2 takeaways from the Saints loss to the Buccaneers

Saints non-existent offense leads to loss to division rival Bucs

1. Derek Carr should not have played

No one thought until Sunday morning that there was any chance Derek Carr would be playing against the Bucs. His injured AC joint was thought to have cleared the way for Jameis Winston’s first start this season. Instead, Carr was able to participate in a limited practice on Friday and felt good enough to suite up Sunday. It is good that Carr was willing to play through pain but it was clear that he was not 100% and should not have played. The arm strength was not there and it was too risky to bring him back so soon. Carr playing at a Pro Bowl level is the only chance this team has at making the playoffs, and so far that has not come to fruition. Carr completed 23 passes for just 127 yards, a dismal 5.5 yards per completion. It was too risky to play Carr, especially since his injury severely limited the offense. The playcalling did not help, but a quarterback playing through pain who cannot throw the ball deep down the field is not going to find success in any offense.

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

2. Despite allowing 26 points we should not feel nervous about the defense

The New Orleans Saints defense has been elite this season, but its streak of allowing 20 or fewer points was snapped on Sunday by a Baker Mayfield led offense. An offense that also lost Mike Evans halfway through the game. The Saints defense got one sack and one interception but allowed the Bucs to score on five of their final eight drives of the game. Despite this, the defense should not catch much of the heat for this one. The offense was unable to score in double figures and unable to keep the ball long enough for the defense to recover. A blown call on the Saints interception that should have been a touchback but was instead ruled down at the 1 did not help, especially after the Saints offense fumbled and gave the Bucs a short field. It’s no coincidence that all the Bucs points came in the 2nd and 4th quarters after the defense had to be on the field for the majority of each half.

Make sure you follow Canal Street Chronicles on Twitter at @SaintsCSC, “Like” us on Facebook at Canal Street Chronicles, follow us on Instagram at @SaintsCSC, and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel. As always, you can follow me on Twitter at @HaydenReel.