The New Orleans Saints lost to the Atlanta Falcons and many things went wrong. It wasn’t all bad, though, as some positions performed well on Sunday.
Here’s a letter grade for each position group after reviewing their performance:
Quarterback: C-
New Orleans was able to move down the field, but red zone errors reared their ugly head yet again. Carr’s pick-six in the red zone was the worst mistake of the game. He also had multiple off-target throws throughout the game. Just because New Orleans moved down the field, those throws can’t be forgotten
Running backs: B+
Alvin Kamara had a good day, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He matched the performance through the air by being the Saints third leading receiver. Unfortunately, Jamaal Williams wasn’t equally as productive prior to leaving the game with an injury.
Offensive line: A
The offensive line played well in the passing and rushing game. Derek Carr was sacked only once and didn’t deal with much pressure. Kamara was able to have an efficient day because of the holes the line was opening.
Wide receivers: B-
Injuries to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed bring this grade down significantly. Olave was off to a hot start before suffering a concussion, and he still led the team in yards at the end of the game. The receivers were productive, but it’s hard to feel good about their day after the injuries.
Tight ends: B
It was nice to see Juwan Johnson get involved in the offense and record a season-high 45 receiving yards. Taysom Hill was also productive with two big catches for 55 total yards. Injuries to the receiving corps could lead to the tight ends being more prominent.
Defensive line: D
The Saints defensive line barely bothered Desmond Ridder. When they did get to him, Ridder was able to escape. The defensive line didn’t register a sack and weren’t much help stopping Bijan Robinson either.
Linebackers: D
Atlanta exploited the Saints’ lack of speed at this position by stretching plays to the outside. Bijan Robinson ended the game with 91 yards, Tyler Allgeier had 64 yards, and Cordarelle Patterson had 43 yards. All 3 of them averaged over 5 yards per carry. New Orleans struggled to find an answer for the Falcons’ rushing attack, and that reflects on the front seven.
Cornerbacks: B
The cornerbacks had a good day on every receiver other than Drake London. He ended the day with 5 catches for 91 yards. That’s better than you’d want to give up, but Atlanta still struggled to throw the ball as a whole.
Safeties: A+
Tyrann Mathieu was the clear MVP of the game. The safety was on the receiving end of two interceptions. It’s his first multi-interception game since joining the Saints last year. New Orleans also didn’t allow any deep passes over the top either.
Special Teams: B
Lou Hedley didn’t see much action in today’s game, but Blake Grupe made five of his six attempted field goals. He also scored all of the Saints points. Unfortunately, Grupe missed the last field goal that would have put the Saints in position for an onside kick. This continues a trend of Grupe missing field goals at important times late in games.
