13 August 2023 , 22:30
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Derek Carr made a flying start as the New Orleans Saints' new quarterback on Sunday with a clinical cameo against the Kansas City Chiefs as he tries to bounce back after being forced out by the Las Vegas Raiders.
The four-time Pro Bowl QB was eased out after nine seasons with the Raiders, with head coach Josh McDaniels choosing to go in a new direction with Jimmy Garoppolo steering the offense.
Carr's final year with the Raiders was a disappointing one, going 6-9 in his 15 starts before being taken out of the lineup, but he has shown throughout his career to be an above-average starter, and he delivered a reminder of his abilities with a highly impressive drive to kick off his pre-season campaign.
The 32-year-old completed six of his eight passes and connected with wide receiver Keith Kirkwood in the endzone to complete a 12-play drive that was the sum of his work for the afternoon.
And it could have been even better had two-time All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas held onto an accurate 16-yard throw from Carr, who will be buoyed about his prospects for the season after his brief appearance on Sunday.
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Former number-one overall pick Jameis Winston replaced Carr in the lineup and he also threw a touchdown pass before rookie Jake Haener finished the game with one of his own in a 26-24 victory against the reigning Super Bowl champions at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The win was secured with a 31-yard field goal from Blake Grupe as time expired.
Derek Carr was forced out by the Las Vegas Raiders. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)"It was good, it was a lot of fun," Carr told reporters after his debut. "I liked being on this side of things in the Dome. I can get used to this place, it was a lot of fun. Everything was new, so for me to get out there and play football in the stadium and operate was important to me.
It doesn't matter how old I am and how many years I have played in the NFL, to do it with a new group and all new receivers. For everyone in there, it's a mark of this group that any chance to get out there and coach will let us, we just want to compete and play.
I was very excited, no anxiety. I've been doing this for a decade. You're not nervous anymore, you just want to gou out there and play at a high level, so I was really excited.
I told DA (head coach Dennis Allen) earlier this week that I feel refreshed and rejuvenated and (excited) to put that uniform on to come out and be a Saint. It felt really good.