What We Learned From the Saints In Week 6
HOUSTON -- The Saints have a lot of question to answer this week after Sunday's loss to the Texans, but the problem and reality is that there's not a lot of time to do it. New Orleans had its fair share of chances against Houston in the game, but they were unable to deliver. Here's all the things we learned from the team after an ugly Week 6 loss.
What We Learned From the Saints In Week 6
Oct 15, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen reacts one the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
LAST WEEKEND WAS A FLUKE
I said this last week following the shutout win over the Patriots, but the only things fans wanted to see was whether or not that was the real Saints or not. It turns out that it wasn't.
Now that this team was able to put together a win like this, the only thing fans will want to see if it was a fluke or the real deal. The Texans are a very intriguing opponent, and the Falcons managed to squeak out a win against them at the end of the game to improve to 3-2. The last thing the Saints need is to play this well and have it all fall apart the next week.
The Saints had the same type of red zone inefficiency from before and it was completely ugly. New Orleans had the chances, but they couldn't finish. The missed kick by Blake Grupe inside the 30-yard-line is borderline inexcusable, but for the team to be in a position on their final four drives and come away with just three points is incredibly bad. The play calling at the end of the game with four straight end zone shots were also a horrible look.
This team has to find their identity, and they need to find it yesterday.
THIS OFFENSIVE LINE IS IN TROUBLE
One of the main concerns for the Saints going forward is the health of the offensive line. They lost James Hurst to an ankle injury and it looks like Ryan Ramczyk suffered a concussion. On a short week, this is a nightmare. At one point, they had Cesar Ruiz kicking out to right tackle. This was an area where I was concerned coming into this season, saying that it was a matter of 'when' and not 'if'.
Landon Young is close to returning for the the team, but the reality is that players on the practice squad like Cameron Erving, Mark Evans, and Tommy Kraemer may have to get involved. Andrus Peat was active but actually the team's last resort as an offensive lineman in this game due to his groin injury. This is shaping up to be a nightmare scenario for New Orleans.
THE SAINTS CAN'T AFFORD TO NOT PLAY COMPLIMENTARY FOOTBALL
This has been a sticking point for me for quite some time. New Orleans doesn't have the luxury of seeing one of their three phases not playing up to par and also not being in sync at the right time. Sunday played out like you'd imagine. The Saints defense was gashed in the first half, featuring porous tackling and an inability to get off their blocks and execute.
The crazy part is that the Saints defense made the adjustments in the second half and played a much better game to be able to give the offense a shot, but they were inefficient. Even when they had the drives going, they missed the mark, which included the missed Grupe field goal. New Orleans is its own worst enemy, and part of that is on coaching obviously, but this is also on the players too.
SACRIFICE IS NEEDED TO PLAY AT AN ELITE LEVEL
Alvin Kamara said in the locker room that Demario Davis addressed the team following the loss. Sacrifice was a big thing that he talked about, and not being able to reap the reward of preparation was extremely disappointing.
"It's annoying. I don't like it. It's not a fun feeling," Kamara said following the loss.
Kamara said he knew what some of the players were doing, but he can't look at everybody and check on what they're doing to prepare and do their part. Kamara said the Saints have to find a way to win and that everybody believes. Accountability is needed in a big way, and he said a whole lot in just a short time to really get the pulse of where the team is.
THE TEXANS MIGHT HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE
This was a team I didn't think people should sleep on, especially with DeMeco Ryans as their coach. C.J. Stroud did what he needed to do to get a win, although the defense did help in a big way. It may not be this season, but the Texans look like they're headed in the right direction and could be something interesting.
