Derek Carr discusses the Saints' win over the Carolina Panthers, injuries and his altercation with Erik McCoy.
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00:00 >> How much is it, how happy are you to see Jimmy back?
00:04 >> He has been someone that, our lockers are just separated by one.
00:10 And we have had a lot of great conversations where we're both in there
00:14 very early, and so some early warning from training camp to now.
00:18 Just great times getting to know each other, just becoming good friends and
00:22 good teammates.
00:23 Having him, we knew that he could do some of these things.
00:27 Obviously, we hit him early at Green Bay, and now in the past couple weeks,
00:32 he's been a viable option for us.
00:35 And just to see him still play at that level and
00:39 still be able to execute at that level at his age.
00:43 I heard him talking about his training and all that kind of stuff, and
00:45 that's the new thing.
00:46 As you get older, you have to change certain ways that you do things, and
00:50 he knows what he's doing, and it's paying off for him.
00:53 Cuz he still executes at a high level, he made the best play of the day with that
00:57 catch, it was unbelievable.
01:00 It's like the only place I could throw it, and it's Jimmy Graham.
01:04 I watched Drew do it enough, give him a chance, and he went up and
01:08 made a heck of a play.
01:09 So you watch that play, and you're like, he looks like he's 28 years old.
01:14 And I'm really impressed, but I think the greatest thing is his leadership,
01:19 what he brings to our team.
01:20 Just the mellowness, just his demeanor.
01:23 When it's tough, when it's hard, those grinding days on Wednesday or
01:27 Thursday, he's been just fantastic for our team.
01:31 >> What happened between you and Eric in that situation?
01:34 >> Yeah, I mean, things happen, man.
01:37 We were both, had our reasons.
01:42 We were both right for an aspect, we were both wrong for an aspect.
01:46 But that's not the only time that's ever happened, with me and
01:49 a player, or an offensive lineman or a center.
01:51 That stuff happens, and the best part about it,
01:57 Rich Bissaccio always taught me, those moments are gonna happen.
02:01 You're gonna have conflict sometimes, confrontation, always circle back.
02:05 So we went circle back, we looked at each other, we both smiled.
02:09 We both already knew.
02:10 But that was, with all the cameras around,
02:15 that stuff gets caught sometimes, but there's no problem, it's all good.
02:19 >> You've had a couple of those this year,
02:20 is that something that you kinda- >> Me and Eric.
02:22 >> Think about or be mindful of or?
02:25 >> I'm just excited that we won a game today.
02:27 People gritted through some stuff, and that's what I'm happy about.
02:31 >> You don't think that conflict's maybe an issue though, or?
02:33 >> Brother, I'm not trying to be negative with you anymore, I'm sorry.
02:35 >> When you say fight through it, how much were injuries,
02:40 how much were you affected, how much were you trying to fight through stuff
02:43 physically, did that limit you at all?
02:44 >> Everybody, everybody's dealing with stuff.
02:47 And they put the little injury report out there, and
02:50 there's eight guys on every team every year, or every week, I should say.
02:55 And everybody's dealing with stuff.
02:57 I grew up in a time where there are certain things that you're gonna,
03:04 you may not put your best film out there, but
03:05 are you still willing to go out there and be out there for your teammates, right?
03:08 And we have a lot of guys that make those decisions all the time,
03:12 it's like, no, we're gonna be out there, and it is what it is.
03:16 >> Eric, you're pretty good with transparency,
03:18 how would you assess your play today?
03:19 >> Just, we won, we won.
03:23 I got enough yards and touchdowns for a lifetime, man.
03:26 I came here to win, and hopefully we can just keep doing that.
03:28 >> Eric, everything you've went through this week, how does it feel to get to
03:34 the end, how do you feel?
03:35 >> Yeah, my favorite thing is to watch my teammates celebrate.
03:38 So we got to go in that locker room, and everyone was dancing,
03:43 coaches, special teams coach right in the middle of it, watching Riz dance.
03:47 And all that, I mean, this game's hard enough.
03:51 And so whenever you can get a win, you can watch everybody celebrate.
03:56 Knowing you see guys, a smile on their face,
03:58 you know what they dealt with all week, you know what that guy dealt with.
04:01 You watch them, and you see that smile, and like that's what,
04:05 like Mickey said in there, you're gonna remember the people you do it with.
04:10 And cuz you know their story, you know what's happening in their life.
04:13 And that's what was cool to me.
04:15 I saw two or three guys, I know they were dealing with some stuff nobody knows about.
04:18 But they came out, gritted out, and we were able to go in, see them smile.
04:22 Even though it's a hard week, it was really cool.
04:24 >> There was a report that you got a rib fracture.
04:26 Is that right, and is that limiting at all in anything you're trying to do?
04:30 >> I did.
04:31 I've had a couple this year.
04:33 I think that's up to three now,
04:36 which that's, there were guys last year on the team here that were dealing with those.
04:42 And what's crazy is they had a whole bunch of them last year.
04:45 They know exactly how to treat them,
04:47 just stuff to help you be at your, close to as best as you can.
04:51 And so ribs on court, or any rotational athlete are tough.
04:55 But I felt good enough, they felt confident enough that I could at least be out there
05:00 and execute.
05:01 >> Is that like a mobility risk or a pain management thing, a little bit of both?
05:05 >> Yeah, because pain would be the mobility issue.
05:08 >> Sure, sure, sure.
05:10 >> We were able to do some things to help that as best we could.
05:14 >> Did the other one- >> Game plan?
05:16 >> Sorry, sorry, sorry, yeah.
05:17 >> Did that affect the game plan that you guys were trying to do,
05:20 trying to work around what you could or couldn't do?
05:22 >> No, we knew, I mean, this scheme, they want to stop the pass.
05:25 They hold their shell looks, they want to take away the deep stuff and
05:27 all that kind of stuff.
05:28 And I think they've only given up 180 yards passing all year.
05:31 And so you know the emphasis, I used to play that scheme all the time in Denver.
05:36 That's the emphasis, you gotta be able to run the ball to win the game.
05:38 And when you do have pass plays down the red zone, try and be efficient,
05:43 try and hit, gotta hit a shot.
05:45 There's just formulas to playing certain teams.
05:48 And trust me, I'll throw 20 yards in a game and get a win any day.
05:55 Like I said, I came here to do that.
05:56 So however we have to do that, we found for 300 and lost.
06:00 And that's a crappy week.
06:02 Like now, we'll have a smile on their face, we gotta win.
06:04 And whatever the scheme is, man, you just,
06:08 everybody tries to attack things differently.
06:10 And so going into it, it wasn't like, maybe they didn't tell me.
06:15 But I knew it was gonna be a heavy run the ball day,
06:17 cuz every time I played this game,
06:18 you gotta be able to run the ball efficiently and be able to do that.
06:21 >> But Eric, at what point does the way you win matter as much as getting the win?
06:26 >> Man, in ten years, I've been a part of some really big wins.
06:34 And you have a huge day on one side of the ball or the other.
06:37 And then I've been a part of some games where you have a great day and
06:40 you lose, and there are some games where you lose.
06:42 And one thing I've learned is that you really don't care how,
06:46 us in the building, we don't care how we win.
06:49 You just gotta win.
06:51 This league is way too tough to try and nitpick.
06:57 The nitpicking is to get better for the next game, if we're gonna do those plays
07:00 and that kind of stuff, and get better individually.
07:02 But you just take a win any time you can get them.
07:06 You always hear a coach, I've been a part of these where it wasn't pretty, and
07:10 then, hey, man, we were able to get a couple at the end and put it away.
07:13 And hey, it wasn't pretty, I've heard a coach say it wasn't pretty, but we won.
07:18 And so I've just adopted that, and I believe that any way you can do it,
07:21 you just won't win.
07:22 >> It was a unique play, did you get away with one of the one, or
07:26 what did you see when you threw that one that went to Anderspeed?
07:29 I guess you were glad he didn't catch it, or-
07:31 >> I was trying to dirt it at Chris.
07:34 Chris had broken in, the safety was there, and I was trying to dirt, but
07:37 as I got hit, it just kind of fell to him.
07:39 But I wasn't trying to throw it to Anderspeed.
07:41 >> [LAUGH] >> I was not a target.
07:44 >> [LAUGH] >> Derek, I'm sorry to believe it,
07:48 but when people see the quarterback in the center arguing throughout a game
07:52 on television, it's going to be perceived as this is just something bubbling out of
07:58 the locker room, this is something that's happening that we're now seeing.
08:01 What would you say to that, and does that perception matter?
08:05 >> The perception of it, no, no, that doesn't matter.
08:09 To say, I've always been honest with you guys,
08:13 to say that there was a problem before, we had a great week of texting each other.
08:17 And practice, and laughing, and having fun, and all that kind of stuff.
08:20 So me and Eric have no issue.
08:24 In the moment, something happened, the reason doesn't matter.
08:28 Everyone wants to know the reason, everybody wants to know the why, but
08:31 doesn't matter.
08:32 We were both right, we were both wrong.
08:34 At the same time, we both were like, my bad, he was like, my bad, I was like, my bad.
08:38 And that was it.
08:39 And I've done that with my two older brothers probably 50 times in my life,
08:44 and it happens.
08:45 But when it's in a frustrating moment, and that kind of happens,
08:49 it is intensified as I've learned.
08:51 Cuz people wanna know, no, what's wrong?
08:54 There really is nothing wrong.
08:57 We had a moment that I've had some of those moments in my ten years a lot of times.
09:03 With a coach, with a teammate, somebody.
09:05 And I always learned, you always circle back, you make right, and you keep going.
09:09 But that kind of stuff happens all the time in practice.
09:12 I'm not saying with me and him, I'm saying just with teammates,
09:14 that stuff happens.
09:15 And you make sure you always circle back, make it right, and we did that.
09:20 And so I love Eric, I love Eric to death.
09:24 But I would be completely honest with you, there's no problem.
09:27 >> What did you see on the- >> One last question for
09:29 Derek and then Carl Granderson.
09:30 >> Derek, when did the rib fractures happen?
09:32 Sorry, I didn't mean to talk to you, I just meant to ask that.
09:36 >> You're talking about?
09:37 >> Yeah, was that in the Green Bay game or the Minnesota game,
09:39 the other rib fractures?
09:40 >> Yeah, the other two, no one even knew.
09:43 I played through them, but the one was last week, Detroit, yeah.
09:50 >> But you'd already had the two- >> At a different time.
09:52 >> In week three or week ten?
09:54 >> It wasn't those two games, it was a different game, yeah.
09:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]