One of Derek Carr's all-time favorite plays came at the Saints' expense
Former New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr isn't throwing many footballs these days, but he's still keeping busy in retirement. After being talked into cutting his list from of the best plays from his NFL career down from 20 to just his top five, Carr reflected on his favorite moments as a pro during a video shared on the Home Grown Network YouTube channel he started with his brother David.
None of those five plays happened when he was wearing a Saints uniform, but one of them came against the black and gold. Carr said he threw the second-best ball of his career back in 2016's season opener.
"Number two, in New Orleans, alright?" Carr began, clapping his hands for emphasis. The irony that the second-best play in his career happened against his future team wasn't lost on him. He continued, "With (Michael) Crabtree. I know that this is a funny one, I've got Saints helmets and Raider helmets all around me. Just the memory of this one, we're playing against Hall of Fame Drew Brees. We're going against D.A., Sean Payton, all these guys. Brandin Cooks just caught a 109-yard touchdown on us. Like, this game was unbelievable."
Trailing the Saints 34-27 with about six minutes remaining, Carr spoke with head coach Jack Del Rio on the headset and agreed they should go for two rather than give Brees a chance to win. He and the Raiders drove 75 yards on their final possession, helped by two defensive penalties to convert a 3rd-and-4 and a pivotal 4th-and-5 deep in New Orleans territory, before Carr connected with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Seth Roberts. They got the two-point play he wanted, and the rest, Carr says, is history.
"We went right down the field and we scored. And we called a zone play, we got a one-on-one play and Crab was my guy. I had a lot of those guys, but Crab on that moment was my guy. He had the fade, I gave him a chance, he made a great play back in the Superdome. It was awesome. I remember looking up and obviously it's Drew so you're like, man, if there's any time on this clock we left too much of it. But we ended up winning that game. It's one of my favorite memories," Carr finished.
Brees did get a chance with 47 seconds left but no timeouts, and a pair of passes to Willie Snead only got him up to the Raiders 43-yard line before a throw to tight end Coby Fleener fell incomplete. Then-rookie kicker Wil Lutz tried a 61-yard field goal but couldn't make it, and the Saints started their third consecutive season with a loss. As for Carr's Raiders? They ended the year at 12-4 but were beaten by a 9-win Houston Texans team on the road after Carr was injured in Week 15. That season didn't end how he wanted, but Carr did enjoy a memorable start.
We just have to ask: did it really have to come at the Saints' expense? According to Stathead and Pro Football Reference, Carr led 143 possessions with the Saints at home in his two years as their starting quarterback, and he managed this feat (driving downfield at least 75 yards and scoring a touchdown) just 11 times, with nine of those drives coming in the same four games. If he had played better in New Orleans, maybe he would have more fond memories to look back on when he was wearing the home uniform instead of the visitors'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
Robert Meachem's 67-yard touchdown catch is the Saints Play of the Day
After setting up a Mark Ingram TD, Meachem scored one for himself Day 67 is here in our countdown to the New Orleans Saints' season opener with the Arizona Cardinals, so we're spinning the clock back to 2011 for the Saints Play of the Day: Robert Meachem's 67-yard touchdown catch. You can see the highlight for yourself right here. The Saints had already built a 10-0 lead on the visiting Detroit Lions, helped by a block at the second level from Meachem which created a lane for Mark Ingram II to score with. When Drew Brees faked a handoff and took advantage of the extra second bought by that play action, he found Meachem open in the middle of the field for an easy completion. What was a solid 32-yard pickup became a lot more when Meachem turned and ran to the end zone, turning his hips one way and then another to confuse the Detroit defensive back trying to guard him. That play kicked the door open. The Saints went on to win the day 31-17, improving their record to 9-3; 2011 became just the 11th time in the team's 45-year history that New Orleans won at least nine games. They finished the year at 13-3, tying the franchise single-season record for wins. And then they beat the Lions again in the Wild Card Round, aided by another 56-yard touchdown from Meachem. He was never the team's No. 1 threat at wide receiver, but Meachem gave the Saints his all, and they wouldn't have beaten the Lions that day without him. They might not have a Super Bowl without him, either.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
New Boston Celtics big man Amari Williams on his future in the NBA
As things currently stand, the Boston Celtics find their frontcourt rotation a thin one, with multiple key big men having left the team via trade and free agency. But the Celtics did add a center to the team with the No. 46 pick of the 2025 NBA draft, former University of Kentucky big man Amari Williams. The Wildcat alum recently made his way to the City of Boston to sit down with the press and share his initial reaction to the team he was drafted to. Williams spoke on what role he thinks he is going to have in Boston in light of said center departures, as well as what got him to the Celtics as a player in the first place. The folks behind the "CLNS Media Boston Sports Network" YouTube channel put together a clip of the two way center's first interview as a Boston player for us to watch later. Check it out yourself. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Jimmy Graham's go-ahead 66-yard touchdown is the Saints Play of the Day
The only problem with this highlight is that Graham scored too soon It's Day 66 in our countdown to the New Orleans Saints, and that means this 66-yard touchdown catch by Jimmy Graham is our pick for the Saints Play of the Day. The only bad thing about the play was that Graham scored too soon. You can see it for yourself right here, but we understand if some fans aren't eager to relive this 2011 particular playoff game. The Saints were in dire straits back in 2011, having fallen behind early to the San Francisco 49ers. In the first half, San Francisco's second-ranked defense looked the part. They ended four of the Saints' first eight possessions with turnovers and forced two punts; New Orleans went into halftime trailing 17-14. All three of their drives in the third quarter ended with kicks, between two punts and a 41-yard field goal. Then the fourth quarter started, and things got a little crazy. Darren Sproles gave the Saints their first lead of the afternoon with a 44-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees, and the 49ers answered with a perfectly-timed Alex Smith touchdown run from 28 yards out. And then it was Graham's turn to spark some fireworks. The big tight end caught a lob from Brees at the San Francisco 41-yard line, with two 49ers defenders around him (and two more closing in). But he spun away from his pursuers and quickly got up to speed. A good block from Devery Henderson pushed one defender out of frame, and then Graham shoved cornerback Carlos Rogers away from him with a stiff arm on his way to the end zone. He emphatically dunked the ball over the goal post in celebration and, with just 1:38 left in regulation, it looked like the Saints might escape with a win. Of course it wasn't meant to be. Roman Harper couldn't tackle Vernon Davis in the open field, and Malcolm Jenkins couldn't guard him in the end zone, either. The 49ers pulled off a last-minute stunner and one of the greatest seasons in Saints history ended with a loss. But that doesn't diminish what Graham accomplished here. By the end of the day the New Orleans offense put up 407 yards and 36 points on a defense that had given up 308 yards and 14 points per game in the regular season. That it wasn't enough to win the game says a lot about the bad job Gregg Williams and his defense did, but poor defenses became a theme for this era of Saints football. We're just glad we came out the other side.
