We saw the New Orleans Saints flip the script in Sunday's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, leaping out ahead with their first first-quarter lead in years and a 27-16 lead with about six minutes left in the third quarter. Then things fell apart as they gave up 19 unanswered points. Finally, the Saints built some momentum early on, but this time they ran out of gas. That's the opposite of what we've seen so far. It's a reminder that this is a young team with some obvious weaknesses that's still learning how to stay out of their own way.
So let's break down Week 3's game by asking and answering some key questions:
- What went right?
- What went wrong?
- What's the bottom line?
- What comes next?
Here's what happened.
What went right?
Tyler Shough was mostly impressive, completing 29 of 42 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 36
yards on the ground. But he threw an ugly interception and lost two fumbles. Still, the offense wouldn't have moved without him. He did a great job layering passes over the defense to give his receivers a chance. Chris Olave had another awesome performance (catching 9 of 13 targets for 107 yards) while Juwan Johnson made some moves after the catch (controlling all 8 targets for 53 yards and two touchdowns) before a game-ending fumble. This was one of Alvin Kamara's better games. He averaged four yards per carry and showed some pop at the second level. Maybe he's knocked off the rust after last week's quiet debut.
Defensively, Chase Young had a huge day with two sacks, including one takedown that gave the team a chance to tie things up in the final minute. Kool-Aid McKinstry gave it as good as he got from Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, breaking up two passes and forcing Cousins to thread some very tight windows. Khristian Boyd stepped up at defensive tackle with a big sack, a pass deflection at the line of scrimmage, and two tackles for loss. Why has he been on the bench so often in his young career?
What went wrong?
Pass protection fell apart in the fourth quarter, with backup left tackle Asim Richards at fault on two turnovers. He was beaten off the snap by Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce on the first turnover -- Koonce got a hand on the ball as Shough wound back to pass, swatting it down for a fumble recovery by Maxx Crosby. On the second turnover, Koonce got under Richards and used leverage to push him back into Shough as he threw. The ball floated too long in the air where it was picked off for a Las Vegas interception. We knew replacing Kelvin Banks Jr. would be challenging. This is what that looks like. Until the Saints can figure it out, they're going to continue to put themselves in a bad spot.
But you can't talk about this game without highlighting the officiating. Referee Adrian Hill's crew threw the second-most penalty flags through two weeks (40) in the NFL before lobbing a dozen of them, mostly against New Orleans. The Saints only received a single first down by penalty after picking up five of them through the first two games (tied for seventh-most). The Raiders were given four first downs by penalty. What's worse were the fouls that weren't called. A flagrant holding call against Khristian Boyd was missed, setting up a Raiders touchdown on the next play. Wide receiver Devaughn Vele was interfered with on a deep shot that fell incomplete earlier in the game. And the same rule that wiped a New Orleans touchdown off the board in Week 1, a defensive fumble recovery, wasn't enforced to allow a Raiders turnover. This game just wasn't officiated well.
What's the bottom line?
This team still has a lot of growing to do. And they may not be deep enough yet to compete when injuries strike. They lost edge rushers Carl Granderson (ankle) and Anfernee Jennings (knee) to injuries in the second half, putting a ton of pressure on Chase Young and Cameron Jordan as the only active players at their position. Travis Etienne Jr. injured his hamstring on a long carry and the Saints struggled to run without him. It's only one start but it doesn't look like Asim Richards can be trusted to start instead of Banks. This team's arrow is trending up from where it was last year, but it isn't pointing high enough.
What comes next?
The Saints are now 1-2, and they're off to host the archrival Atlanta Falcons (also 1-2) on Monday Night Football. Atlanta is coming off a huge upset of the Green Bay Packers last Thursday night with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback. This is the only prime-time game the Saints will get all year, so they had better make it count. Bragging rights are one thing, but it's vital that they keep their heads above water and improve to 2-2.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Instant analysis: What went right, what went wrong in Saints-Raiders
