Until Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints can change the narrative on the field of play, vibes about the team are at an incredible low.
The latest example comes from Robert Zeglinski at For The Win, who listed the most watchable teams in the NFL this year and put Carr and the Saints at 30th:
“After plodding their way to an uninspiring nine-win 2023 season, the Saints are running it back. This isn’t a good thing. I’ve had just about enough of Derek Carr leaving passes at his receivers’ feet after passing up multiple open deep shots every game. New Orleans sits in a dull and monotone Purgatory that isn’t worth paying attention to.”
That’s an ouch, but it’s not totally unwarranted as the Saints head into Year 3 with Dennis Allen at head coach and Carr hasn’t impressed this preseason so far. The team is also dealing with the reality of a former first-round pick looking like a bust in training camp, too.
Not only that, a former NFL quarterback has gone as far as saying the Saints should land as the league’s worst team in 2024.
That’s probably a stretch, of course. A year of continuity should help Carr and the offense, even if the team feels like it’s stuck in rebuild mode for now. And the team did squeak out nine wins last year and has the benefit of playing in the weak-looking NFC South.
Could the Saints end up as a team that sneaks into the postseason in a top-heavy NFC? Sure, but given the slog of the last three years and a quiet offseason, the “purgatory” comment and these types of projections are justified until proven wrong.
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