The New Orleans Saints dropped to 0-4 against the Buffalo Bills after a hard-fought game. While New Orleans would come away winless, there were plenty of positives to take from the Saints’ loss to one
of the best teams, if not the best team, in the league.
Up: Jonas Sanker
The Saints’ safety room took a big hit after Julian Blackmon suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The standout safety has taken starter snaps since signing with the team when Tyrann Mathieu retired, but after leaving with an injury after Week 1, New Orleans was scrambling again to find an answer at the safety position.
Rookie Jonas Sanker took over for Blackmon and has looked solid throughout, but his performance on Sunday will surely keep him on the field for the foreseeable future. Sanker logged 5 tackles, 3 pass deflections, and an interception. The rookie safety may have the best player on the field for New Orleans on Sunday, and could be a core piece of the rebuild going forward.
Up: Kendre Miller
Running back Kendre Miller has shown plenty of potential since the preseason, but his increased workload in the team’s loss to the Bills shows the Saints are ready to unleash the third-year back. Miller had 11 rushing attempts on Sunday, finishing the day with 65 yards and a touchdown. On his touchdown, the third-year running back showed his high-level balance and break-tackle ability to run 18 yards on the Saints’ opening drive.
Veteran Alvin Kamara is aging, and despite starting off the 2025 season strong, it’s in both his and the Saints’ best interest to find a capable back to split carries with him. New Orleans spent a valuable third-round draft pick on Miller, and he hasn’t had the chance to prove himself due to injuries. Now in 2025, Miller is fully healthy and off to a great start with the new coaching regime.
Down: Kool-Aid McKinstry
The expectations for cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry were high as he entered the 2025 season. The Saints bet on the second-round pick by trading away Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline the prior season and letting Paulson Adebo walk in free agency. While McKinstry is still young and has a lot of development ahead of him, it’s possible New Orleans jumped the gun when they let their two CB1 candidates go.
The second-year cornerback has been picked on by opposing quarterbacks through four weeks and has yet to prove why the Saints bet on him. McKinstry was bested by the Bills on Sunday and struggled in coverage. Kool-Aid McKinstry may still be the future at cornerback for New Orleans, but he’ll have to play better going forward.
