Saints Snap Counts and Observations from Week 10

Taking a closer look at the snap counts from the Saints loss to the Steelers in Week 10, with some observations from the game.

It's another week, and we're having to talk about a Saints loss in another 'what could have been' type of game against the Steelers. Pittsburgh imposed their will on New Orleans, earning a big win that was fueled by T.J. Watt's return to action. Here's a closer look at the snap counts with some observations from the game.

Offense

New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton (14) recovers a bobbled snap against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

• Cesar Ruiz, Ryan Ramczyk, Josh Andrews - 47 (100%)
  The Saints offense had another tough outing, gaining just 186 total net yards of offense (29 rushing, 157 passing). They couldn't do much on the day, going 3-of-12 on 3rd Down and seeing Andy Dalton get sacked twice. The bad snap exchange between Andrews and Dalton was also not a good look. That's two weeks in a row where things just look bad, and this offense is completely out of sync.
• Andy Dalton - 43 (91%)
  Dalton went 17-of-27 for 174 yards, throwing a touchdown and two picks on the day. One of the picks was an underthrown ball. Dennis Allen was non-committal on a quarterback change this week, but we would expect it to change back to Jameis Winston.
• Alvin Kamara, Jarvis Landry - 37 (79%)
  Kamara had 8 carries for 26 yards and 3 catches for 19 yards on 4 targets. It was another game where he wasn't a factor. He got a 14-yard rush and 10-yard catch as the biggest plays on the day, but that was about it. As for Landry, he caught 3 catches for 37 yards on 6 targets. 
• Chris Olave - 36 (77%)
  Olave had 3 catches for 40 yards on 5 targets. It was one of his more quiet games, but still had some decent production. There was one play where he almost had a big catch near the sideline, but could not hold onto it.
• Kevin White, Juwan Johnson - 31 (66%)
  Johnson got into the end zone again and led the way with 5 catches for 44 yards on 7 targets. A lot has been wrong with the Saints this season, but Johnson has been a real bright spot overall. As for Kevin White, he had opportunities. There were times he beat the coverage, but Dalton didn't see him on one and then the throw he made was underthrown. Still, it's White as the target in a crucial situation when Marquez Callaway is on the bench as a healthy scratch.
• James Hurst - 27 (57%)
  Hurst left the game due to a concussion. It was towards the end of the half and he did not return. His status is up in the air going into Sunday, and Trevor Penning may not be in a spot to return this week despite having his 21-day window open.
• Lewis Kidd - 26 (55%)
  Kidd and Throckmorton ended up rotating at left guard throughout the game. Both ended up struggling throughout the game. Particularly for Kidd, there were two running plays on the 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1 play that the team tried on his side, but were unsuccessful.
• Calvin Throckmorton - 21 (45%)
  Dennis Allen said that he doesn't know if it's a possibility that the Saints will get back any of their three missing starting offensive linemen back this week. Erik McCoy can't because he's on injured reserve, and we'll see on Andrus Peat and now Hurst with the concussion.
• Landon Young - 20 (43%)
  Young came into the lineup after Hurst was lost due to a concussion. Essentially, the Saints were down to Cesar Ruiz and Ryan Ramczyk as the healthiest and most stable options on the offensive line.
• Taysom Hill, Adam Trautman - 19 (40%)
  Another game, and it's another week that Taysom Hill is practically invisible. He had 3 carries for a yard throughout the game, and missed on his lone passing attempt to Alvin Kamara. They did try to get him more involved early, but it just wasn't working. Trautman caught 2 of his 3 targets for 22 yards.
• Adam Prentice - 9 (19%)
• Tre'Quan Smith - 7 (15%)
• Rashid Shaheed - 6 (13%)
  Shaheed made just one catch on the day, but it was a big one for 12 yards that helped move the chains. He also had to bark at the officials to call a penalty for fair catcher interference. He can be a big asset in the return game, and needs more touches.
• Dwayne Washington - 4 (9%)
• Jordan Howard - 3 (6%)

Defense

Nov 13, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Kentavius Street (91) tackles Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers won 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

• P.J. Williams, Paulson Adebo, Demario Davis, Tyrann Mathieu - 84 (100%)
  84 snaps defensively is not good, and that would be the first takeaway for the Saints defense. The same negative characteristics kept showing up in this game. Bad tackling, not being able to get off the field on 3rd Down (Steelers were 9-of-17) whether it was due to penalty or not, missing turnovers, and falling apart in run defense. For the second straight game, the Saints weren't beat through the air, but on the ground. Pittsburgh had 379 total yards, with 217 on the ground and 162 through the air. The team did get 6 sacks on the day, but still struggled overall. P.J. Williams led the way with 11 total tackles (9 solo, 2 assisted). Davis was second on the team with 8 tackles (3 solo, 5 assisted).
• Kaden Elliss - 81 (96%)
  Elliss had one of the best performances on the day, and it was more than noticeable. Arguably, he was the best player on the field in his work. He had 7 tackles (3 solo, 4 assisted), a sack, forced fumble, and was credited with a tackle for loss and QB hit. This is very encouraging, as he'll continue to get a lot of work with Pete Werner out.
• Alontae Taylor - 80 (95%)
  Taylor was picked on a good bit during the game, drawing some penalties in the process. He finished out with 6 solo tackles. There's tons of confidence that the rookie will clean up some of that stuff.
• Chris Harris - 55 (65%)
  Harris looked great early on, making immediate impacts from the jump with a sack and tackle for loss. He also had a pass defense. For a veteran that got thrust in action so quickly, he's really finding a groove.
• Cam Jordan - 49 (58%)
  Juwan Johnson said on Monday that Jordan addressed the team following the loss. Dennis Allen said he met with some of the veteran leadership and had good conversations, singling out Jordan as one he talked to. The bottom line is that the team is not playing anywhere close to what they are capable of. Jordan notched another half sack on the day, splitting it with Carl Granderosn. Overall, this defense has to find some answers somewhere.
• Kentavius Street - 45 (54%)
  Street picked up a pretty tough roughing the passer call. He's consistently seeing more action by the week.
• Malcolm Roach - 44 (52%)
  Roach finished tied for third on the team with Elliss and Mathieu with 7 tackles (5 solo, 2 assisted), also notching a sack.
• David Onyemata - 42 (50%)
  That's three straight games Onyemata gets a sack. The production seems to be heating up a little there, but the interior has really struggled this season.
• Carl Granderson - 41 (49%)
• Payton Turner, Tanoh Kpassagnon - 39 (46%)
  Turned finished with 5 tackles (4 solo, 1 assisted) while Kpassagnon had a sack and 3 tackles (2 solo, 1 assisted).
• Shy Tuttle - 34 (40%)
• Zack Baun - 28 (33%)
• Justin Evans - 10 (12%)
• Daniel Sorensen - 1 (1%)

Special Teams (Top Reps)

• Zack Baun, Andrew Dowell, Dwayne Washington - 22
• Carl Granderson, Daniel Sorensen, J.T. Gray - 17
• Kaden Elliss, Nephi Sewell - 11

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