For Pete's sake

Good morning, and welcome to the October 5 edition of the Saints Insider newsletter.

The Saints have turned the page on their loss to the Bucs. They're fully focused on the New England Patriots, who they play Sunday in Foxborough, Mass.

Here's what we have for you today:

'We love Pete'

If the figurative target is on offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael’s back on the heels of a couple dull performances from the Saints offense, the team's starting quarterback is not paying any heed. "We love Pete," Derek Carr said Wednesday, in defense of the Saints' embattled play caller. 

New addition

The Saints continue to churn their roster. They added a former first-round draft pick to their practice squad to bolster depth at a position that has struggled this season.

Reinforcements on the way

Good news: Three key players returned to practice after missing last week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke Johnson has the full injury report.

Roundtable discussion

Our Saints coverage team got together to discuss how things are going for the team at the quarter pole of the season. Part II of the conversation addressed the rookie class and whether we think the team can get back on track and still win the division and make the playoffs.

That's it for today. We'll have more news and analysis throughout the week as the Saints ramp up preparations for the Patriots.

Have a great Thursday,

Jeff Duncan