Green Bay, Wisconsin (AP) Derek Carr, the New Orleans Saints quarterback, was being assessed after injuring his shoulder after he was sacked in the third quarter of an 18-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
After the game, Saints coach Dennis Allen stated that he believed Carr was having X-rays but had no additional details.
“He’s being evaluated,” Allen explained. “I can’t tell you much more than that. This is a shoulder injury. He is under evaluation. We’ll notify you once we know what it is.
After being sacked by Rashan Gary, Carr stayed on the ground for a few minutes before leaving the field on his own. He was checked out in the blue medical tent before proceeding to the changing room.
The potential consequence of a long-term injury to Carr, who signed a four-year, $150 million contract in the summer after being released by Las Vegas, was evident in Sunday’s outcome.
When Carr went down, New Orleans (2-1) was up 17-0. The Saints were outscored 18-0 without him, but backup Jameis Winston got the team into scoring position before Blake Grupe’s 46-yard field-goal attempt went wide right with 1:05 remaining.
“We know we let this one get away,” Winston added. “However, we shall be resilient. “We shall persevere.”
New Orleans’ late collapse stopped the Saints from achieving their first 3-0 start since 2013, when they won their first five games.
Carr finished 13 of 18 for 103 yards and a touchdown pass. Winston finished 10 of 16 for 101 yards. The Saints needed their passing game to perform well because they only rushed for 77 yards on 22 carries with Jamaal Williams on injured reserve and Alvin Kamara serving his three-game suspension to begin the season.
Carr’s injury occurred on a sack, which should not have surprised anyone.
Through three games, New Orleans has allowed 12 sacks. Guard Cesar Ruiz exited with a concussion in the first half of Sunday’s game, hurting the Saints’ offensive line.
“It’s sad when someone gets wounded,” guard James Hurst stated. “As offensive linemen, it’s our responsibility to keep him up and off the ground, and the fact is that you never know what hit you’re going to get. It might be any hit. He may be sacked, or he could throw the ball and get hit. It is our responsibility to keep him up and safe. He’s been hit too many times, so I’m terribly sad for him.”
There was plenty of fault to go around for the Saints’ lost lead.
In its first two games, New Orleans benefited from a bend-but-don’t-break defense that allowed eight field goals but only one touchdown. New Orleans maintained that approach for much of the day, as the Packers made four scoreless forays inside Saints territory.
When Jordan Love fired an incomplete pass on fourth-and-2 from the New Orleans 13-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Saints’ 17-0 lead appeared secure.
However, the defense finally crumbled in the fourth quarter, when Love led three straight scoring drives, including touchdowns on consecutive possessions. Pass interference penalties on Alontae Taylor and Isaac Yiadom totaled 67 yards, providing a significant boost to Green Bay’s first touchdown drive.
“They started doing certain things a little bit differently,” Saints linebacker Demario Davis said. “They could move the ball with tempo. The quarterback simply made some plays, and the receivers made some catches. You have to give them credit; they made some key plays down the stretch.
The Saints allowed 20 points or fewer for the 11th straight game, but that didn’t provide much comfort to a squad that is suddenly concerned about its quarterback’s future.
“We felt like we controlled the game,” said Rashid Shaheed, whose 76-yard punt return gave the Saints an early 14-0 lead. “It came down to execution in the end, and we simply didn’t do it.”
