How's that for a season opener? The New Orleans Saints took the Detroit Lions down to the wire, going for two points late in overtime to try and win the day -- to win a game they trailed 21-0 midway through the third quarter. They showed real fight on the road against an opponent with Super Bowl aspirations. They also dug a big hole for themselves in the first place. Here are our rapid-fire takeaways from a thriller at Ford Field:
- What went right?
- What went wrong?
- And what's the bottom line?
- So what comes next?
What went right?
It wasn't all bad in the first half. The Saints were only penalized twice, for 18 yards, compared to four flags for 25 yards on Detroit. That resulted in a free first down for New Orleans (tight end Juwan Johnson forced Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin into committing illegal contact on third down) and some advantageous
situations for the Saints defense. In that regard, they played much more disciplined than what we saw last year.
And the defense did their job, for the most part, leading up to halftime. They limited a high-powered offense to just seven points on seven possessions. Detroit averaged 28.3 points per game last year (fourth-most) and ended 44.4% of their drives with points (8th-best). Goff was held to 91 passing yards and didn't have a single completion gain more than 19 yards. That's something to build off of.
We saw the Saints do just that in a raucous second half. Shough shook off a bad start (he went 10-of-23 for 85 yards, two interceptions, and a fumble) to go 25-of-33 for 326 yards and three touchdowns after his third turnover. If he can start faster and find a rhythm without putting his team in a dangerous spot? That's very, very encouraging. But it's a big "if," too.
What went wrong?
You have to start with Shough. The second-year quarterback got off to a rough start -- and then it got worse. You can't blame it all on a lack of snaps in the preseason. But 12 or 15 scripted plays could have helped him work through some of the jitters. He isn't a 150-game starter like Jared Goff (who also didn't play in the preseason). Shough only started nine games last year after staying on the field for a single full season in college. The Saints didn't give him enough runway before asking him to take off. He was playing without poise and rushing into bad decisions. Let's hope this was a learning opportunity for him.
But Shough wasn't the only one coming up short offensively. Chris Olave had several uncharacteristic drops on plays that should have gained chunks of yardage. He may have not been at fault but tight end Noah Fant was at the scene of the crime on both of Shough's interceptions. That Shough went back to those guys, over and over again (Olave had two catches of 40-plus yards, and Fant scored the penultimate touchdown reception) is encouraging.
The run defense was a problem. They had no answers for Jahmyr Gibbs, who rattled off four carries of 10 or more yards before scoring his second touchdown of the afternoon. It sure looked like a team that didn't invest many draft picks in their defense this spring. They may not have guys like Demario Davis, Isaacc Yiadom, or Tyrann Mathieu in the lineup anymore, but fresh legs aren't necessarily faster.
And what's the bottom line?
This Saints team can compete with anyone on any week. They've got enough playmakers to put up 30 points a game and a talented quarterback who can move the ball. They're resilient enough to overcome a three-score deficit. There's reason to be excited about them this year. But that's not the whole story. This team continues to start slow and sloppy, and that's looking like a characteristic of Kellen Moore's team-building strategy. He's got to get his guys fired up, locked in, and ready from the first whistle. The run game never woke up after an offseason of chatter about how much more athletic and effective the offensive line and running backs would be. At least the passing offense showed they can carry the weight until the Saints figure out that phase.
So what comes next?
All four NFC South teams lost in Week 1; the Falcons fell 20-13, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers underwhelmed at 33-27, and the reigning-champ Carolina Panthers were blown out 59-37. Compared to that, the Saints digging a 21-0 hole for themselves and rallying back to lose 31-30 in overtime isn't too bad. It's a long season. Their next challenge lies with the Baltimore Ravens, who are coming off a 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts. New Orleans had better be ready for Derrick Henry after giving up 156 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown runs to Jahmyr Gibbs. Hopefully they'll get some reinforcements next week with Cameron Jordan and Alvin Kamara both returning from injuries.
The record: 0-1
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Instant analysis: What went right, what went wrong in Saints vs. Lions
