Welcome everyone to the latest edition of #4Downs where I break down what went right and what went wrong in the latest Saints game! This week, it’s the Saints loss to the Carolina Panthers.
1st Down: Subpar Special Teams Cost Saints
The Saints had an overall bad night, but the special teams performance late in the second quarter completely destroyed any chance of getting a win over the Panthers on the road. You had Marcus Murphy, who had underperformed on special teams during the preseason muff a kickoff return at the one-yard line instead of letting it go out of bounds and start at the 40-yard line. This was followed by another field goal block that was returned for a touchdown before being taken off the board due to a penalty. Rookie kicker Will Lutz has had the absolute worst luck when it comes to blocked kicks all season, dating back to the New York Giants game.
2nd Down: 2nd Half Defense Looked Stellar
The lone bright spot on this team was the second half defense, allowing under 100 yards and three points. This could have been eerily similar to the Chiefs-Panthers game only five days prior if not for the underperforming offense in the first half. The overall defense performed above expectations allowing only 223 total yards. If not for the linebackers pulling back on third and 10 in the fourth quarter, we could be talking about a Saints win instead of a Saints loss.
3rd Down: Offensive Line Reverts to Old Form
The offensive line for the New Orleans Saints was absolutely horrible after seemingly taking strides throughout the season. Terron Armstead was out and he has been outstanding despite dealing with injuries the last couple of years and this led to Drew Brees under pressure and taking sacks throughout the game which led to some key stops and cost the Saints a potential win.
4th Down: Running Back Depth Takes Potentially Huge Hit
The running back depth for the Saints looked incredibly thin after Mark Ingram left the game with a concussion with two other backs were listed as inactive before kickoff. Tim Hightower took the bulk of the carries the rest of the way which was to be expected but if Ingram is expected to be out for a significant period of time, then the run game will become what it has been for most of this season: nearly nonexistent.
-Clint Domingue