Following yet another loss, the teams’ seventh of the season, fans of the New Orleans Saints are left wondering if the offense has finally reached a breaking point under the leadership of first-year Head Coach Kellen Moore. Last Sunday, the Saints fell at the hands of divisional opponent Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 23-3 final score was the result of another poor offensive output which led to a major shakeup at a critical position late in the contest.
Another multi-turnover game from starting quarterback
Spencer Rattler caused him to be benched in favor of rookie backup Tyler Shough during the third quarter of the game. All year, there has been little to no firepower from the offensive units. The QB change did not appear to make much of a difference however as the second-round pick from this year’s NFL Draft would go on to throw an interception on his first career drive. He followed that up with back-to-back turnover on downs series.
The Saints have now officially made the switch at quarterback to Shough in hopes to create a spark as the current state of New Orleans’ offense is lackluster as they have no true number one receiver, a talented but aging running back, an injury-riddled offensive line, and these are all issues regardless of who you decide to put behind center.
The Saints’ upcoming opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, will be a major roadblock. Sean McVay and the Rams are sitting pretty at 5-2 while leading the always competitive NFC West. Their defense is a big reason why.
Los Angeles boasts a top 15 defense in the league that is giving up less than 315 yards per game. While teams may move the ball up and down the field more, that does not always equate to points when facing the Rams. Teams are averaging just 16.7 points per game, a mark that is good enough to rank third in the NFL.
The Rams’ defense also has a positive turnover differential at +3. They’ve managed to earn ten takeaways this year with a near even split between fumbles and interceptions.
Young linebackers Byron Young and Jared Verse are leading the way for Los Angeles in sacks with nine and four respectively. Young sits in third place among all defensive players for sacks this year. The only players who are ahead of the Rams’ star are Myles Garrett and Brian Burns, both elite talents.
New Orleans faces a stiff challenge on their road trip out west. Fans are is dismay, team morale is shot, but one bright side is that if the season continues its current trend, the Saints may be eyeing a top prospect during next April’s NFL Draft.
