Is Saints’ Derek Carr playing vs. Broncos? Latest Thursday Night Football injury update

Derek Carr did not practice this week, and while he is listed as doubtful and has not been ruled out by the Saints at the moment, he is not going to start the game and is not likely to dress, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Spencer Rattler will get his second career start, and he will be without top weapons in Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee). The versatile tight end Taysom Hill is also doubtful with a rib injury.

This is a big game for the Saints as they try to right the ship. They started hot at 2-0 with blowout wins over the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, but have lost four in a row since against the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs and Buccaneers.

At 2-4 on the season, it would be big for the Saints to get a win against the Broncos to try to keep things afloat for when Carr potentially returns. The problem is that oblique injuries can be tricky and take a while to recover from.

Rattler showed some promise against the Buccaneers in Week 6, especially in the first half of the game. In the second half, the game got away from the Saints a bit, and it spiraled from there.

This will be a tough test for Rattler in his second game, as the Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL. It will be easier with Patrick Surtain II missing the game, arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. It will be interesting to see if Rattler can take advantage with Surtain out of the lineup. It will still be tough with Olave and Shaheed out of the lineup. Regardless, the Saints need a win in any fashion on Thursday to keep their playoff hopes alive.