Saints Week One: Recap

            “The more things change, the more they stay the same” is one of the oldest clichés in the book. As with every cliché, there’s a little bit of truth to it, especially if you’re looking back at the New Orleans Saints Week 1 loss to the Oakland Raiders 35-34. There was some amazing offense, bad defense, and questionable kicking. With all this in mind, let’s go three up, three down for the Saints performance on Sunday.

THREE UP 

Drew Brees: This just in, Drew Brees is still a superstar. Against Oakland’s defense, Brees threw for 423 yards and 4 TD passes, good for a QBR of 78.6 (rated out of 100 with 50 being average). In the third quarter with the Saints on their own 2 yard line, Brees connected with a wide open Brandin Cooks for a 98 yard touchdown. The play was the longest offensive play in Saints history. Brees completed passes to seven different receivers and apart from a fumble on the opening drive, did not turn the ball over.

Brandin Cooks: Did you see that 98 yard TD? In case you missed it, here it is again.

Willie Snead: Third year wide receiver Willie Snead had the best game of his young career, catching 9 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. After bouncing around with the Browns, Panthers, and finally the Saints, the undrafted receiver had a productive season in 2015 with 69 catches for 984 yards and 3 TDs. If Snead can keep producing like this, the Saints will have uncovered another valuable pass catching option that opposing teams will have to game plan for.  

THREE DOWN 

Saints Run Defense: A year after finishing 27^th in rushing defense according to Football Outsiders, New Orleans allowed the Raiders to run 26 times for 167 yards, good for 6.4 yards per carry. Oakland running backs contributed 3 touchdowns on the ground including a 75 yard TD run to undrafted rookie Jalen Richard. Now the Saints were without defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, their first round pick, who was out with a broken fibula and won’t return until sometime during the season. The absence of one player, however, doesn’t excuse allowing so many rushing yards to a team that finished 24^th in rushing DVOA in 2015.

Saints Pass Defense: Cornerback Delvin Breaux left the game in the second quarter with a broken fibula. By the third quarter the Saints pass defense had completely collapsed. Picking on 2^nd year player P.J. Williams and undrafted rookies Ken Crawley and  De’Vante Harris, Oakland scored 22 points in the 4^th quarter and converted the game winning 2 point conversion as quarterback David Carr threw a fade pass to Michael Crabtree over the overmatched Crawley. Safeties Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro didn’t look much better either. The Saints pass defense will have to try and hold on until Breaux returns in six weeks.

Wil Lutz: The Saints new kicker missed a 50 yard field goal at the beginning of the 4^th quarter that would have put the Saints up 27-14. His 61 yard miss at the end of the game is irrelevant, but the earlier 4^th quarter miss highlights how New Orleans has struggled to find a consistent kicker in the Payton-Brees era.