Week 6 brought a dramatic finish to the New Orleans Saints' win on the road against the New York Giants -- which isn't an ideal ending for a game they once led by three touchdowns. Some standout performers propelled the Saints to a big lead, but others got their hands dirty and let the Giants get right back into it. Here's a look at Sunday's Studs and Duds.
Stud: Alvin Kamara
Kamara looked like the 2018 version of himself, making plays as a receiver (like his 31-yard touchdown reception), rusher () and even as a blocker, doing everything possible to keep his team in the game. He appeared to aggravate the back injury that's been bothering him for two weeks after laying out for an overthrown ball, but returned to action and continued to do his part. Kamara's touchdown catch
put him at 90 scores in his career and punched his ticket for the exclusive club of players who have gained 5,000-plus yards as both rushers and receivers.
Dud: Brandon Staley
Come on, man. Staley overthought this one -- he repeatedly dropped some of his best pass rushers into coverage, leading to mismatches like Cameron Jordan guarding Giants superstar wideout Malik Nabers. He called a bad game once J.J. McCarthy replaced Jameis Winston at quarterback and allowed New York to score two quick touchdowns in the fourth quarter, forcing the offensive starters to come back into the game after they initially bowed out. We've given Staley excuses for having to work with poor personnel and key injuries at certain positions, but this was an example of his work at its worst.
Stud: Martin Emerson Jr.
Emerson had the game of his life, intercepting both Giants quarterbacks and only yielding four receptions for 38 yards, per Pro Football Focus charting. But he wouldn't have gone into the game at all if not for Kool-Aid McKinstry suffering migraines early on. Emerson was targeted ten times in coverage but only allowed a single first down conversion.
Dud: Kellen Moore
Pulling starters like Tyler Shough, Erik McCoy, and fill-in left tackle Asim Richards after going up 34-10 wasn't the problem -- doing so with more than 10 minutes left in regulation was. Moore should have given them more time to run out the clock and ensure there wasn't enough time left for the Giants to rally back. Instead, a rookie running back fumbled at midfield, leading to a quick Giants touchdown, and when the starters rushed back out there they went three-and-out in just over a minute. It took New York even less time to hurry downfield and score a second touchdown. Moore didn't manage this game well. It's clear he isn't used to working with a lead. Hopefully this was a learning experience for him.
Also, how many games does he need to watch Richards get beaten like a drum one-on-one before he decides to give the backup some help? The Saints don't have a better alternative, and Richards is not Kelvin Banks Jr. Moore can't stop treating him like he is and ask him to contain top-five draft picks like Abdul Carter on an island. What's the point of dressing out four tight ends on game day if you aren't going to park one of them next to Richards to make sure he's consistently getting help? Richards was flagged for back-to-back holding fouls early on because this isn't a job he can execute. Whether it's stubbornness or ignorance, Moore is sabotaging the player by putting him in this position.
Stud: Tyler Shough
The news that Shough has been playing with broken bones in his left hand wasn't very surprising. He hasn't looked like himself the last two weeks, but he made an admirable effort to keep drives alive and lead his offense on Sunday. Shough threw three touchdowns and scored another on the ground, but seeing him rush over and over again (including a 25-yard scamper to get inside the 10-yard line) was impressive. That he's engineering scoring drives under pressure is encouraging. Imagine what he can do when he has some healthy playmakers and an intelligent protection plan around him?
Dud: Daniel Carlson
It was a mixed bag for Carlson, to say the least, as he had another kickoff fail to reach the landing zone paired with another missed field goal (this time from 55 yards). He did make two other tries from 51 and 58 yards, respectively, plus four extra points. But Carlson has proven he isn't the long-term answer. He's third in field goal hit rate (70%), with one of the two kickers worse than him already getting cut by their team (Harrison Mevis, at 55.6%).
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Studs and duds from Saints' dramatic Week 6 win over the Giants
