The New Orleans Saints fell to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night, in a game that dropped all of the hopes of the city back down to earth after their dominant win over the Las Vegas Raiders. There is a lot to complain about, but not all is bad after the game on Sunday.
Some things are looking good for the future of the team, while some things look so bad it’s at least easy to know that they have to be addressed.
Here are all of the standout performances from Monday night’s loss to the Ravens, both good and bad:
Stud: WR Chris Olave
A much-needed bright spot in the tumultuous season, Olave continues to be one of the best players on the Saints offense. He has a serious case for offensive rookie of the year, despite not being the front-runner for now. With the injuries to the wide receiver room, they needed this draft pick to hit and it absolutely has.
Dud: QB Andy Dalton
It was a horrid day for Dalton. Fans were calling for Winston very early on, only exemplified by a few terrible red zone trips where they had to settle for field goals in crucial moments. The Saints offense has been able to score points under Dalton, but it doesn’t seem to be because of Dalton. Two terrible performances in the last three games is not what you want from a team that still has a shot to win their division.
Stud: LB Kaden Elliss
Elliss stepped up after an injury to Pete Werner, making the loss not as bad as it could have been. He made plays in all facets of the game. I was surprised by his coverage play. Elliss has had a pretty solid season. Should Werner be out for a while, Elliss may be able to slide over. The depth behind him is the real question now.
Dud: P Blake Gillikin
One of the more disappointing parts of the season so far has been Gillikin in his second season. He still has some great punts in him, but he’s been far too inconsistent. It was capped off by a 38-yard punt out of bounds to the Ravens 37-yard line that ended in a Baltimore field goal. I don’t think he needs to be replaced yet, but there has been a decline that needs to be addressed.
Stud: CB Alontae Taylor
Another great game from the rookie. I feel like he has done enough to stay on the field when Marshon Lattimore returns, though I don’t know if they’ll bench Paulson Adebo yet. Taylor has responded so well to adversity this season after being thrown into the fire. The draft pick was definitely questioned heavily at the time, but it looks like they nailed it.
Dud: Pete Carmichael
One of the most puzzling parts of the night is that Taysom Hill only had one rushing attempt and one passing attempt. The Hill role has worked wonders for them this season, so it’s hard to understand why they abandoned it when nothing else was working. Carmichael has been heavily inconsistent this season, but I think pockets of the gameplan have worked.
