The New Orleans Saints continue to cling to their postseason chances ahead of Week 18’s bout with the Atlanta Falcons, thanks to the play of their defense and recent run from quarterback Derek Carr.
Carr has thrown two-plus passing TDs in four consecutive games, the longest streak by a Saints QB since Drew Brees had a five-game streak in 2019-2020. In Sunday’s must-win in Tampa Bay, Fla., Carr threw for just 197 yards but was incredibly efficient, peppering the Bucs defense and avoiding the massive turnovers that plagued the QB earlier this season.
Dennis Allen, the head coach of the Saints, attributed their victory in three of the last four games and their continued contention for the playoffs to Carr’s health.
“He’s probably as healthy as he’s been in a while, and so, you feel his accuracy in his passing, you feel more comfortable in the pocket,” Allen said on Monday, via the team’s official website. “Obviously, I think the protection has improved, and that also leads to him being a little bit more comfortable in the pocket.
Occasionally, I feel we could improve our alignment on various matters. However, for the most part, we have been in sync with our perceptions of the passing game.
This season, Carr has sustained numerous injuries that forced him to leave three different matches, but he has not missed a single game.
During the initial 12 weeks of the campaign, Carr had a pass completion rate of 66.24 percent, throwing 11 TDs and six INTs, and suffering 24 sacks and six fumbles, three of which were lost. Over the last four weeks, however, his completion rate shot up to 73.02 percent, with 10 TDs and only two INTs. He was sacked four times in this period and did not fumble at all.
The story of the game was told by the Saints’ plus-four turnover margin on Sunday.
“Carr has generally done well in safeguarding the football, which is key given that the turnover-takeaway ratio is the most significant statistic in football,” said Allen. “I believe that this played a major role in our victory. We consistently emphasize the importance of ball security in offense, returns and special teams, as well as the significance of seizing the ball when we’re on defense or covering in special teams.”
New Orleans needs one more stellar game from Carr to close the season versus Atlanta. The Saints need a win and a Tampa Bay loss (or a tie and a TB loss) to take the division crown. Next Gen Stats currently pegs the Saints’ chances to make the postseason at 31%.
