The Las Vegas Raiders are set to play the New Orleans Saints, in a game that was supposed to be the Derek Carr Bowl, as fans have been waiting and anticipating the day that the former Raiders quarterback play his former team, the team he was a starter on for 10 years. And, it helps that there was drama with Carr leaving.
But, that won't be happening. Carr won't start, as he has been injured for some time now. The Raiders will still be playing in a game that they desperately need to lose. They needed to lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but won that game and dropped from the No. 1 overall pick to the No. 6 overall pick.
A win over the Saints could hurt their chances of getting their franchise guy even more. And, the Saints are in a similar position -- not that they are looking for a QB, but that they need to lose games. To get some insight on their season, I spoke with A to Z Sports' very own Adam Holt who covers the Saints on a daily basis.
Burning questions for Raiders vs. Saints
The New Orleans Saints are in a similar position to the Raiders in that they need to probably keep losing games, but have won some when they probably shouldn’t. In your opinion, what’s the plan with the Saints?
New Orleans’ first task will be getting a new head coach in place. Mike Vrabel & Aaron Glenn are both under strong consideration, according to Adam Schefter. Whoever it may be, they’ll have their hands full with a tight salary cap situation and an aging roster.
Everyone wanted to see the Carr-Raiders reunion on the LV side of things, but what will Raiders fans get in terms of the QB experience from New Orleans?
Expect Spencer Rattler to get another start. Carr is no longer in a brace, but he isn’t back to practice yet. Rattler has had some bright moments sprinkled in this year, but overall, the unit hasn’t been impressive as a whole with him under center. With a banged-up offensive line & limited weapons, the task will be tough for him again this weekend.
How would you assess the interim head coaching position in New Orleans? The Raiders were in that position last season, and many would now recommend that you not hire the interim as the full-term HC.
I think Rizzi has done a good job since taking over for Dennis Allen, but the Saints need an injection of newness with their staff. Rizzi is an incredibly experienced coach, with players backing him at nearly every turn, but New Orleans should go out of their building for their next head coach.
