One would think that a big-name star for the New Orleans Saints such as Derek Carr or Alvin Kamara might be the highest-graded player from the team’s stunning win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Carr, after all, threw for two scores in the 44-19 route on just 11 completions and Kamara totaled 115 yards and three scores as a rusher and another 65 yards and a score as a receiver.
One would be wrong, though.
Over at Pro Football Focus, guard Lucas Patrick was actually the team’s highest-graded player, checking in with a 97.2 overall grade. Carr, for context, was actually fifth on the team at 91.0.
It’s quite the achievement for Patrick, who was one of the guys dealing with an injury coming out of the team's season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers. The former undrafted free agent from 2016 gritted through that and in his first year with the Saints, he now looks like one of its standout players.
While Patrick wasn’t known for outbreaks like this at other stops, there’s something special currently unfolding in the new offense directed by Klint Kubiak. The first major scheme change in New Orleans in a long, long time is clearly getting the best out of Patrick, among others, so far.
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