Chiefs Showing Plenty of Respect to Derek Carr Entering Game vs. Saints

Derek Carr has the Saints' offense off to an intriguing start, and Chiefs coaches Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo aren't one bit surprised.

Sep 29, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) drops back to pass against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It's a simple thing, yet it's something every team eventually needs. There aren't many greater benefits in the NFL than having a quality veteran quarterback. One on a cheap rookie-scale deal is excellent, but even the high-priced ones can prove to be quite valuable.

New Orleans Saints signal-caller Derek Carr, now 33, is back to playing much closer to the level of his deal. In a rough 2023-24 campaign, He completed 68% of his passes and posted a passer rating of 97.7 but didn't quite justify the club's decision to acquire him during the offseason. Four games into this year, he's been better and is engineering one of the league's most surprising standout offenses.

Surprising, perhaps, to anyone but this week's opponent. The Kansas City Chiefs are well aware of how Carr operates, dating all the way back to his time with the Oakland and Las Vegas Raiders. Head coach Andy Reid was around for it all, seeing Carr and Co. twice a year.

Entering Week 5's Monday Night Football meeting between Kansas City and New Orleans, Reid tipped his cap to Carr for being a critical cog in the machine.

“He’s doing a very nice job," Reid said. "He’s always been a good player, and that’s not a question from our standpoint on that part. They’re doing a good job of protecting him and he’s doing a good job of delivering it to their receivers and they’ve got good skill players there and [a] good running back who’s also involved in the pass game and the run game. He’s done a very nice job.”

In Weeks, 1-4, Carr has thrown six touchdowns to three interceptions but has a 103.9 passer rating that would be a career-high if extrapolated over a full season. Advanced metrics like QBR (62.8) and EPA per play (fifth among all quarterbacks) also reflect an improvement. With Klint Kubiak taking over as offensive coordinator, Carr is playing with confidence and benefitting from modernized elements like pre-snap motion as the Saints finally catch up with the times.

Their success on third downs, specifically, has been terrific. New Orleans is the second-most efficient offense in those situations so far, trailing only the young and hungry Washington Commanders. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo also salutes Carr, citing him as someone who always understands the assignment.

“Well, I think they’re really good because they mix it up," Spagnuolo said. "It’s not just pass and it’s not just trying to chuck it down deep. I mean, they’ll run the football and they have some really good people to do that so that’ll kind of get you on your heels a little bit. Derek knows exactly what to – I’ve always had respect for Derek Carr and how he gets them in and out or out of a bad play and into a good one. I think that has a lot to do with it and he’s a very accurate quarterback. When you’re talking about a third-and-three or four or five, or whatever, he’s smart enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m just going to get the first down here.’ I think that’s why they’re really good."

Time will tell if this current Saints offense can withstand the test of a grueling NFL season. Week 5 won't give the football world a final answer either way. It will, however, provide Carr with a chance to exorcise some of his demons against Kansas City. In 17 career starts versus the Chiefs, he's 3-14 with 17 interceptions and a pedestrian 83.0 passer rating. Spagnuolo will be ready, but it's safe to assume that Carr will be as well.

Kansas City likely knows that by now.

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