The New Orleans Saints (3-3) hit the road to face the Houston Texans on Sunday with a chance to build off of a huge amount of momentum after recording a 34-0 win over the New England Patriots in their fifth game of the season.
That was not the case, though, as some of the issues of previous weeks reared their heads again and the offense once again failed to capitalize on the chances it did have.
In what could have been the fourth win of the season for the Saints at many different points in time, here’s a look into 10 things we took away from the 20-13 loss to the Texans:
1
Close games remain a trend
While last week was a completely different story than has been the norm for the Saints to this point in the season, New Orleans found itself in a closely contested game yet again.
The Saints’ first three games of the season came down to three points or less. Those were followed by a double-digit loss and victory, but it’s back to a “so close, yet so far way” scenario once more.
2
Offense continues to be underwhelming
There was a twinge of hope after the Saints pitched a 34-0 shutout against the New England Patriots, playing one of their best games where complementary football is concerned. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael has repeatedly said that he is among the pieces on that side of the ball that need to improve, and it appeared there was follow-through.
But, bottom line, there’s a lack of consistency all around that must change if the Saints are going to find any sense of continuity. Last week appears to say more about a Patriots team that looks to be in the midst of self-destruction than it does about the Saints at all.
3
Issues in the red zone
The Saints had more opportunities than the final score would reflect, and in reality, could have actually recorded a lopsided win in Houston if it had not been for some critical errors and making use of opportunities (some of which were presented on a silver platter).
The Saints outgained the Texans 430-297. There’s just a small issue there — they went a grand 0-for-3 in the red zone.
4
Alvin Kamara continues to lead the way after returning
We saw something of vintage Alvin Kamara in the Saints’ previous outing as he almost appeared to play with a little more pop to him, reminding everyone why he’s looked at as one of the most important pieces of this offense.
Kamara saw the field for 80% of the snaps, finishing out the game with 19 carries for 68 yards to lead the Saints in rushing. He also reeled in seven of the eight passes he was targeted on for 36 yards.
5
Rashid Shaheed shines
“F it. Rashid Shaheed is down there somewhere” – Derek Carr probably
pic.twitter.com/GBu1Mabh3A— PFF (@PFF) October 15, 2023
Especially after this game, many have rightfully pointed out that the Saints should be utilizing Shaheed more. And he showcased why that is perfectly on the opportunities he was a given Sunday, arguably one of the biggest keys in giving the Saints a chance in a game as close as this one.
He caught two passes for 18 yards, which good enough was for No. 2 among Saints receivers in this game, including this one that turned heads.
6
Saints defense ends C.J. Stroud's perfect streak
There was some left to be desired from the defensive unit that usually rings true as one of the best in the NFL, making up for an offense that has hardly been able to complement it in 2023. But one of the bright spots was that it managed to pick off standout rookie quarterback
Unfortunately for the Saints, linebacker Zack Baun fumbled it and immediately gave the Texans another go at it, which turned into seven points on the scoreboard.
7
One step forward, three steps back
Such seemed to be the case for the Saints at multiple points during a game that they easily could have walked away with a win from. While the Texans had several bright moments behind a quarterback that looked experienced far beyond what his rookie resume would indicate, the Saints hurt themselves more than anything.
The action kicked off with a missed 52-yard field goal by Blake Grupe, followed by by an interception by Baun, a fumble by the offense that turned into the Texans’ first touchdown of the day by Dalton Schultz. That set the tone for how the remainder of the game, which ended on an interception by Carr.
Penalties were also an issue as the Saints accumulated 7 for 84 yards.
8
Derek Carr is what he is (and so is Pete Carmichael)
While there was some cautious optimism surrounding the Derek Carr era (and let’s be real, it’s hard for there not to be when the bar one is coming off of is Jameis Winston), there was an equal amount of skepticism.
One of the biggest issues with Carr has been his touchdown-to-interception ratio, which has been consistently concerning regardless of the coaching staff or level of talent around him. Despite coming close to playing an interception-free game in Houston, that’s what his last pass resulted in with a chance to tie it up in the final seconds.
Carr has struggled with ball placement and overall accuracy throughout the year, something that once again showed itself Sunday, as he finished out the game 32-of-50 passing for 353 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
9
(Painfully) missed opportunities
The Saints were practically handed opportunities that they simply returned during the game between the aforementioned red zone issues, turnover blunders that allowed the Texans to capitalize in what proved to be one pivotal moment of the game in hindsight and a late comeback that never was.
The last four drives of the game for the Saints ended in Texans territory at the 27, 11, 15 and 24. Alas, only three points were made out of that.
10
It may not be too early to call it a trend
Outside of the win over the Patriots, the Saints have struggled to show positive consistency. But at the same time one could argue that they have — just in all of the wrong areas. Looking at the takeaways from the loss, many of them could be applied to every one of the team’s games to this point this season.
The Saints now sit directly at .500 with this one in the books. What’s going to change and how?
