The New Orleans Saints went for it on fourth down three times against the Los Angeles Rams, twice in the first half. But they failed to convert on any of their three attempts, and the first-half tries are what’s being criticized by fans and analysts alike. It showcased an aggressive nature that has been rare over the last two years. Saints head coach Dennis Allen explained the decision was spurred by the need to score touchdowns, not field goals against the Rams offense.
This was a pregame attitude and was likely further cemented by Los Angeles driving 95 yards for a touchdown on their opening drive. New Orleans went for it on 4th-and-5 on the ensuing possession, but protection broke down and Derek Carr was sacked before he could throw the ball away. The Saints went for it on another 4th-and-5 in Rams territory right before halftime but Carr was pressured again and threw a bad ball too far in front of Juwan Johnson for the tight end to try and secure it. The second attempt in particular stood out. The offense wasn’t rolling at the time which made the decision a bit questionable. Punting may have set the Rams offense up further inside their own territory, but Los Angeles still had all three of their timeouts and they already marched downfield once earlier. Maybe they would have played that situation more conservatively if they’d had to cover 80 or 90 yards instead of 60.
New Orleans needed this victory and approaching it aggressively was logical. Allen also mentioned wanting to avoid being reckless. Granted, no one is talking about this strategy if it works. Calculated aggression is appreciated. However, the decision right before halftime felt like a miscalculation even at the moment. If Allen wants to get more aggressive, he needs to put more thought into when and where to do it.
