Saints Achieve New Depths In Home Loss To Raiders

It's hard to believe, but the 2024 Saints managed to hit a new low in their Week 17 loss to the Raiders.

New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) misses the tackle of Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (8) / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders are a bad football team, but the New Orleans Saints are worse. Such was proven with little doubt during a 25-10 debacle of a Raiders victory inside the Superdome on Sunday.

This latest loss dropped the Saints to 5-11, with the Raiders improving to 4-12. New Orleans also ended their home record at a lowly 3-6. They failed to score over 20 offensive points in seven of their last eight home outings, averaging only 17.5 offensive points at home since a season opening rout of the Carolina Panthers.

The Saints defense has been much worse, if that's possible. Las Vegas had their way with New Orleans defenders all afternoon and would have put up far more than their 25 points if not for the fact that they are an inept unit themselves.

Offensive Offense

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) passes the ball against the Raiders / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Raiders aren't a bad defense statistically. They came into Week 17 ranked better than the middle of the pack against both the run and the pass. Against the Saints, New Orleans made them look like the reincarnation of the 1970s Steel Curtain or the 1985 Bears. This was especially the case in the second half, when the Saints managed just 75 total yards and an average of 2.3 per play.

New Orleans got a few good plays in the first half from QB Spencer Rattler and tight ends Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson. However, that was vastly overshadowed by another putrid performance from the offensive line, inability to run the ball, and several drops by Johnson and others of Rattler passes.

The Saints averaged a pathetic 3.5 per rush and 35 yards from their running backs in a game that was winnable until midway through the fourth quarter. They were an embarrassing 1/10 on third downs, not even converting that until a meaningless final drive.

At least with the offense, there's a bit of an excuse. Starters or major contributors Alvin Kamara, Derek Carr, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Taysom Hill, Erik McCoy, and Lucas Patrick were all absent again because of injuries. No such excuse can be made on the other side of the ball.

Defenseless Defense

Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (8) is stopped just short of a touchdown by New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah has been in the NFL since 2015. Today was the 144th game of his career, including playoffs. By halftime against the Saints, Abdullah's 71 rushing yards were already the fourth highest of his career.

Abdulla finished with a career-best 115 rushing yards and 5.8 per carry before leaving very early in the fourth quarter with a foot injury.

The Raiders came into Week 17 ranked 32nd in the NFL in both rushing yardage (77.5/game) and average per rush (3.5). As a team, they rushed for 155 yards and five yards per carry against the Saints. That was not only a season-high for the Raiders, but just the second time in their last nine games that they'd run for over 95 yards as a team.

Second-year QB Aidan O'Connell looked like a Pro Bowl-caliber passer on third downs against a helpless Saints defense. O'Connell completed 20 of 35 throws for 242 yards and was hurried very little by a New Orleans pass rush that was non-existent after the first series.

This was the first time that the Raiders had scored as many as 20 points in their last seven weeks. Their 25 points and 388 yards of total offense were both their second highest output of the year. This was a unit that came into Week 17 ranked 29th in total offense and 30th in third down percentage, yet converted 10 of their 18 third down chances.

The Raiders put together a 17-play drive that ate up over nine minutes to open the game. They had eight drives of 50 yards or more on the day, including an infuriating 95-yard touchdown march late in the second quarter.

Aside from traded CB Marshon Lattimore and injured CB Paulson Adebo, missing since Week 7, the Saints defense has been mostly intact all year. What was supposed to be the strength of the team has become a downright abomination.

Now 5-11, the Saints mercifully end their season with a trip to NFC South leading Tampa Bay next weekend. This is the same Buccaneers team that rolled up 51 points, 594 yards of total offense, and a ridiculous 277 yards on the ground when thrashing the Saints in New Orleans back in Week 6.