Derek Carr, Saints O-Line Are Out Of Sync

New Orleans Saints quarterback and offensive line may be the culprits behind the team's offensive woes.

It's unfair to place the blame on the Saints defense, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, nor even Jameis Winston for the team's loss to the Packers in Sunday's game. (Yes, I said it!)  We understand the Who Dat Nation's frustration.  Upon further review, quarterback Derek Carr and the New Orleans offensive line have been equally complicit for the offensive difficulties.

Carr hasn't played his best this season, ranking 17th in the NFL's Next Gen Stats "Time To Throw" category, holding the football for 2.74 seconds.  On Sunday, he missed a couple of open receivers downfield with late throws thus giving the secondary time to defend the passes.  

Miami signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa gets rid of the football the fastest at 2.34 seconds.  The Jets Zach Wilson has the longest decision-making process in the NFL at 3.22 seconds.  Even former Saints quarterback Andy Dalton (Panthers) has performed better with 2.5 seconds.

Typically, a quarterback is either too slow to make a decision, the receiver fails to get open in their routes, or the offensive line takes too long to block.  In New Orleans' case, the offensive line and Derek Carr may be the culprits behind the missed downfield strikes, increased sacks, and poor third-down efficiency.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) is helped to his feet after being injured during the third quarter of their game Sunday, September 24, 2023 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Green Bay Packers beat the New Orleans Saints 18-17

OFFENSIVE LINE NOT GELLING, PFF RATINGS

Here are the Pro Football Focus pass and run blocking rankings for the New Orleans Saints offensive lineman through three weeks:

Pass Blocking

1. Ryan Ramczyk - 75.8
2. Andrus Peat - 68.9
3. Trevor Penning - 60.5
4. Cesar Ruiz - 48.4
5. James Hurst - 46.4
6. Erik McCoy - 40.9

Run Blocking

1. Erik McCoy - 73.0 (Better in the GAP )
2. Ryan Ramczyk - 60.6
3. James Hurst - 60.3
4. Andrus Peat - 42.2
5. Trevor Penning - 39.6 (Better in the GAP)
6. Cesar Ruiz - 35.0

Penning, Hurst, and Ruiz are struggling early this season in both areas. However, Penning and McCoy do better in GAP run blocking than in Zone.

According to PFF, the Saints' quarterbacks have been sacked 11 times, with six of those sacks occurring during blitzes. 31.4% of the quarterback pressures have resulted in sacks.

What's alarming is the 35 quarterback pressures allowed by the Saints' offensive line. 24 of the 35 quarterback pressures occur when the opposition DID NOT blitz. The time allowed for the quarterbacks to pass on those pressures was 2.6 seconds.

Another puzzling statistic is that the quarterbacks excel with a 101.9 rating with pressure from defenders, compared to a 78.5 rating when they are not blitzed.

20.8% of pressures turned into sacks without a blitz, but 54.5% of blitzes resulted in sacks for the Saints.

In conclusion, the offensive line and quarterbacks must hold up well against the blitzing defensive players. At times, Derek Carr appears comfortable in the pocket, but his time to connect rate with his receivers is average, at best.  Unless the left-side protectors — Penning and Hurst — improve their pass blocking, we may see more unfortunate injuries to Carr or other New Orleans QBs.

Sep 24, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen calls out during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

THIRD DOWNS ARE A PROBLEM

Sustaining drives have been problematic for the Saints offense. Against the Packers, the team converted 4 out of 14 third downs for a dreadful 28.57% rate. The team is converting 39.3 % on third downs for the season, ranking at No. 16 in the NFL. The offensive clicked better against the Titans at home in Week 1 for a 43.75 (7-of16) clip. Comparatively, the league's best teams in third-down conversions are the Buffalo Bills (51.22%), Baltimore Ravens (51.11%), and Dallas Cowboys (51.06%).

Alvin Kamara's return could alleviate third-down bottlenecks, but the offensive line and quarterbacks must execute. Carmichael may have to rely more on the rushing attack to bring better balance versus the Bucs in Week 4.