Derek Carr's hot start with Saints might not last based on recent trends

The New Orleans Saints are one of the biggest surprises in the NFL through two weeks. Furthermore, Derek Carr is one of the biggest surprises at the quarterback position, as he's thrown for 443 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception in his first two starts of the 2024 season.

Carr and the Saints went from such an underwhelming pair before the season began to now people are convinced they could do some damage later in the season. We might want to pump the brakes on any potential playoff runs, however.

According to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, Carr's hot starts haven't ended well for him. Dubow notes that "57 QBs started a season 2-0 from 2017-23. 39 of those teams made the playoffs that season. The only QB to miss the playoffs more than once following a 2-0 start in that span: Derek Carr: 2017, 2020, 2023".

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As noted by Dubow, Carr has failed to make the playoffs three times despite a 2-0 start with the most recent instance of that coming a year ago during his first year in the Big Easy. The other two years were when Carr was still with the Raiders.

In 2017, Carr and the Raiders started off red hot with a 2-0 record but went on to win just four more games the rest of the year. The Raiders were better in 2020 but still only finished with an 8-8 record after their 2-0 start, which is considered a disappointment if you get out of the gates hot.

Last year's Saints team finished with a winning record but it wasn't enough to edge out the Buccaneers for the NFC South title or a Wild Card spot. Carr and the offense did start clicking near the end of the season, however, which was a promising sign.

Maybe Saints fans need to pump the brakes on Derek Carr

This stat certainly doesn't look good for Carr but this year's Saints team's path to 2-0 has been much different from last year's path to 2-0. Carr and the offense have been dominant, putting up 47 points on the Panthers and then dropping 44 points on the Cowboys. Last year, the team narrowly defeated the Titans in Week 1 and barely got past the Panthers in Week 2.

We all know that this offensive explosion isn't going to continue forever. Carr and the Saints offense will eventually slow down or run into defenses who know how to stop them but for now, let's just enjoy the ride.

It's one thing to be 2-0 when the team is barely eking out wins but it's another thing to be 2-0 when the team is curb-stomping the opposition. Let's enjoy the madness while it's happening.