and demonstrably worse than the Saints over the last 20 years. The “logic” of a six year old.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

A poorly run organization and a poor (and way overpaid) QB are not mutually exclusive… in fact, they are a perfect match.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Some people complain about everything. :D Life must be miserable for those types.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Some refer to it as “coping”. Really, it’s just being triggered.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Some people come to this Saints Forum to talk about the Saints. Others get caught up in talking about the people. Big difference.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Is there a term when folks are triggered by.... well... EVERYTHING? :confused:

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Sinners

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Yeah. Disgruntled Fan (with a sorry excuse for a Head Coach, and a barely mediocre starting QB)

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Sounds more like the inability to cope.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

…

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

See… as usual, y’all gettin wrapped up in personal attacks of a working man who wants to watch his team win on Sundays (and some Thursday Nights), while you give a multi million dollar mismanagement team a full pass, for dropping dung into your laps year after “rebuilding” year.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

And that's called dishing it out but not being able to take it. To Quote..."I thought there were Men up in here".

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

I’m taking it. How far do you want to take it? I assure you, at the end of this pissing contest, the Saints aren’t going to be in any better position.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Personal attacks? LOLOLOL!!!

The stuff that has come from you and your compadres has been far and away more inflammatory than anything that Boston or anyone else has directed your way.

Grow a pair, buddy. :rolleyes:

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

I’m scratching that pair right now. You still got me set to IGNORE, correct?
LMFAO

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Yeah, like the sun rising in the west. :p

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Like our Saints sinking in the next season.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Today’s generation.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

That response is like putting an eye patch on a cyclops. It makes no sense.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

It will in a few months. You might need two eye patches to watch the games.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

:rolleyes:

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Ignore the loser, jlouhill. He hopes his self-inflicted misery can drag others down.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

I know. I should know better. Arguing with him is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter how good you are, the bird is going to knock the pieces over, crap on the board, and strut around like it won.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Friendly tip jlouhill… taking advice on how to ignore, from Quido, would be like a stone taking advice from a wet sponge, on how to stay dry and hard.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

Well, to be fair, no one has really been happy here since Drew and Payton left. DA has running this team in the ground. Although, I'm hoping that Kubiak lights fire in the organization that's been missing since Payton left. I like the team going forward ....so, let's go forward and not focus on the past while still learning from our mistakes.

Re: Why Derek Carr believes Saints are 'so far ahead' of 2023 struggles
 

It’s not Kubiak’s job to light fire. That would be a job for the damp cloth that is our HEAD COACH. And the fire would be a legitimate Quarterback, NOT Raider-Rubbish, surrounded by clipboards.