For the second consecutive week Derek Carr went viral not necessarily for his play on the field, but his intense frustration as he came off of it.
In Week 6 it was in the direction of OC Pete Carmichael after a failed 4th down attempt late in the game. In Week 7 frustration appeared to boil over after a throwaway where it appeared WR Chris Olave didn't finish a route downfield.
"I've been showing my emotion a little bit too much on sleeve," Carr said after a 31-24 loss to the Jaguars. "I've kind of got to chill out,"
Carr spoke with backup Jameis Winston and RB Alvin Kamara on the sideline as he cooled off before going over to discuss the play with his WR. The QB wouldn't elaborate on the play itself, but WWL Radio's Deuce McAllister indicated that the goal of the play was likely for Olave to clear out the defender so a route could be hit underneath. The play wasn't run effectively, and the ball was thrown out of bounds.
Olave echoed that there was frustration, but kept his comments short on that play in particular after the game.
“I mean, yea, you can put it on me," Olave told reporters in the locker room. "I’ll take that.”
The relationship between Carr and Olave, and the second-year pro's consistency in general, have been a frequent talking point amid struggles the past few weeks, dating back to a 1-catch performance in a loss to the Bucs in Week 4 when he admitted his emotions got the better of him. Olave responded with effective performances the next three weeks with 16 total catches for 165 yards and a touchdown, but there's clear room for improvement. Carr has also put up big numbers in the passing game with back-to-back 300-yard passing performances, but they've come in a pair of games that required late rallies and questionable red zone efficiency. Carr attempted 50-plus passes in both games after throwing no more than 37 passes in either of the first five weeks.
Even with frustration, Carr made it clear he's got to be better about not letting his emotions boil over the way they did on Thursday.
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“That’s me holding myself accountable, because that’s not going to help anything," Carr said. "And so just trying to be a calming influence in those moments, especially when it’s been a couple times it’s happened, that heightened frustration. I could do a better job as a leader to calm everybody down.”
The Saints now have an extended break to assess their offensive woes and put a winning product on the field when they meet up with the Colts in Week 8.