AsylumGuido

Saints know only way to silence boos, keep jobs is to win

Katherine Terrell, ESPN Staff Writer
Dec 8, 2023, 06:00 AM ET

METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara isn't going to pretend he's oblivious to the frustration surrounding the team.

He heard it loud and clear Sunday during the Saints' 33-28 loss to the Detroit Lions in the Caesars Superdome. There were a significant amount of Lions fans in the building and the Saints fans in attendance booed the team, particularly quarterback Derek Carr , early and often.

"I ain't never experienced nothing like that in my ... New Orleans life," Kamara said. "It was definitely a shock to see. There was a lot of Lions fans in there and there was a lot of booing going on. Definitely not what I'm used to experiencing, and obviously don't like it, but as a fan, I can understand it."

Offensive lineman James Hurst described the beginning of the game as "miserable" after the Saints fell into a 21-0 hole. But he couldn't blame the fans for how they felt.

"In a sense, we put ourselves [there]," Hurst said. "We were playing the game. We're down 21-0 and the Lions fans traveled well. We in a sense created that situation. It's unfortunate, you hate to see it, but ... we know the fans are great here and they just want wins, just like we do."

Several players expressed similar sentiments, explaining they might not agree with the booing, but they understood why it was happening.

"I've been booed before as the offense has been on the field ... but I think that is a result of what you're putting on the field," center Erik McCoy said. "If you don't want to get booed, you score points, you don't turn the ball over, you win games. I think it's that simple. Do I agree with it? No. Do I understand it? Absolutely."

There's been plenty of frustration to go around for the Saints (5-7), who have lost their last three games and their first-place standing in the NFC South. The Saints sit one game behind the Atlanta Falcons (6-6) and are tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7). Tampa and Atlanta will face off Sunday, and the Saints host the last-place team in the division -- and all of the NFL -- in the Carolina Panthers (1-11) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX).

Carr has not spoken this week as he remains in concussion protocol, but he has taken the brunt of the fans' anger, along with coach Dennis Allen . Carr was booed in pregame introductions, throughout the game and whenever he would trot back on the field after Taysom Hill would come on at quarterback in certain packages. Carr would eventually exit in the fourth quarter because of injury.

"The fans are frustrated. We're frustrated. Everyone's frustrated," right tackle Ryan Ramczyk said. "We have to do everything in our power to play better football."

Read the rest here ...

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill