Saints fans think Chris Olave took a subtle shot at Derek Carr with postgame comments

The New Orleans Saints fell to 5-7 with Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions. That puts them a full game behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. For a team that invested $150 million in a shiny new quarterback to avoid this very situation, it's a tough look. And Sunday, the vibes reached a new low.

New Orleans was subject to audible boos from the home crowd as Detroit took the game in hand, running out to a 21-0 first quarter lead. The Saints stormed back and made it competitive, but the 33-28 final score still favored Detroit. The Saints have now lost three straight — including a potentially catastrophic loss to the Falcons in Week 12.

After the game Sunday, Chris Olave was asked about the boo birds in Caesars Superdome. He accepted responsibility for the team.

"Our play has just got to be better."

When pushed on if the Saints deserved the boos, Olave smiled and hesitated, before offering a non-answer.

"I don't know. Like I said, we just got to be better."

Those unenamored with the Saints' recent efforts were quick to interpret Olave's remarks as a sly shot at Derek Carr, who struggled early before leaving the game with an injury. Carr finished his night with 17-of-22 passes completed for 226 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Saints fans interpret Chris Olave quote as shot at Derek Carr amid struggles

Olave is not the first Saints QB accused of negatively commenting about Carr on Sunday. Michael Thomas, who was out with an injury, tweeted mid-game about not putting receivers in danger — a curiously timed opinion from the New Orleans vet.

It has been a difficult campaign for Carr, who signed a massive four-year contract in the offseason. The expectation was that Carr, a four-time Pro Bowl participant, would ensure the Saints' standing as perennial favorites in a weak division. In theory, the roster around him was loaded. Olave and Thomas are both established WR1 talents, while Alvin Kamara has a long history of dominating both the run game and the passing game.

Unfortunately, chemistry has not been easy to come by for Carr. He's still capable of gaudy yard totals, but the Saints are frequently plagued by drops and miscommunications. For the season, Carr has completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 2,761 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 12 starts. He also has six fumbles to his name. Any time a QB commits more turnovers than touchdowns, it's a grave sign.

Carr and the Saints certainly earned an earful from the crowd Sunday afternoon. That has been the case for several successive weeks now. There's still plenty of time for the Saints to claw their way back to the top of the NFC South, but that alone won't merit much celebration. The Saints would still be heavy underdogs in any postseason matchup.

There's no guarantee Olave's comments were directed at Carr, but it's clear frustration in the organization is bubbling up. If the Saints don't feel great about Carr, it will be difficult to find a suitable replacement given the magnitude of his contract. The hope is that Carr turns it around.