Saints news: Conflicting Derek Carr reports, QB2 questions, playoff path

Will he, or won't he? Should he, or shouldn't he? Saints' quarterback Derek Carr missed his team's last game Sunday against Washington with a broken left, non-throwing hand in two places and a concussion.

Why play? The Saints' 20-19 loss to Washington dropped them to 5-9 and knocked them out of the NFC Wild Card race. But with three games to play, New Orleans still has a miniscule chance to make the NFL Playoffs, if they win the weakling NFC South. So, there's that.

But how much Carr, an 11-year veteran who has battled several injuries the last two seasons, wants to come back and play or not may not matter. On Tuesday, the NFL Network reported that it is 'very unlikely' Carr returns to action this season.

Carr recently got another opinion, and that examination said he is still 'at least a few weeks away from being able to withstand contact,' Rapoport tweeted.

Saints claim Derek Carr might still be able to play

Meanwhile, Saints' interim coach Darren Rizzi, who is trying to get hired and remove that 'interim' part , painted a different picture of Carr's injury status on Monday.

"At this point, I would say he'll get a chance to play at some point before the season's over," Rizzi said a day after dropping to 3-2 since replacing fired coach Dennis Allen. "I don't think that's a reach. It's improving. He's just not there yet."

Rizzi was talking about Carr's left hand, which is broken in two places, according to Rapoport's report, and the hand is the issue. Rizzi said Carr needs only to pass the final stage of the concussion protocol, which he said will happen the next time he practices. The Saints, who next play at Green Bay (10-4) on Monday night (8:15 p.m., ESPN), did not practice Monday or Tuesday. They have a walk-through scheduled for Wednesday and full practices Thursday through Saturday.

"If Derek can get through the injury situation and get out there and start practicing at a regular pace, then that will certainly factor in," Rizzi said. "But if he can't, we'll obviously have to have a Plan B."

Saints' running back Alvin Kamara is also dealing with an injury. He hurt his groin while catching a 21-yard touchdown pass Sunday.

"It was very, very minor," Rizzi said. Then, he checked himself.

"I'm not going to say whether it's major, minor," he said. "I'm just going to leave it open ended right now. I don't want to make any big medical announcements at the moment."

Should Saints roll with Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener at QB?

Second-year quarterback Jake Haener beat out Spencer Rattler for the starting job last week against Washington, but he failed. Haener completed 4-of-10 passes for 49 yards with an interception and got sacked three times. Rattler replaced Haener in the third quarter with the Saints down 17-0 and nearly delivered a win. He completed 10-of-21 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown with no sacks as he is more mobile.

Rattler threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Foster Moreau as time expired to get the Saints within 20-19. The Saints went for the win, but Rattler threw a little ahead of tight end Juwan Johnson on the two-point play, and he couldn't quite come up with the catch. It was catchable, though.

"We were an inch away," Rattler said.

Rizzi put off naming a starter on Monday and Tuesday.

"We'll wait and see what's on with Derek's situation first and then go from there," he said. "So, there's really no reason to declare anybody a starter at the moment."

It would be hard to imagine Rizzi not going with Rattler, who obviously sparked the team.

"It tells me a lot about his character," Rizzi said. "Tells me a lot about his heart. The guy didn't flinch. I'm very, very proud of Spencer."

Rattler started the three games Carr missed in October with an oblique injury.

"I know in the three he started there were some bumps in the road, but he's a rookie," Rizzi said.

How the Saints could still make the playoffs

There is a road to the playoffs for the Saints, who trail first place Tampa Bay (8-6) by three games in the NFC South. New Orleans can't be a Wild Card entry, but they can win their division.

First off, the Saints need to win their final three games – at 10-4 Green Bay on Monday, then beat the Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) on Dec. 29 and Tampa Bay (8-6) on the road over the final weekend to finish 8-9. Then, Tampa Bay needs to lose all three of its remaining games, while Atlanta (7-7) must lose two of its next three.

That's easier said than done.