Derek Carr has a lot of familiar opponents at New Orleans Saints practice this week — the Saints have taken the show on the road for two days of joint practices with the Los Angeles Chargers, a team Carr has played against more often than any other opponent. He knows them well, but that’s also true for the Los Angeles defense, who learned a lot about Carr and his tendencies as a player over his long run with the Las Vegas Raiders.
They’ve competed against one another 18 times, splitting the series with a 9-9 record; Carr only played against the Denver Broncos in 17 games (going 11-6) which was also true of the Kansas City Chiefs (who frustrated him while winning 14 of their 17 matchups). A season-ending broken leg in 2015 sidelined Carr for the season finale with the Broncos, while the Raiders’ decision to bench him and protect their injury guarantees prevented him from playing the AFC West-rival Chiefs in 2022.
But back to the Chargers. Some of their cornerstone players like defensive end Joey Bosa (5-5 against Carr with 9.5 sacks in 10 games) and defensive back Derwin James (4-3 versus Carr with 1 sack, 1 interception, and 2 passes defensed in 7 games) have plenty of experience getting after the former Raiders quarterback. Now he’s with the Saints, and both sides will be looking to use the benefits of experience to give themselves an edge leading up to Sunday’s preseason game.
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