It’s Derek Carr season in the Bayou. Carr is the new face of the New Orleans Saints after signing a 4-year deal this offseason. He will now get the fresh start he desired after the Las Vegas Raiders released him in February. On paper, this seems like the ideal scenario for Carr. The Saints have an ascending defense and young, exciting weapons on offense. Will the move to Carr pay off for the Saints? Find out below as we offer a record prediction for the 2023-2024 season.
The Good
We knew Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave had all the tools to be special at the next level. We didn’t know he was going to be this good this fast. Olave had an impressive rookie season with the Saints where he had 1000+ receiving yards despite sub-par quarterback play. He was extremely efficient and for the most part, was the Saints WR1 even though he was a rookie. Olave had a 25% target share in the Saints offense which showed he was a huge part of their gameplan.
Olave will now get the chance to play alongside Michael Thomas who is coming back after missing most of the 2022 season. If Thomas can regain his old form these two receivers could be a deadly combination for Derek Carr and the passing game.
The Bad
The main weakness on this Saints team will be the offensive line. Trevor Penning takes over the LT position after playing limited snaps in 2022. Elsewhere C Erik McCoy should have another solid season as he has been one of the strengths of this line. There are questions though at the RG position as Cesar Ruiz hasn’t quite panned out the way they hoped. The bottom line is if the unit struggles it could really limit what the Saints do on offense. Carr still has some mobility but he is losing some pace as he gets older.
The Prediction
If you look at the Saints schedule it has to be one easiest in the NFL. They have many favorable matchups including opposing quarterbacks they will face. The toughest quarterback they play this season will be Trevor Lawrence and that’s a home game. I see the Saints winning the NFC South as Derek Carr has a successful first year in New Orleans.
2023 Record: 11-6 (1st in the Division)
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