Comparing the Astonishingly Similar Debuts of Drew Brees and Derek Carr as Saints Quarterbacks

Derek Carr managed to get a win in his first regular season game as starting quarterback of the New Orleans Saints. But how did it compare to Drew Brees' first game in black and gold? Things were so similar, it's been described as something out of the 'Twilight Zone.'

Facebook user Mark Lassiter of the Big Easy Mafia Saints Fan Club made a post comparing the debuts of Drew Brees and Derek Carr as starting quarterbacks for the New Orleans Saints. The numbers and circumstances are eerily similar, leaving fans to wonder if it's possible that Carr's tenure could echo that of the iconic Drew Brees.

Drew Brees made his debut on September 10, 2006, against the Cleveland Browns. The Saints' offense chalked up their points in a methodical manner: field goal, field goal, field goal, a touchdown to Marques Colston, and another field goal to finish off the game.

The final score read New Orleans Saints 19, Cleveland Browns 14. In what can only be termed as a modest start for the future Hall of Famer, Brees had a performance of 16 completions out of 30 attempts for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Fast forward to Derek Carr's debut, and the script seems uncannily similar. Playing in the storied Superdome against the Tennessee Titans, the Saints, under Carr, scored their points in almost the same sequence: field goal, field goal, field goal, and a touchdown to Rashid Shaheed.

The Saints pulled out a nail-biter, defeating the Titans 16-15. Derek Carr's stat line read 23 for 33 with 305 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

As Lassiter aptly describes, the comparison seems straight out of the Twilight Zone. Interestingly, Carr's numbers are slightly more robust, considering both the yardage and the completion rate. Despite his performance, there were vocal segments within the fanbase calling for Carr to be benched in favor of Jameis Winston and questioning the Saints' decision to sign him.

To add another layer of peculiarity, if we compare Carr's debut to Brees' stats in the iconic Domecoming game—New Orleans' first game back in the Superdome after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina—the Saints scored in the following order: rushing TD from Devery Henderson, field goal, field goal, field goal.

Drew’s numbers were 20-28 for 190 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Strikingly, there were no calls for his benching or regrets for signing him as a free agent.

This alignment has led to inevitable questions. Will Derek Carr go on to have a career resembling that of Drew Brees? That remains to be seen. For now, the Saints are keeping their eyes on the immediate future, focusing on their upcoming game against the Carolina Panthers next Monday night.