Welcome everyone to the latest edition of #4Downs where I break down what went right and what went wrong for the New Orleans Saints! This week, I look at the Saints win over the Miami Dolphins.
1st Down: Stellar Defense
The Saints defense that we saw back in the preseason may be back after what we saw on Sunday against the Dolphins. After allowing a big opening drive, the defense buckled down and didn’t allow them to cross midfield for the rest of the game.
If that’s not enough, the defense allowed only 186 total yards and sacked Ryan Tannehill four times on the afternoon. If that defense can show up the rest of the way, a lot of things are possible.
2nd Down: Kamara Becomes More of a Focal Point
It seems like the New Orleans Saints have solved the puzzle of how they want to use Alvin Kamara going forward. He showed a lot of ability in terms of making something out of nothing throughout Sunday’s victory and was a big part of the passing game with 10 receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown.
Kamara seemed poised to be the Saints new Darren Sproles from the second they drafted the former Volunteer in the third round. What we saw in Wembley Stadium was proof that this is the direction that the Saints will be going with him and might not be using one of their other running backs in a consistent role. It’ll be interesting to see who between Ingram and Peterson will be left out in the cold.
3rd Down: Third Down Defense Nearly Flawless
Going back to the defense for a second, they were phenomenal on third down after the first drive. After that first drive for the Dolphins, they did not allow another third down conversion.
A lot of those attempts were some long third downs (including a 3rd and 25 at one point), but getting the defense off the field in quick fashion is going to be something the Saints need to keep doing going forward.
4th Down: Good Momentum Into Bye Week
After having a rough start to the season, it’s starting to at least look possible for the Saints to turn this season around. The schedule doesn’t get easier, but getting to .500 heading into a bye week is something that has eluded the Saints for quite some time. It’s a step in the right direction and could be seen as a turning point of the season if the Saints can take the momentum and keep the ball rolling with some more tough matchups against teams like the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers.
-Clint Domingue