Watch the entire play and tense exchange between Erik McCoy and Derek Carr following the sack in the Saints’ victory over the Panthers. McCoy was being comforted by James Hurst as they made their way to the sidelines.
Here's the full play and heated argument between Derek Carr and Erik McCoy after the sack in the Saints win over the Panthers. James Hurst was trying to calm McCoy down as they went to the sideline. @wdsu pic.twitter.com/SnoZ23zBdz
— Sharief Ishaq (@ShariefWDSU) December 11, 2023
In the New Orleans Saints’ victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, a lot of things happened, both positive and negative. The late-game altercation between center Erik McCoy and quarterback Derek Carr, however, attracted the attention of fans more than anything else.
Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu, who outran right guard Cesar Ruiz to bowl Carr over as he dropped back to pass, sacked Carr, who got up off the ground in a rage. Following the play, Carr directed his anger towards McCoy, who retaliated in kind, necessitating their separation. They went back to the sideline, where backup quarterback Jameis Winston grabbed Carr, and left guard James Hurst walled off McCoy.
The two eventually worked things out on the bench together after other team veterans like wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. and running back Alvin Kamara helped to close the gap. The offense came together to win 28–6 in the end. But after the game, nobody in the locker room, not even head coach Dennis Allen, was eager to talk about what had happened.
On the field, these kinds of incidents take place. After the game, Allen remarked, “I’m glad that both of them had the guts to stand up and fight.” “Guys, they become angry.” Things can become emotional at times. I wouldn’t take it too seriously. We dealt with it. Let’s proceed.
In professional football, collisions do occur occasionally, but it’s uncommon to witness a franchise quarterback and his center trading blows like this. It’s obvious that the two players who touch the football on every play weren’t in sync. It’s unclear whether McCoy neglected to assist Ruiz in picking up the blitz or whether Carr misidentified the middle linebacker to set protection prior to the snap, but they’re all more focused on getting things done than getting bogged down in the past.
After the game, Carr and McCoy both touched on the subject, restating Allen’s assertion that divisions do not exist in the locker room and that these incidents do occur. If you’re interested in reading the entire remarks, WWL Radio’s Jeff Nowak posted transcripts of their postgame media availability here. It seems unlikely that a genuine settlement on the record will be obtained anytime soon.
Even so, it’s practically hard to watch this team every week, pay attention to the guys speaking into microphones and on camera, and not feel like something isn’t quite right. Their discordant relationship amongst players, coaches, and front office executives is evident in their losing record. With any luck, they can patch things up, build on this victory, and aim for an NFC South championship run. To accept anything less would be to undervalue these players and this coaching staff.
