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 New York Jets.
1st Down: Comatose Offense in Third Quarter
The Saints had a solid chance to put the game away to start the second half after a 26-yard field goal from Chandler Catanzaro. However, the offense just couldn’t get into a groove for much of the third quarter, only having 22 total yards on three drives.
Combine that with the only drive to be in enemy territory was set by an interception by Craig Robertson, it was another case of the Saints letting teams get back into ballgames that should be well in hand.
2nd Down: Nice Homecoming for McGuire
While the end result was sloppy for the New Orleans Saints, you can’t help but feel good about seeing a former Louisiana Ragin Cajun have a solid showing in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The rookie had only 24 yards on the ground, but got his work done through the air with three receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown.
When a former player from the state of Louisiana comes back home, it’s always nice to see them do well even if it’s against the Saints.
3rd Down: Third Down Conversion Rate Poor
The Saints offense, which usually is able to take care of business, was stymied on Sunday afternoon by the lowly Jets especially on third down. While the numbers for the Saints all season are below the average in the league, Sunday’s performance was disgusting with only three of their 10 third downs being converted.
It’s another big example of the Saints having some shortcomings and needing to fix these as they get ready for a battle for the NFC South crown on Christmas Eve against Atlanta.
4th Down: Win and Move On
You can look at a lot of what happened on Sunday and have the biggest takeaway is that it’s another win that you needed. Losing this game to a lowly Jets team late in the season could’ve shifted the momentum in terms of the division race to the Panthers and Falcons and leave them possibly watching another postseason from home.
Now you just need to focus in on Sunday’s big matchup against the Falcons. They’ve got the edge since the Falcons will have a shorter week since they’re playing on Monday night. The Saints have a lot to work on based on the product on the field, but they should be fine.
-Clint Domingue