New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr passes concussion protocol
Quarterback Derek Carr suffered a head injury in Week 10 but has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and is expected to start Sunday in Week 12 for the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints will face the Atlanta Falcons in a crucial NFC South game that could clinch a playoff spot.
The Saints are first in the division with a 5-5 record. The Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tied for second with 4-6 records.
The Falcons have lost three straight games and will look to break the deadlock when they host the Saints on Sunday.
Injured Carl continues to tick
Carr suffered an anterior AC joint injury in his throwing shoulder during a Week 3 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Backup quarterback Jameis Winston replaced Carr in that game but was unable to prevent the Packers' comeback.
Carr is on the roster every week with a sprained shoulder. But he never missed a game.
The Saints last faced off in Week 10 against Josh Dobbs and the Minnesota Vikings. Carr was intercepted by two defenders in the third quarter and slowly returned to the sideline. The Saints believe Carr's shoulder injury was aggravated after the hard hit. But he was assessed as having a concussion and did not return to the game. Winston finished the game off the bench for just the second time this season. The Vikings defeated the Saints 27-19.
The Saints had a bye in Week 11, giving Carr an extra week to recover. He cleared concussion protocol on Wednesday and practiced with the team this week. The Saints have removed Carr from the official injury report. Head coach Dennis Allen expects Carr to start against the Falcons.
Carr is currently 5-5 as a starter in his first season with the Saints. In nine seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, Carr compiled a 63-79 record, including 6-9 last season.
Carr, in his 10th NFL season, has a completion rate of 65.9 percent with the Saints. He threw for 2,231 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Atlanta quarterback shuffle, Reed gets second shot
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith ultimately benched embattled quarterback Desmond Reed after a poor performance in Week 7. Smith added veteran backup Taylor Heinicke to the starting lineup in Week 8.
The move resulted in the Falcons going winless and losing three straight games. Heinicke completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 498 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
While Heinicke went 12-11-1 as a starter with the Washington Commanders, he was 0-3 with the Falcons.
Reed returns as a starter after the Falcons' bye week. Before relegation, the record this season was 4 wins and 3 losses.
I just took advantage of it and ran because I knew my opportunity would come again and if it did come, I was going to make the most of it," Reed said.
"I feel very, very good about his situation," Smith said. "He performed well off the bench. It's not an easy situation and I think his best football is still ahead of him."
Reed has a completion rate of 65.4% this season. He threw for 1,740 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. The speedy Reed ran 32 times for 150 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Reed started the final four games late last season. As a 2022 rookie, Reed went 2-2 as a starter after replacing Marcus Mariota.
Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers compete in NFC South race
The Saints and Falcons are among the four worst teams to bet on in the NFL this season. The Falcons are 2-8 in point differential (ATS), tied for second-worst in the league. The Saints are 2-7-1 ATS and have failed to beat the spread in their past three games.
The Falcons have a home-field advantage of +1.5 in Week 12.
The Saints have a +6,500 chance of winning the Super Bowl, while the Falcons have a +20,000 chance of winning the title. The Saints have a +3500 chance to win the NFC Championship and the Falcons have a +10000 chance to win the division.
DraftKings updated NFC South futures. The Saints are the favorite to win the division at -150 odds. They are ahead of the Falcons (+290) and Buccaneers (+340).
According to the latest playoff projections from Upshot, the Saints have a 65% chance of making the playoffs and a 57% chance of winning the NFC South. The Falcons have a 34% chance of advancing to the playoffs and a 27% chance of winning the division title. The Buccaneers have a 24% chance of clinching a playoff berth and a 16% chance of winning the NFC South.
According to DraftKings betting, the Saints have a -190 chance of making the playoffs. You can bet at +135 odds that the Saints will miss the playoffs. The Falcons have a +200 chance of earning a playoff berth and a -250 chance of missing the playoffs.
The Saints and Falcons will meet again in the final game of the season in Week 18 at the Superdome in New Orleans. The Falcons are 2-0 in the NFC South and the Saints are 1-1 in the divisional round.
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Source: www.casino.org
