The New Orleans Saints handed the Seattle Seahawks their first loss of the 2019 season and first September home defeat in the Pete Carroll era on Sunday at CenturyLink Field. Here are five takeaways from the game.
Sloppy turnovers continue to lead to points for the opposition
Running back Chris Carson fumbled for the fourth time in three games, which Saints safety Vonn Bell recovered and ran back for a touchdown. It was a solid play by cornerback Eli Apple and Carson should not shoulder all of the blame, but this does not look good for him going forward. Based on Carson’s recent performances, Seattle may choose to start Rashaad Penny when he returns from his hamstring injury. No. 32 needs to clean up his fumbles and fast.
Special teams issues were prevalent
On Seattle’s first punt, the special teams gave up a return touchdown to Deonte Harris which provided the Saints with early momentum. Tyler Lockett never got going on his own punt returns and the entire unit just looked unprepared throughout the matchup. Brian Schneider’s group will need to fix their mistakes if the Seahawks wish to compete for a playoff spot.
Alvin Kamara is extremely difficult to tackle
This is quite obvious, but it needs to be mentioned. Kamara is more slippery than a snake and broke tackles all day long. He proved he is a difference-maker on the field even without Drew Brees and was one of the primary reasons the Saints won in convincing fashion.
Sean Payton outcoached Pete Carroll
Harris’ punt return TD and Carson’s fumble aside, Carroll was thoroughly outcoached by New Orleans’ head coach for most of the game. The Seahawks’ play-calling was questionable on both sides of the ball at times and there was little to no execution. In addition, poor clock management hindered them in key moments. Payton’s team put on a clinic without their future Hall of Fame quarterback and they were fully prepared to take on the challenge of winning on the road in one of the most hostile environments in the NFL.
Pass rush nowhere to be seen
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had a clean pocket for most of the game. New Orleans’ offensive line manhandled Seattle’s pass rush and it was a key factor in Sunday’s outcome. Jadeveon Clowney, Ezekiel Ansah and the rest of the defensive front will need to step up in the near future. They cannot afford to simply wait for Jarran Reed to come back from suspension.
