Some of the New Orleans Saints’ players really stood out against the Green Bay Packers for a positive reason. On the other hand, some other players stood out for a less-than-great reason. After losing a 17-0 lead in the second half, there are some players who are partially responsible for this, and we would like to see them improve.
Here’s a quick look at the Week 3 Studs and Duds before we shift gears and look at the Saints’ next matchup:
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STUD | Alontae Taylor
First and foremost, we need to address the player who kept the Saints defense rocking most of the game. That being cornerback Alontae Taylor. Taylor had struggled to this point in the season with handling the slot, however, today he was on a complete other level. He was all over the field all day, ending the game with 5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, and a whopping 5 pass deflections. With Paulson Adebo out, someone needed to step up alongside Marshon Lattimore in the cornerback room, and Alontae absolutely did.
DUD | Offensive Line
This has been a consistent theme for the Saints throughout the course of this season so far. The offensive line struggled again today, and this time, it did not improve in the second half as it has the past two games. The Green Bay Packers were able to accrue 4 sacks (3 from Rashan Gary alone), as well as 6 QB hits and 5 tackles for loss. Overall, this is a unit that needs to be improved as quickly as possible, otherwise the repercussions will end up being detrimental. Derek Carr was sacked 11 times through 11 quarters before being injured today, which was the worst case scenario.
STUD | Pete Werner
We have had a chance to see Pete Werner really start to break out this season, and today was no exception. Werner was able to help stifle the Packers run game today, as they would only average 3.7 yards per carry on 26 rushing attempts. Pete ended up with 11 tackles on the day, 7 of which he made on his own, typically in open space. It is clear why he was drafted in the second round only two seasons ago, as he is starting to break out into becoming a stud for this New Orleans defensive unit.
DUD | Lou Hedley & Blake Grupe
To be clear, this loss is not 100% on Blake Grupe as some are insinuating. However, missing from 46 yards on a potential go-ahead field goal is a tough way to have your first miss of the season. As a rookie, these types of things happen, and it did happen, but it certainly did not help the case for New Orleans late in the game.
To compile onto that, rookie punter Lou Hedley had a tough start to the game as well. Despite two punts being downed inside the 10-yard line today, he also had three punts downed from the GB 30-yard line forwards, two of which from the 40-yard line forward. Granted, he was given poor field position on a few of his punts, but he should be expected to at least get the Packers away from midfield. Another rookie who will need to work through some inconsistencies throughout the season.
STUD | Chris Olave
In two straight weeks, Chris Olave has made an exceptional one-handed catch that sparked the Saints’ offense and got them in scoring position. This week, he caught a pass along the right sideline for 27 yards, hauling it in with just his right hand, and bringing the Saints to the Green Bay seven yard line. He also had an exceptional day overall, with 8 receptions for 104 yards (13 yards per reception) on 11 targets. He has continued to break out for the Saints, and in only his second year, is on pace to be an exceptional talent again this season.
DUD | Isaac Yiadom
Our final dud of the day is Isaac Yiadom, who was filling in for an injured Paulson Adebo this weekend. Yiadom started off strong, and made four pass deflections throughout the course of the game. However, once the Packers staff and receivers figured out how to exploit this matchup, they did, immensely. Yiadom started to be targeted quite a bit near the end of the game, and gave up multiple receptions against Romeo Doubs. While he was not the worst dud of the day, he was certainly not able to make enough plays to keep Green Bay away from the end zone.
