Things haven’t gone according to plan. The New Orleans Saints have fallen to 1-3 after losing Week 4’s game to the Minnesota Vikings, continually raising the stakes for a team dealing with injuries and sloppy, mistake-prone football. Let’s break it down one thing at a time.
Final score: Saints 25, Vikings 28
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Minnesota | 7 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 28 |
| New Orleans | 0 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 25 |
Injury outlook
- Backup defensive end Carl Granderson exited the game early in the first half with an eye injury, and was initially evaluated in the sideline medical tent before moving to the locker room. He was later ruled out for the remainder of the game.
- Wide receiver Chris Olave was evaluated for a concussion in the sideline medical tent after taking a hard hit on a 20-yard reception, but was cleared to return to the game. He later caught a 32-yard pass to get the Saints past midfield in the game’s final minute but injured his left leg coming down with it, hopping to the sideline after the play, and returned a few plays later.
- Running back Mark Ingram II also left the game and was evaluated in the injury tent before being escorted to the locker room. He returned to the sideline in the fourth quarter.
- Safety P.J. Williams suffered a thigh injury while breaking up a pass in the end zone and limped to the locker room for further evaluation and treatment. The team announced he was questionable to return late in the fourth quarter.
It was over when...
Justin Jefferson reeled in a 39-yard reception late in the fourth quarter, matched up one-on-one with Marshon Lattimore. The Vikings put their best receiver up against the Saints’ best corner and the former LSU Tiger made a play, putting the ball at the NO 29 with about a minute and a half to play. It was a perfect throw and catch, and there wasn’t much Lattimore could have done about it with no safety help over the top.
It set up a 47-yard field goal for Vikings kicker Greg Joseph, who had already nailed tries from 28, 36, 24, and 46 yards. His kick was true and it gave Minnesota a lead that the Saints couldn’t overcome, with Wil Lutz’s 61-yard try deflecting from the left upright and onto the crossbar, coming up just inches short.
Saints' top performers
- Passing: QB Andy Dalton completed 20 of 28 pass attempts (71.4%) for 236 yards, scoring 1 touchdown pass without throwing an interception while taking 2 sacks for a loss of 9 yards
- Rushing: RB Latavius Murray ran 11 times for 57 yards and, with his longest attempt gaining 10 yards. He also scored a touchdown run
- Receiving: WR Chris Olave caught 4 of his 7 targets for 67 yards and a touchdown reception, with his longest reception gaining 32 yards
- Defense: CB Marshon Lattimore was credited with 10 tackles, 7 of them solo … DE Cameron Jordan was credited with half a sack and 3 quarterback hits, DE Marcus Davenport split a sack with Jordan and had 2 hits of his own.
Team stats
- Third and fourth downs, offense: 5-of-11 (45.5%)
- Third downs and fourth, defense: 6-of-15 (40.0%)
- Total yards, offense: 338 yards gained on 57 plays (5.9 yards per play)
- Total yards, defense: 344 yards allowed on 67 plays (5.1 yards per play)
- Penalties against the Saints: 10 fouls for 102 yards, 5 first downs
- Penalties benefiting the Saints: 5 fouls for 35 yards
- Time of possession: 27:47 for New Orleans, 32:13 for Carolina
What's next?
The Saints will return to New Orleans ahead of a two-game homestand, hosting the Seattle Seahawks and Cincinnati Bengals in each of the next two weeks. Neither team has a winning record, and they should be competitive games. But the Saints have got to begin cleaning up their mistakes. If a weeklong trip to London wasn’t enough time for them to do it, it’s tough to think they’ll flip the switch now. Dennis Allen and his staff have their work cut out for them. Right now they’re one of the sloppiest, most mistake-prone teams in the league.
