That’s just what the doctor ordered. The New Orleans Saints were in a bad way after losing five of their first seven games, but Week 8’s impressive shutout of the Las Vegas Raiders has injected some much-needed positive energy into their season outlook. Is Dennis Allen’s team turning the corner? Would it be more accurate to describe this as Alvin Kamara’s team? And what could they have done better (even if we risk nitpicking a 24-0 victory).
So let’s take a closer look at the game and answer some key questions: What went right, what went wrong, and what’s the bottom line?
What went right?
Let’s start with the defense. The Saints didn’t allow a single Raiders gain of 20 or more yards; their longest play from scrimmage was an 18-yard reception by Keelan Cole. Their star talent was taken out of the game. Davante Adams was thrown to 5 times but caught a single reception to gain 3 yards. Josh Jacobs went into the game with a ton of momentum behind him and finished with 10 carries for 43 yards. New Orleans rallied to the football and kept either playmaker from, well, making many plays.
And it started up front with a relentless pass rush. The Saints bagged 4 sacks on the afternoon and put constant pressure on Derek Carr, racking up 9 quarterback hits before he was pulled and replaced by Jarrett Stidham. A fifth sack by Marcus Davenport was nullified by a holding penalty on Paulson Adebo; otherwise, we saw sacks from Payton Turner (twice), David Onyemata (once), and another sack split by Cameron Jordan and Kentavius Street. They took over this game.
Okay, now for the offense. With the exception of one pass that would have been intercepted had the defender gotten both feet down inbounds, Andy Dalton played a clean game. He trusted his best players to come through, converting a first down on each of Chris Olave’s receptions (he caught 5 passes for 52 yards) and fully weaponizing Alvin Kamara, who finished with 9 receptions and 96 yards with a pair of scores. Dalton is a competent facilitator, and he’s doing enough for the Saints to win games right now.
What went wrong?
There were still some issues defensively, though we shouldn’t make too much of them in a 24-0 shutout. Paulson Adebo was a problem at cornerback; his holding foul erased a Marcus Davenport sack on third down, deep in Las Vegas territory. While they didn’t gain many yards, he was also often at fault on some missed tackles in the open field. It would have stood out more if his teammates didn’t do a great job of rallying in defense to stop those gains short.
Tackling was an issue again, though. Tyrann Mathieu hit Josh Jacobs at the Raiders 37-yard line and was taken for a ride, hanging onto Jacobs for his life until teammates stopped the running back at the Las Vegas 48. Mathieu did rebound from this later on the afternoon, but it’s another sign of a weakness in his game. The Saints were fortunate that missed tackles weren’t a greater problem this week. Hopefully that trend continues.
Let’s talk special teams. Wil Lutz missed a 38-yard field goal after nailing a 37-yarder earlier in the game, which was disappointing to see. He’s been inconsistent this year. That miss may have motivated the Saints to go for it on fourth down from a similar distance later in the game, which instead resulted in a turnover on downs. That’s got to stabilize.
And what's the bottom line?
The Saints needed this win very, very badly. A 2-6 start to the season may have prompted a fire sale and a hard reset that would be really difficult to watch the rest of the season. Instead, they’re 3-5 and the division crown is within reach. They’ve got a real chance at righting this ship and going on a run.
Of course they aren’t going to face bad teams like the Raiders every week. They’ve got to rise to the occasion against better opponents and stick to the winning formula they’ve made for themselves. An efficient running game, effective quarterback play, and stifling defense is their path to victory week in and week out. That’s easier said than done, and they’ll find other ways to win once their best receivers are back in the lineup, but this strategy is sustainable and should travel well. It’s on them to execute it consistently.
