What We Learned From the Saints In Week 8
INDIANAPOLIS -- Sunday's Saints win revealed to us the possibilities. The offense really came to play and it was a large reason the team won 38-27. New Orleans was able to bounce back and use their mini-bye to put together a win despite finding themselves in an early 17-7 hole against the Colts. Here's some of the many things we learned from Dennis Allen's squad in Week 8.
What We Learned From the Saints In Week 8
SOME PLAYERS PLAYED SICK
We knew the Saints were battling an illness all week throughout the building, and Dennis Allen revealed that it was a GI bug that the players and coaches were dealing with. Alvin Kamara also called it 'the sh-- bug'. Many players got an IV after the game, as it was like an infirmary in the locker room. It's nice to see the team gut it out for each other and be rewarded with a hard-fought win.
THE OFFENSE RESPONDED
We heard all of the talk this week, and what mattered was that the actions spoke louder than those words. New Orleans put up over 500 yards of offense, being able to both throw and catch their way down the field. They went 3/4 in the red zone, which includes the end of the game sequence, and also finished 50 percent in the red zone at 6/12. It was a major step in the right direction for Derek Carr and Pete Carmichael Jr. Now, the big question is will it keep going? Oh by the way, this is the third straight game they've put up over 400 yards.
It wasn't all perfect for the Saints, but it was a major step in the right direction with their running game getting success from Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill, Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller while also being able to get vertical to move the ball. There were a few moments that were off the mark, like not hitting Michael Thomas on a slant play or the Chris Olave losing the ball in the lights, but those are things that can and will get cleaned up.
GETTING YOUR WEAPONS GOING WORKS
Taysom Hill was a major factor in the game, whether it was running, passing, or catching the football. Alvin Kamara got the job done on the ground and air, while Michael Thomas had several key catches to help extend and move drives. It's not exactly rocket science, but when you get the big weapons on offense going, good things happen. Rashid Shaheed's 3 catches for 153 yards and a score made him the third Saints receiver to record 150+ receiving yards on just three catches, joining receivers Keith Poole and Eric Martin.
THE DEFENSE NEEDS A STRONGER START
This was something Bob Rose pointed out earlier this week, saying the Saints defense was beginning to falter. Once again, they got off to a tough start, as Jonathan Taylor was one of the main driving forces of the Colts offensive success. It's hard to place blame on them for the short field after the Carr strip-sack, but some of the things we've witnessed are opportunities. Indianapolis had a drive where they were converting 3rd Downs with relative ease, and even got a 3rd-and-18 conversion.
They've carried the team for a long time, and it was nice to see the offense doing their thing to help them out. Demario Davis had a much larger role in this game despite the knee injury, and he led the way with 12 total tackles (6 solo, 6 assisted). It was also good to see them get a very big turnover to turn the Colts away and then get points off of it.
YOUNG DEFENSIVE GUNS ARE REALLY PLAYING STRONG
I don't think we talk about Paulson Adebo enough, but he's really playing at another level this year. That pick was a good look for him, and then the return was even better. However, he's been playing strong all season in coverage. Some teams rarely throw at him and the physicality of his game is something that is a big asset.
There's also some love to throw at Alontae Taylor, who did a really solid job in the slot on Sunday. He's getting more and more confident each week and it's starting to show. Overall, the secondary has a lot of promise and continues to impress.
Again, the win is always great and everyone will take it. However, what matters now is after moving on from this game is seeing how they play against the Bears. That will tell us a lot.
