Derek Carr passed for 218 yards and three touchdowns, New Orleans sacked Tommy DeVito seven times and the Saints defeated the New York Giants 24-6 on Sunday.
It was one of the more redemptive performances of the season for Carr, who was booed while struggling in recent home games. Not this time as he connected on 23 of 28 passes without a turnover in one of his most efficient outings of his first season with New Orleans (7-7).
And he did it without top receiver Chris Olave, who was scratched because of an ankle injury.
Carr’s scoring passes went for 7 yards to Keith Kirkwood, 24 to Juwan Johnson and 1 to Jimmy Graham, who caught his third scoring pass in three games.
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The result kept the Saints tied atop the NFC South with Tampa Bay and marked the end of a heady run for DeVito, an undrafted rookie who has become a sensation in New York by leading the Giants on a three-game winning streak that briefly pulled them back to the fringe of the NFC playoff picture.
The Giants (5-9) are now guaranteed a losing record and will enter their final three games with only a slight chance of sneaking into the postseason as the last NFC wild-card team.
DeVito was 20-of-34 for 177 yards. He left for New York’s final four offensive plays of the second quarter after a 6-yard scramble on which he took a high hit from defensive back Isaac Yiadom.
Tyrod Taylor completed two passes for 13 yards before punter Jamie Gillan — in place of injured kicker Randy Bullock — made a 40-yard field goal to cut the Saints’ lead to 7-6 at halftime.
Derek Carr throws for three TDs to help Saints defeat Giants 24-6
New Orleans pulled away with Carr’s touchdown passes in the third and fourth quarter, along with Blake Grupe’s 50-yard field goal.
Giants tight end Darren Waller, who missed five games because of a hamstring injury, was activated from injured reserve and was one of DeVito’s top targets, catching four passes for 40 yards.
But the Giants offense largely struggled, finishing with 193 total yards and converting just two of 16 third downs.
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Bullock hurt his hamstring on a kickoff right after he’d made a 56-yard field goal on the game’s first possession and did not return. That allowed Gillan to make a field goal for the first time in his career after missing his only other attempt from 61 yards with Cleveland in 2020. NT Rakeem Nunez-Roches was attended to on the field for an injury in the second half. S Jason Pinnock was treated on the field in the third quarter for an undisclosed injury and returned.
Saints: In addition to being without Olave (ankle), New Orleans also scratched starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee) before kickoff. Reserve safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. was helped off the field with an apparent right leg injury.
The Giants visit the Eagles on Dec. 25. The Saints play at the Rams on Thursday night.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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