Live Updates From Saints-Colts Week 8 Game

Both the Saints and Colts need to win Sunday's game, and the argument could be made that there's way more pressure on New Orleans to deliver.

INDIANAPOLIS -- After some extra time to hash out and correct some things, the Saints look to get back into the win column after losing two straight. We'll see what things actually look like when we get to kickoff, as the New Orleans offense comes into focus for this game. Dennis Allen said the team had another good week of practice and feels ready to go, and the team just needs to execute. Keep updated with all of the happenings and developments from Lucas Oil Stadium with our Week 8 game thread with updates.

Saints Pregame Report: How to Watch and Follow the Week 8 Colts Game

Pregame Notes

• Juwan Johnson's return will be a welcomed sight for the offense. For a team that has struggled in the red zone, hopefully he can get some targets there.
• Jimmy Graham sitting this week isn't a total surprise, as he hasn't registered much of anything on the stat sheet. Taysom Hill is also an option to pair along with Foster Moreau and Johnson.
• Lynn Bowden Jr. has been more of the Tre'Quan Smith to this Saints team this season. Seeing A.T. Perry up over Keith Kirkwood is certainly interesting, as he'll make he rookie debut.
• As we pointed out previously, the Saints are dealing with a bug. It's spread throughout the players and coaches. Michael Thomas was a late add on the injury report with his illness, but he's going to play today.
• No surprises here with the offensive line this week. Walkthroughs had Andrus Peat, Max Garcia, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, and Ryan Ramczyk. Expect that left side to be tested like last week.
• Demario Davis is still sporting a brace on his knee. It's all white, so it's hard to see, but it's there. Zack Baun will continue to be a primary presence in pass-rushing situations.
• Davis led the team onto the field, for those interested parties. Derek Carr and Michael Thomas followed right behind him.
• Saints called tails on the coin toss and it was heads. The Colts opted to receive.

First Quarter - Colts 7, Saints 7

Scoring

• Colts, 6:56 - Michael Pittman Jr. 10-yard reception from Gardner Minshew. (7-81, 4:19)
• Saints, 3:44 - Alvin Kamara 18-yard reception from Derek Carr. (7-75, 3:12)

Notes

• Marcus Maye didn't start. That went to Jordan Howden. Maye wasn't the extra defensive back either, as that was Lonnie Johnson Jr. Maye was dealing with a hamstring injury in addition to an illness.
• Paulson Adebo had a really nice series to start, getting a pass breakup and a nice tackle to turn the Colts away on their first offensive possession.
• Back shoulder hookup to Michael Thomas is what we've been waiting to see. Really nice pickup of 17. Saints are going with a faster tempo to start.
• It was a nice drive for the Saints until it stalled out. That 3rd-and-4 looked like Thomas slipped some and the pass wasn't totally there.
• I'm didn't see Marcus Maye on the bench for a period. I late spotted him towards the end of the quarter, but he doesn't have a helmet anywhere near him.
• Real nice tackle on the outside by Jordan Howden. If he doesn't get Jonathan Taylor down, that would have went for a lot.
• Jonathan Taylor is making the Saints pay on the ground early. He picked up 14 carrying a ton of defenders and then picked up 42 to set the Colts up in the red zone.
• Carl Granderson saved a first down by stopping Michael Pittman Jr. shy of the sticks with a great tackle. Indy tried to bluff but wasn't able to get the Saints to jump. The ensuing field goal attempt was good, but Bryan Bresee was called for an illegal formation that put it to 4th-and-1. Minshew converted this time and it led to the first score fo the game. Darren Rizzi was very upset after the sequencing and let the officials know about it.
• The deep attempt to Chris Olave didn't work, as they tried it early. Those two just aren't in sync right now.
• Big 3rd Down hookup to Michael Thomas that got the Saints across midfield, as Carr hit him for 31.
• Beautiful run by Taysom Hill on the 3rd-and-1 play with a nice block from Cesar Ruiz. Foster Moreau was in the backfield too to help block to the left side.
• Saints got in the red zone and it took them one play to get into the end zone, as Derek Carr hit Alvin Kamara over the middle for 18 yards.
• Tough play for Marshon Lattimore on the ensuing possession. He got flagged for a hold and pass interference on the same play that gave the Colts 28 free yards.

Second Quarter - Saints 21, Colts 20

Scoring

• Colts, 14:49 - Matt Gay 20-yard field goal. (9-73, 3:55)
• Colts, 11:27 - Zack Moss 1-yard run. (6-30, 2:36)
• Saints, 7:28 - Taysom Hill 20-yard run. (8-75, 4:11)
• Saints, 5:42 - Rashid Shaheed 58-yard reception from Derek Carr (2-63, 0:42)
• Colts, 0:21 - Matt Gay 42-yard field goal. (13-51, 5:21)

Notes

• Good play by Demario Davis on the 3rd-and-1 from the Saints 2-yard-line. He helped force a Gardner Minshew incompletion.
• Protection broke down on the 3rd-and-6 that led to Derek Carr getting hit and then he fumbled. He tried to step up on the play.
• Minshew tested Demario Davis in coverage, trying to hook up with Drew Ogletree on a deep shot. However, it was incomplete with Davis getting a hand in there.
• In real time, that looked to be a good challenge by Dennis Allen, but that was a great catch made by the Colts receiver.
• Saints continue to be their own worst enemy, as Carl Granderson made a great play but drew a face mask call.
• I know they had a short field to work with, but that's three straight games we've seen the Saints defense slow out of the gate.
• The madness of pre-snap penalties with this team. They went from a 2nd-and-2 to a 2nd-and-7 due to an Andrus Peat false start penalty. Michael Thomas was able to bail them out by getting a 15-yard catch-and-run in the flats.
• Chris Olave is taking a lot of flak, and while he had a really nice 15-yard hookup on the sideline, if he turns it up field he's gonna get more yards and could even have scored.
• Taysom Hill had a killer carry to get into the end zone from 20 yards out. Great blocking and patience by him and the end result is points. Who would've thought getting your best players the ball would turn into points?
• Khalen Saunders was coming with a quickness from the interior on a rush and got held as a reward. That burst was good to see.
• Paulson Adebo continues to be a solid presence on the outside, as his hit led to an incomplete pass on the outside.
• It's been a minute since we've seen the Rashid Shaheed bomb play, but that worked in a big way with a 58-yard hookup. They're picking on Tony Brown and it's working.
• After an interesting challenge sequence by the Colts, they were able to pick up a first down on a 3rd-and-7 play after Minshew did a nice job ad-libbing to evade the would-be sack and find an open receiver for 17.
• Third down defense has been a struggle today for the Saints. They made the stop when it counted most, but the Colts are finding ways to convert.

Third Quarter - Saints 28, Colts 20

Scoring

• Saints, 0:07 - Alvin Kamara 16-yard run. (7-71, 3:37)

Notes

• A.T. Perry got to start the third quarter and also saw a third down play.
• Nice conversion on the 3rd Down play to Juwan Johnson. It obviously feels like forever since he made a catch.
• I'm not a fan of taking Michael Thomas off the field on a 3rd Down play. The Saints were confused with the personnel grouping pre-snap too.
• Good response by the Saints defense on their first series. We've seen them make good second half adjustments, and hopefully this is another game they do it in.
• A good carry for Jamaal Williams to pick up 10 yards. We've been waiting for that kind of carry.
• That was a touchdown to Chris Olave, but it hit his helmet and it was a drop. That's a rough look.
• Nice punt by Lou Hedley to pin the Colts inside their own 5-yard-line. It was downed by Isaac Yiadom.
• The Saints let a conversion go across the middle of the field and it ended up costing them big as Zack Moss went for 42 yards to flip the field.
• Paulson Adebo had one of the easier interceptions you'll ever see, and his return was a really good one too. Pressure helped get to Minshew too.
• Seeing Kendre Miller get a little bit more involved is a good thing.
• Good hookup to Taysom Hill in the flats to pickup 14. Chris Olave ran a really good route too.
• Alvin Kamara is doing the things that needs to be done to help his team win. That was a nice pass hookup for 25.
• Kamara capped off that drive by getting a 16-yard end zone run. He has been a workhorse today.
• The Saints almost captured the entire momentum of the game with a scoop and score after Isaiah Foskey's pressure. Tanoh Kpassagnon recovered and took it into the end zone, but after the play was reviewed it was deemed incomplete. Foskey was fortunate that he didn't get called for a face mask too.

Fourth Quarter - Saints 38, Colts 27

Scoring

• Saints, 10:49 - Taysom Hill 1-yard run. (8-76, 3:53)
• Colts, 8:19 - Drew Ogletree 33-yard reception from Gardner Minshew (6-75, 2:30)
• Saints, 0:24 - Blake Grupe 27-yard field goal. (9-58, 3:24)

Notes

• Saints bringing the pressure on 3rd-and-6 led to a quicker pass by Minshew to Josh Downs that went incomplete. Jordan Howden had some good coverage on the play.
• The bomb shot from Taysom Hill to Rashid Shaheed was a big play call, but was it necessary? The Saints were doing some really good things on the ground and that pick was going to be a tough way to go out. There was a lengthy review process, but the officials got it right.
• Another good run by Taysom Hill to get inside the 5-yard-line. He's been playing great today.
• I love seeing Khalen Saunders in the backfield. He's in the game to help at fullback with Adam Prentice being out.
• Juwan Johnson destroyed someone on the run play that saw the Saints get the ball closer after a personal foul penalty by the Colts. It made up for the false start penalty by Erik McCoy.
• Nathan Shepherd picked up the first sack of the day for the Saints defense.
• That's a tough call on Tyrann Mathieu, but in the same breathe, they missed a holding on the Colts.
• That's just a really good catch by Drew Ogletree to get into the end zone for the Colts. Minshew also put that pass where it needed to be.
• Chris Olave kept running and looked like he wasn't touched, but he also gave himself up. 
• Nice conversion from Carr to Olave on the 3rd-and-3 play.
• The slants to Michael Thomas should work, but the pass was behind him. That's tough.
• Another sack by the Saints defense, as Cam Jordan and Carl Granderson split it.
• Giving up a 3rd-and-18 is a really tough one. That just can't happen. 
• The Saints went from 2nd-and-4 to 2nd-and-14 after two pre-snap penalties. The first false start was on Max Garcia, followed up by one on Juwan Johnson. That's maddening.
• Insane play call by the Saints to help get inside the 20. Carr hit a bomb to Rashid Shaheed for 51 yards. He only has three catches, but they're for 153 yards.