Saints quarterback Derek Carr exits Week 13 matchup vs Lions after hard hit
The New Orleans Saints saw quarterback Derek Carr exit the Week 13 matchup against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter. The veteran took a hard hit from Lions edge rusher Bruce Irvin and needed help off the field amid the one-score game in New Orleans.
Despite the loss of Carr, the Saints managed to march down the field and score with backup QB Jameis Winston under center. With a completion to Chris Olave and a scoring run by Alvin Kamara, the home team moved within five points of the visiting Lions.
Prior to his exit, Carr was 17-for-22 with 226 passing yards, one touchdown pass and one interception.
Starting in his first season with the Saints, Carr has a 65.6% completion rate with 2,535 yards, 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Last week against the Falcons, he had 304 passing yards but no touchdown passes and one interception in the 24-15 loss.
The Saints are 5-6 this season and trying to reach .500 with a win against the Lions.
NFL crew member suffers gruesome injury in Saints-Lions game
A member of the NFL’s chain crew in the Saints-Lions game on Sunday went down with a gruesome leg injury that necessitated a cart to come out to take him off of the field.
The injury occurred during the second quarter after Saints running back Alvin Kamara went out of bounds on a run. Kamara’s momentum took him through the legs of the chain crew member, who was writhing in pain afterward.
The injury on Sunday is a reminder that football is a dangerous game – even for those not actively playing. Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith reminded fans of that fact just two weeks ago. He suffered a torn rotator cuff after a sideline collision in the Steelers’ win over the Green Bay Packers.
The coach who’s been with the team since 2013 needed surgery to repair his shoulder. He revealed to reporters that the collision was one of the hardest hits he’s ever taken. That includes his years as a defensive back in college. In fact, most of the injuries in his life have come as a sideline spectator – not as a player.
“I’ve been hit a lot, and been hit hard,” Smith said, via ESPN. “I got a lot of metal in my body over that. I got to learn to get the hell out of the way.
“Got hit in college in a Clemson-Georgia Tech game. Got a tibial plateau fracture, got a plate and six screws in my knee. I had that hit at training camp with [Antonio Brown] when I broke my ribs and my L1 vertebrae in my back. This one hurt.”