Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

So, for the 2nd week in a row, the Saints laid an egg at the end of the game. This time losing to Division Rival Atlanta 26-24 on a last second field goal in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Saints had 2 key turnovers that lead to Falcons scores. First when Rasheed Shaheed dropped the opening kickoff into the endzone giving the Falcons an early touchdown. Then a deflected pass from Derek Carr was returned for a touchdown.

The Falcons did not score a touchdown in the game. The Saints also committed key penalties killing offensive drives.

Discuss the game here.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Thanks Haleaux for jinxing us ...

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Also, the injury list is piling up just to make things worse!

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Injuries all over the league. Winning teams find a way to WIN.
WE AINT DAT.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

I wish Cam Jordan still played for us. We could have used his pass rush today.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Spotting a team 14 points at this level is hard to overcome.

Adebo is a penalty magnet late in games (3 thus far) & his PI cost us. I wish the NFL would do away with those PI spot fouls. I'd like to see Kool-Aid play more.

Not enough pressure on Kirk. He was back there baking cookies. Saints defense held the offense to 12 points all game. Most teams finish the deal with those types of defensive stats.

Rasheed's muff (gave up 6), Carr's pick (gave up 6) & Adedo's bad penalty were big factors in the loss. The coaching was not good enough.

Taysom, Mathieu, Demario, Cam Jordan are long in the tooth & our depth is poor.

Dennis Allen's team doesn't know how to close.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Yikes. And it was to the Falcons no less. Ick.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

We had one job to do today…

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Kirk freakin Cousins. LMFAO

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Unpopular opinion but this is more on roster than coaching. The oline is poor and has no depth. The offense has 2 receivers, 1 rb, a 34 year old wildcard who has to be TE1, RB2, WR3 but cant hold up to the punishment. We have an offense built for mauling weapons with only one mauler. Meanwhile on defense some of our best players are our oldest, as are some of our worst. Cam Jordan is being paid $14 million for 17 celebrity appearances like Garth Brooks at spring training. I dont think Andy Reid, Kyle Shannhan, or Sean McVay could do much more with this roster. For years we did Tinder drafting where we swiped right on the edge rusher who looked the part and were done for the night. Now its costing us in depth.

I think we have a good DC, a good OC, a decent QB. But we lose in the trenches and we hired a mauling OC to run an offense with finesse personnel and no money to retool. The fact that we have 2 wins and 2 close losses against playoff caiber teams is actually impressive on coaching. But the injury situation wont improve with this older softer roster picking fist fights.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

tackling sucked big time.... :beatnik:

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

I really don't know where to point the finger. I'm still processing this; it was a weird game. A thought comes to mind that has been coming to my mind a lot over the last few years, though... Allen is a great by-the-book coach. He knows all his Ps and Qs(the technical stuff). Still, I feel as though he lacks creative spark. He also lacks the ability to inspire. He'll always be a good coordinator in this league; I'm just not sure he's made to be a HC.

That's really the only thing I have to offer right now.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

We went from scoring 40 burgers to spotting a team two touchdowns ... It can't be just injuries , can it ?

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Nope.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

A thing can be very powerful and very fragile. The deathstar in star wars could wipe out planets but if one part went down the whole thing exploded. Our offense is like the death star but with a lot more weak points. Our greatest strength is two elite deep threats, our greatest weakness is our oline. Without adequate blocking our deep threats make zero impct. But even at full strength our oline cant block well enough to give them time without everything else firing on all cylinders, like taysom who is 34 years old and can no longer take the punishment playing enforcer and kamara who has never been an every down back leading a fierce rushing attack. They are needed to amplify the fully healthy oline to make it adequate to protect carr long enough to activate the deep threats which makes the running game work more. We have minimal depth at every offensive position and everything has to work to make our offenses greatest strength even a factor at all.

Meanwhile our defense is meant to play from ahead. We have one of the best secondaries and at least an ok pass rush. But none of our defensive tackles are very good, teams can run up the middle on us. And many leaders of our defense are older players who wear down by the 4th quarter and cant keep up a close game.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Listening to the game on Sirius, I can only base my takes from Deuce’s call of the game. Aside from the injuries, it sounded as though we were sloppy, especially on D, in tackling, in coverage, yaddee yaddee. Turnovers obviously sucked but we just weren’t very good in just about every facet today.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

We need a new Head Coach.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

I think he’s about done. We saw hints of it last season.

It happens to all of the greats.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

I concur.... When Allen's old man was displayed and discussed on the tube, i gathered a more respectful opinion of the son; thinking he should know football. Well... that thought went to the crapper, much like this game did. :beatnik:

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Am I hearing this correctly that Kamara played through broken ribs?

Looks like it .

https://x.com/nick_underhill/status/...8efZVg0YA&s=19

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

One thing I come out of the game thinking is that we are better than them we just really know how to screw **** up.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

I'm so use to being numb in regards to our Saints. Nothing here was really surprising. As much as we want to ***** and moan about it, the fact of the matter is this is what we've got. Hopefully we can put on a good performance next week. Looking past Kansas City, the schedule doesn't look bad. Going into December I do think we need to make some big boy decisions on the direction we want to go as a franchise(if we're still stagnant) and most importantly, who should be leading it. I also think we should heavily lean on outside counsel should the situation arise.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Yeah I think we gotta give Dennis Allen at least another season after this one, to help Klint Kubiak work out the kinks in this new offense, so that Derek Carr can show Rattler or Haener the ropes we’re consistently up against. We’re still rebuilding. People just need to be patient.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

I didn't get to watch the game.

Text messages during my flight had me feeling like you all did.

We could be 4-0. A few key injuries and a few key plays away...

Again, feeling like I want to see how they respond. 2-2 is not the end of our season.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

I don't know that we are better than them exactly. Without errors we would have won that game but I dont know that we would win the next matchup. They are getting healthier at QB every game and their QB is getting more familiar with their receivers. We are getting more banged up every game as we have a finesse roster playing a smash mouth offense where the only mouth smasher is 34 year old Taysom Hill.

I think we have better coaching than the Falcons especially as far as our offensive and defensive schemes. The Falcons may be better at late game management but I dont know, they made some late game errors too. Raheem Morris is a bad coach. He is a 3 time loser. I think coaching is the reason we outplayed them except for a few freak plays.

I think we have a similar ability but more flawed roster than the Falcons. 22 men on paper our roster is similar. But look at the depth issues and durability issues and I think we are worse because our whole offense depends on an oline with no depth, receivers with no depth, running game with no depth, and we need to take hits over the middle of the field and at the line of scrimmage to get first downs that we dont have the correct personnel with the youth and physicality to sustain those hits over the season. We have a critical flaw on offensive roster, a durability bottleneck.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

2 plays, 14 points. And we almost won.

Sh!t happens. Show up vs a depleted KC and carry momentum into 3 of the next 5 contests being division games.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

That’s funny right there ^^^ … “almost”

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

It was sloppy play from start to finish. Our offense wasn't playing good enough to cover the turnovers.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Factually accurate. Not suggesting we're a good team right now but there is hope as we face 3 division games in the next 5.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

There is always hope. LMFAO

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Saints were quick to bench Alontae last season in the slot …

I’d rather see what Taylor/& or Kool aid can do on those boundaries.

Adebo is too grabby in today’s game, hence the penalties. If you are costing us games, it’s time to have a seat.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

It’s time for a well placed boot in the rear end of Dennis Allen’s pants.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

As much as I hate to see the defense lose the guy I agree, it’s time for DA to be replaced. I have no problem giving him this season, but I would love to replace the guy with Kubiak or someone who runs a similar offense and turn the reigns over to Spencer Rattler for a couple of years. It seems the only way out of this salary cap hell is a cheap QB.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Guess Adebo won't getting a new contract?

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Decent corner but the moment a fast WR runs by him, he is quick to grab & hold.

I'd let him test his worth (free agency '25) ... elsewhere.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

-Take the dang points. Kick a FG in each game instead of horrible 4th down plays and the Saints are 4-0. Bad coaching and analytics are ruining sports.
-Having Hill rush the punter on special teams is arguably the worst coaching decision in the history of sports. Not really. Just making a point. With Hill's value on offense, it is ridiculous though. If he gets hurt on offense, so be it.
-Adebo is very talented and makes a lot of plays. He's also good for 1-3 PI calls per game.
-Werner is no D. Smith. Not even close.
-Shaheed's muff on the punt is the worst play a pro can make.
-Olave, Kamara, Shaheed and Hill are the only contributors on offense so far this year. They have to find others to make a play here and there. The TE's have been invisible.
-The OLine has held up surprisingly well. Not perfect but good enough,
-Incredible efforts by Kamara and Olave despite being nicked up.
-The lack of a pass rush against Cousins was surprising and discouraging.
-Waiting for Young to have a breakout game. Beginning to wonder if he will.
-Was not encouraged going into the last two games. Might just be the life-long hopeful Saints fan in me. But, I believe in my Saints on Monday Night. WHO DAT!

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

You say, Without errors we would have won that game… but the fact is, the errors are a large part of who and what we are. We are a fanbase that has to accept going from juggernaut to jugger-not in two quick weeks. Errors and injuries are excuses that well coached and well prepared professionals don’t make.

Re: Observations from Saints loss to Atlanta
 

Curious because I haven't watched the game.

Did Cousins release the ball early or did he have all day to throw