Derek Carr's Injury Boosts Broncos Ahead of Sean Payton's Revenge Tilt

The New Orleans Saints will be without starting quarterback Derek Carr in Week 7.

Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

After conjuring three straight wins to climb back into the mix, the Denver Broncos have some Mile High Magic rolling. Broncos head coach Sean Payton would be wise to guard against looking too far ahead.

Having said that, Denver's Week 7 tilt against his former team, the New Orleans Saints, has likely been underlined by Payton for obvious reasons. The breaking news that Saints quarterback Derek Carr is expected to miss the matchup with the Broncos because of an injured oblique must have caught Payton's attention, even though he's currently focused on hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

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The Broncos are very familiar with Carr because of his long tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Carr has a penchant for saving his best performances for the Broncos, going 11-6 against them during his years playing in the Silver and Black.

For as much as the Denver defense would have relished the opportunity to attack the Saints' 33-year-old quarterback, it's now a question of who'll replace Carr under center. Saints No. 2 quarterback Jake Haener replaced Carr after the Kansas City Chiefs knocked him out of Monday night's game, but rookie fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler could be the one under center by the time Denver visits the Big Easy on October 17.

Rattler had an impressive preseason, and the former South Carolina Gamecocks star presents the Broncos with a wild-card conundrum to solve on a night sure to be replete with super-charged emotions for Payton. Broncos fans will feel a sense of opportunity upon hearing the Carr injury news because this team has already registered two road victories against well-established veteran quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield and Aaron Rodgers this season.

The irony that the Chiefs knocked Carr out of the Broncos game won't be lost on anyone. Neither will the memory of the NFL forcing the quarterback-less Broncos to play the Saints in Week 12 back in 2020.

Based on what we've seen, Vance Joseph's defense knows intrinsically when blood is in the water these days, so ring the dinner bell.

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