After New Orleans debuted on Thursday Night Football for the first time this season, it was nothing but sheer disappointment for Saints fans during the first half. Derek Carr has still struggled with finding the end zone like he has all season. The way fans felt about Andy Dalton last year, they should feel the same way about Derek Carr. Carr has worse stats than Dalton through the first five games of the season, yet Carr is paid $37.5 million a year compared to Dalton’s $4 million in the 2022 season. During the second half, Carr played better, arguably his best game this season. He threw the ball 55 times, completing 33 passes for 301 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Will Derek Carr continue this touchdown drought in the upcoming Week 8 matchup against the Colts, or will he be able to drill for liquid gold and start becoming the $150 million quarterback he’s paid to be?
Game Info
When: Sunday, October 29, 2023 at noon CST
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
TV Info: FOX
Injury Report
New Orleans Saints
Player: | Position: | Injury: | Status: |
James Hurst | OG | Ankle | Out |
J.T. Gray | S | Hamstring | Questionable |
Demario Davis | LB | Knee | Questionable |
Tyrann Mathieu | S | Foot | Questionable |
Marcus Maye | S | Hamstring | Questionable |
Taysom Hill | QB | Chest | Questionable |
Alontae Taylor | CB | Hip | Questionable |
Max Garcia | OG | Illness | Questionable |
Jimmy Graham | TE | Illness | Questionable |
Andrus Peat | OG | Ankle | Questionable |
Indianapolis Colts
Player: | Position: | Injury: | Status: |
Julius Brents | CB | Quadricep | Out |
Kylen Granson | TE | Concussion | Out |
Eric Johnson II | DT | Ankle | Questionable |
Zack Moss | RB | Elbow/Heel | Questionable |
Braden Smith | OT | Hip/Wrist | Out |
Tony Brown | CB | Ribs | Questionable |
Betting Info
Spread Favorite: Saints (-1)
Moneyline: Saints (-115), Colts (+105)
Over/Under: 43.5 points
Prediction
Before I begin getting into the meat of the prediction, I would like to preface that I am a big fan of Minshew Mania. We are both from the same home state, and I rock with that. If the Colts were to win this, I wouldn’t be as upset as I would be if they had chosen to continue to start Anthony Richardson and kill the man. That said, I don’t believe Minshew will pop off like he did last week. He threw less than half the passes Derek Carr threw and still had a better game last week. If that doesn’t say anything, New Orleans must sign Gardner Minshew next season. However, this puts a great deal of pressure on Carr to perform at the level he gets paid to perform at.
I think Carr is only getting better as the season progresses. I feel that in this game, Carr will shine, and if he doesn’t, start Jaboo. I’m tired of NFL games being run like a business. I don’t care if you’re paying someone $50 million a year to do their job. If someone is getting paid $49 million less than the starter, start the backup. I want to win games, not lose them. For this week specifically, the Saints have to win. They’re desperate for a win as they’ve lost four of the last five of their games. The defense is producing, but they can’t do all the work themselves. Derek Carr needs to step up and play to his potential. I don’t want to see any more Andy Dalton-like play. The Saints will run through Indianapolis like Katrina in ‘05 and win this thing. Was that too soon? I guess we’ll see and find out. They advance to 4-4 on the season.
Score
Saints 27 - Colts 7
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)