The New Orleans Saints have hit a new low.
At 3-7, it’s time to turn the page on this season. Rip the Band-Aid off now.
Face facts and admit that these Saints are not going anywhere in 2022, and major changes are needed – starting at the top with Dennis Allen. It’s their worst start since the Hurricane Katrina season 2005.
The Saints have been lifeless for two games in a row. First the Monday Night Football beatdown by the Ravens, then Sunday’s lifeless show at Pittsburgh.
Seems hard to believe Sunday’s game was tied 10-10. Andy Dalton even led a nice 2-minute drill before halftime.
But after receiving the second half kickoff, the Saints did absolutely nothing.
Why don’t we let the numbers tell the story?
10 PENALTIES FOR 74 YARDS
Bad teams do bad things.
The Saints are the third-most penalized team in the NFL, averaging 7.2 penalties per game. This can’t happen 10 weeks into the season if they hope to win consistently.
Dennis Allen’s response?
“It’s disappointing.”
We’ll get them corrected.”
He doesn’t get it.
Don’t get me wrong, Dennis Allen thrived as Saints’ defensive coordinator. I think the Saints should’ve kept him in that role.
Back to Sunday, six defensive penalties gave the Steelers first downs. But it’s not just on defense.
The Saints’ first drive of each half began with – you guessed it – penalties. Offensive guard Calvin Throckmorton leads the team with five false starts on the year. That’s a lot of mistakes.
They’re simply not resilient enough to overcome these crucial errors week after week.
Team leader Cam Jordan put it bluntly, “It’s a disgusting feeling. We have to find our way, or this is going to be the result of every game.”
29 RUSHING YARDS
So much for Alvin Kamara’s breakout performance against the Raiders (who are now 2-7).
The Saints’ 29 rushing yards at Pittsburgh were their fewest in nearly 12 years.
They had 27 rushing yards in a 30-24 loss to the Ravens on Dec. 19, 2010 (thanks to Jeff Duncan for that ugly statistic). It’s only the 11th time in team history when they’ve run for fewer than 30 yards in a game.
Not surprisingly, they’ve lost all 11 times.
On the other hand, the Steelers had a season-high 217 rushing yards on 43 attempts (5.0 yards per carry).
Time of possession tells a similar story:
- Steelers 38:56
- Saints 21:04
The Steelers sustained drives against the Saints’ defense (28 first downs to the Saints’ 10). The formula for winning football games is pretty simple – players have to do their jobs. Don’t commit penalties, and take care of the football.
Speaking of that…
2 MORE TURNOVERS
The Saints sit in the cellar of the NFC South, and they also remain last in the NFL in some other grim categories:
- Giveaways (19)
- Turnover margin (-12)
- Defensive interceptions (2).
Former Saint and current Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson racked up his sixth interception last night. That leads the NFL
Anybody else sick?
Jan. 1 in Philadelphia should be quite the rematch. Too bad nothing will be on the line.
Remarkably, the Saints are favored in Week 11 against the Rams.
When I saw Dennis Allen’s message for this week, I literally rolled my eyes.
To borrow a line from a famous ESPN segment – Come on, man!
We should have heard this much, much earlier – after the Bengals game a month ago. Instead, because the Saints are still “mathematically alive” in the playoff chase, we’ve heard nothing but rosy optimism from Dennis Allen.
Meanwhile the Saints are missing tackles, committing turnovers and penalties, and looking out of position and uninspired overall.
Now the L.A. Rams (3-6) are also going nowhere fast. Cooper Kupp is out Sunday (ankle surgery), and QB Matthew Stafford didn’t play in their loss at Arizona.
But seriously, come on, man. We the fans have clamored for leadership all season long. Can the Saints cobble together a win against another struggling team?
YOUR TURN
Let me know in the comments below:
- What change would you like to see the Saints make before the season ends? Is it time to fire coach Dennis Allen and start a fresh coaching search?
Rachel W. Jones 