NEW ORLEANS — The Saints came down to earth a little bit with a 15-12 loss on Sunday.
You knew it was inevitable.
I kind of hoped it would take a couple more weeks before it happened.
Now, before I get to the takeaways, there were so many Philadelphia Eagles fans in the Caesars Superdome in Week 3 – is that the new way?
Are there now several thousand season ticket holders regularly re-selling their tickets?
That seems to be the case.
The Dome was loud, but it also got a little loud when Philadelphia did anything good.
Is the secondary ticket market now so mainstream that for any big game, you can expect 5,000 opposing fans in the stadium?
I think there were at least that many Saints fans in Dallas last week.
People can certainly re-sell their tickets, but what it means in New Orleans going forward is the 'Dome advantage' is going to be a little less of an advantage.
4) 'O' Slows
I think two factors contributed to the Eagles slowing down the Saints' offense, and the numbers are glaring.
The Saints didn't score or gain the same quantity of yards, and the big difference came in the running game – 185 yards down to 89 (this week) and yards per carry: 4.9 to 3.1.
The Eagles simply won more of the battles up front.
Jalen Carter was dominant. Remember, he was a Top 10 pick in the NFL draft last year and he played like it Sunday.
Without Erik McCoy in the middle, the Saints could not handle him.
But it wasn't just the physical, it was the mental, too.
The Eagles had two weeks of Saints tape to study and they were more ready for what the Saints were doing.
It looked like the Eagles had a bead on the Saints' play-calling and they were physically good enough to stop it.
3) The Defining Breakdown
One breakdown defined this game.
On the positive side, the Saints defense is getting turnovers.
They're now tied for second-best in the NFL at a combined +4, and I don't think that's coincidental.
Seven takeaways in three games is great, but the breakdown overshadows everything.
I know the Saints love playing man-to-man, but on the biggest play of the game with Philadelphia's top three wide receivers all out, the Eagles had 3rd and 16 and yet somehow – on a simple crossing pattern – Dallas Goedert found himself running free.
That's an inexcusable mistake at the most critical time of the game.
Goedert is a solid NFL tight end, but he's not fast by NFL standards. This shouldn't happen.
The turnovers are great, but the Saints gave up eight plays of 20 or more yards.
2) 'WTH' Decisions
This game featured some bizarre coaching decisions.
Down 3-0, the Eagles coach Nick Sirianni opted twice to pass up easy field goals to go for it on 4th down. Both failed.
But then after passing on easy kicks, Sirianni opted to try a 60-yard field goal that his kicker couldn't make.
It gave the Saints the ball at midfield and led to the go-ahead touchdown.
The Eagles won in spite of their coach's decisions, and Dennis Allen's decision to go for it on 4th down at the start of the 4th quarter was wrong.
The Saints didn't have Erik McCoy or Taysom Hill and the Eagles were killing 'em up front.
The field goal seemed like the much smarter option and the Saints passed on three points that would have mattered.
1) A Good Start
Given all of that, here's the good news.
The Saints are off to a good start.
Three weeks in, they're in first in the NFC South and I do believe they have the talent on defense to stop giving up all those explosive plays.
Not to mention, this is the hardest part of their schedule and the Saints certainly didn't get blown out.
If not for one play, they likely would have won.
Overall, the start has been better than expected, but clearly the NFL has adjusted to Klint Kubiak's new offense.
The key to Saints' success going forward will now be his ability to adjust to that adjustment.
WWL Louisiana's '4 Takeaways' sponsored by Rouse's Markets, the official supermarket of the New Orleans Saints.
