The New Orleans Saints earned their first win of the season after defeating the New York Giants 26-14 at home. The Saints now improve to 1-4 on the season and prepare to host the 3-2 New England Patriots,
coming off a win over the then-unbeaten Buffalo Bills. A lot went right for New Orleans on Sunday, but other league-wide problems also hindered their win a bit.
Up: Team morale
Winning for the Saints on Sunday was important for multiple reasons, but the biggest was to help keep team morale high. New Orleans was coming off a tough loss against a strong opponent, but they fought to the very end.
New York took an early 14-3 lead, and it appeared the Saints would be playing from behind all game, hoping to make it a close one towards the end, like they’ve done numerous times this season. Instead, the black and gold didn’t wait until it was too late to start competing. Head coach Kellen Moore made the proper adjustments, and the team was rejuvenated after an 87-yard touchdown pass to Rashid Shaheed. The Saints would go on to score 23 unanswered points.
It wasn’t just the players that showed up on Sunday; it was the fans, too. Filling up the Superdome has been a problem for the Saints over the years, and despite fans always putting their best effort to support a struggling team, the black and gold haven’t always held their end. But the Saints walked away from Sunday with a “feel-good” win that they can use as momentum going forward and possibly bring more fans in for another home game next week.
Up: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
Sunday’s matchup with the Giants didn’t start great for cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. The second-year cornerback was overpowered by tight end Theo Johnson at the top of his route, allowing Johnson enough separation to score his second touchdown of the day. But as everyone knows, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
McKinstry ended the day with 4 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 3 pass deflections. On his first interception, New York was facing a 4th down & 6. The second-year cornerback started on the left side of the field, but like a veteran would, made his way to the right, where all the action was. McKinstry putting himself in the play allowed him to get his first career interception. While the play would’ve been better if he batted it down and the Saints took over on downs, it was another play that could be used as a confidence booster for the young corner.
There was a lot of expectation for McKinstry heading into the 2025 season. He was seen as the Saints player poised to have the biggest breakout. While he hasn’t been that through five games this season, there are still 12 games and a lot of development to go for the 2024 second-round pick.
Down: K Blake Grupe
Kicker Blake Grupe has struggled throughout the early season. The third-year kicker came into Sunday’s game missing a field goal in 3/4 games played this season, and he only added to that list against the Giants. Grupe finished 4/6 on field goal attempts, missing from 52 and 46 yards out.
The young kicker has failed to prove he can make field goals when it matters. At the time of his first miss, the Saints were trailing 14-13 and would’ve earned their first lead of the day had Grupe delivered. Instead, he missed from 52 yards out, and the Giants took over at midfield. 50+ yard field goals are no gimmies, but the NFL is evolving, and there is an expectation for kickers to adapt.
Grupe’s second miss would come with the Saints leading by 12 in the fourth quarter. New Orleans was driving, but wasting clock before attempting a 46-yard field goal to put them up by 15. Unfortunately, Grupe would get his second miss of the day, giving New York a little bit of life.
Grupe’s struggles didn’t hurt New Orleans on Sunday, but they have in the past and will in the future if adjustments aren’t made. Grupe is a captain, and it’s clear the Saints see a future in him, but maybe it’s time to elevate Charlie Smyth from the practice squad and reopen the kicker competition.
Down: NFL officiating
Defensive end Carl Granderson ran untouched by a Giants defender to get what should have been his 5.5 sack of the season. Granderson is a freak athlete and speedy at his size, and with him coming untouched by New York’s offensive line, he had a pretty rough collision when bringing down Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. While it was a completely legal textbook hit by Granderson, he was called for roughing the passer.
Other officiating issues that have popped up for referees have been the inconsistency of the tush push. The Saints themselves have attempted the tush push twice this season and have been flagged twice for illegal formation, and it was truly the right call. The problem: New Orleans is running the play exactly how the Philadelphia Eagles have been, and they aren’t getting called for it.
Granderson’s penalty was late enough in the game, and the Saints had a comfortable lead when the penalty was called, so it did not affect the outcome, but this kind of blatant bad call could hurt New Orleans in the future. Officiating needs to stay consistent and correct, or it will continue to dictate the outcome of games.
