Overreactions: Saints vs. Giants

The New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the New York Giants 14-11 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, improving to 3-1 under interim head coach Darren Rizzi and 5-8 on the season as they continue their fight for a strong finish.

Though it wasn’t pretty, the Saints escaped East Rutherford with a win despite an underwhelming performance. While they’re not mathematically eliminated, the playoffs remain a long shot for New Orleans. So what’s next, and how should they manage the remaining four games of the season?

Let’s discuss two potential overreactions following the Saints’ Week 14 victory over the Giants:

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Is this the last we’ve seen of Derek Carr as the Saints’ starting QB?

After attempting to leap over defenders in efforts to secure a first down late in the fourth quarter, Carr suffered a fracture to his left non-throwing hand that will sideline him for the next several weeks, potentially ending his season. He also sustained a concussion in the process and is currently going through the league’s protocol.

As previously reported, the Saints don’t plan on placing Carr on IR and will keep the window open for a possible return down the stretch. Darren Rizzi described Carr’s injury as “week-to-week” and labeled it as “non-surgical” given the opinions they’ve gathered to this point. He used Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert, who played through a fractured middle finger on his non-throwing hand during the 2023 season, as an example of a scenario in which Carr could suit up with his fractured hand. He hasn’t ruled him out for Sunday’s matchup with the Washington Commanders just yet, adding that Carr is a guy who could conceivably start without needing much practice.

Carr still has two years left on his contract, including a guaranteed $10 million roster bonus next season. His $30 million base salary will also become fully guaranteed on the third day of the new league year. The Saints have a difficult decision to make this offseason, one that could completely alter the outlook of the team’s future: embrace change by releasing Carr and facing the cap hit, or ride out the contract and let the 33-year-old serve as a placeholder until the next franchise quarterback is found.

What do you think? Can the Saints afford to move on from Derek Carr? And, more importantly, should they?

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Who should take over if Carr isn’t cleared: Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler?

If Derek Carr isn’t medically cleared to play on Sunday—whether due to his fractured hand or not yet clearing concussion protocol—it would set up either second-year backup Jake Haener or rookie fifth-round NFL Draft pick Spencer Rattler to start at quarterback against an old friend in Marshon Lattimore and the Commanders in Week 15.

As of now, it’s unclear who New Orleans will have taking first-team reps at practice this week in Carr’s absence. However, Rizzi stated that whoever takes those snaps will likely be the starter come game time if Carr isn’t ready. He plans to meet with both Jake and Spencer on Monday afternoon to discuss how they’ll handle things moving forward and will consult with OC Klint Kubiak and QB coach Andrew Janocko to finalize the decision on who will take the reins if Carr can’t go. Rizzi emphasized that he genuinely believes both players give the team a chance to win games.

According to Rizzi, Dennis Allen and the offensive coaching staff were the voices behind the decision to roll with Rattler as the starter over Haener when Carr suffered his oblique injury during Week 5’s matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. But it’s worth noting that the switch from Rattler to Haener in Week 8’s loss to the Chargers was also Allen’s choice. Rizzi clarified that opponent matchups factored into the initial decision to start the rookie over last year’s fourth-rounder.

Personally, I wouldn’t say the brief three-game stint we saw of Rattler at the helm was enough to fairly judge the former five-star recruit given the small sample size of action and the limited supporting cast he was tasked with—especially the makeshift offensive line he was forced to play behind. That said, I’ve been impressed with Haener’s growth this season, and he’s taken advantage of each opportunity he’s had to prove his doubters wrong, even when thrown into the fire with little time to prepare.

What do you think? Who deserves the start this time around: Haener or Rattler?