Lions hold off Saints as Derek Carr leaves after big hit

The New Orleans Saints saw their quarterback Derek Carr leave yet another game prematurely after suffering an injury in the 33-28 loss to the Detroit Lions at home on Sunday.

On 3rd-and-17 near midfield, Carr dropped back to pass and looked to lead a Saints comeback as they were down 33-21 in the fourth quarter. But Lions defensive end Bruce Irvin hit Carr hard as he went to make a pass.

In doing so, Irvin lifted Carr off the ground and hammered him into the turf, which was an automatic penalty for roughing the passer. As the Saints went to move up 15 yards, Carr remained down on the turf.

It wasn’t just one injury designation that Carr received after the bad hit. It was announced that he had a shoulder injury and back injury and was in concussion protocol.

As a result, Jameis Winston came into the game and was able to miraculously find Chris Olave after Lions safety Brian Branch tipped his pass, which landed right in his intended receiver’s hands. Alvin Kamara would cash in a one-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game.

The Saints, though, were playing from behind all game long after the Lions exploded in the first quarter with three straight touchdown drives.

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The first came on the first drive of the game as rookie Jahmyr Gibbs rushed 36 yards to the New Orleans’ two-yard line, where fellow running back David Montgomery rushed it in from two yards out.

Then on the very next play from scrimmage, the first for the Saints in the game, Carr had a pass go right through the hands of tight end Juwan Johnson, which Branch secured for the interception.

Three plays later, Lions quarterback Jared Goff whipped a pass to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, a 13-yard strike that made it a 14-0 game.

New Orleans wasn’t able to answer that score either on their next drive, which resulted in a three-and-out. The Lions, you guessed it, made the best of great field position.

This time it was star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown who sprinted 25 yards right through the Saints’ defense to make it 21-0 before the game was halfway through the first quarter.

However, this one got closer once the Saints finally got into the end zone. As the defense kept the Lions at bay, Carr finally led his first touchdown drive of the day, finding veteran tight end Jimmy Graham for a six-yard touchdown.

New Orleans still had tons of work to do down 24-7 when the second half began, but a 10-play touchdown drive was what the doctor ordered to start. It was Kamara bussing it in from two yards out after Carr found Olave for 33 yards to set up the red zone try. 

Then, after a three-and-out for the Lions, the Saints found the end zone again, this time with Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill chugging his legs to make it in from one yard out. 

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With the game at 24-21, the Lions got some points they needed with Riley Patterson knocking through a 32-yard field goal. And they got the defensive stop they needed on the ensuing drive as the Saints botched the snap and the Lions recovered.

Two plays later, Jameson Williams rushed from 19 yards out and dove into the end zone to extend the lead to 33-21.

In the end, Winston couldn’t pick up Carr and lead the comeback as the Saints fell to 5-7 on the season. The Lions improved to 9-3.

In the box score, Goff was 16 of 25 for 213 yards and two passing touchdowns, with LaPorta accounting for 140 yards on nine receptions. The Lions also rushed for 140 team yards, with Gibbs having 60 and Montgomery 56.

For the Saints, Carr was 17-for-22 for 226 yards with one touchdown and one interception before he left the game. Winston was 2-for-5 for 41 yards. Olave led the Saints with 119 yards on five catches.