NEW ORLEANS — In the end, Younghoe Koo was the hero for the Falcons with a 29-yard, game-winning chip shot.
Saints head coach Sean Payton said he actually tried to let the Falcons score a touchdown with 50 seconds to go, but they wouldn’t, and ran the clock down to three seconds and Koo was “icewater.”
Why were the Falcons in that position? Well, let’s start at number four with the most obvious issue Sunday. The drops just killed the Saints. If you said, give me one image to sum up this game, it might include a bobble by Adam Trautman or Marquez Callaway or Kenny Stills or maybe one of a dejected Trevor Siemian after having a pass dropped.
Payton said on Monday that Siemian played well, but got no help.
His quarterback rating in the game was a 94.5, which isn’t great, but isn’t terrible. Over a season, that would be 18th best in the NFL, but it should have been a lot better.
Which brings us to number three – The Saints offensive weaponry is just not good. That, of course, doesn’t include Alvin Kamara, who is as good as there is. And Mark Ingram looks like a really good complement.
But in the passing game, the Saints set of receivers and tight ends right now, might be the weakest in all of the NFL.
The Saints most productive receiver this season has been Deonte Harris. He averages 46 yards per game receiving, but just among NFL receivers, the Saints ‘best’ guy is 52nd in the league.
That means that most teams have two wideouts better than the Saints ‘best’ guy.
The Saints most productive tight end has been Adam Trautman, who is 33rd in the NFL. So every team has a more productive tight end and at least one has two!
The point is that other than Kamara, the Saints haven’t really been able to count on anyone in the passing game. They’re 31st in the NFL in passing yards per game. In big pass plays – 25 yards or more – they’re tied for 29th in the NFL. In yards gained after the catch, they’re 31st.
These numbers are not conducive to offensive success and unless, somehow, they end up with Odell Beckham Jr. in Black and Gold, it’s hard to see how the passing game is going to get much better.
At number two, the Saints have been able to overcome their lack of explosiveness with terrific defense, but Sunday they put very little pressure on Matt Ryan.
Ryan has played the Saints 26 times now and Sunday was his 10th win.
What he experienced most of Sunday was a clean pocket with excellent sight lines. The Saints did get two sacks on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter comeback, but for three and a half quarters, and, in the final minute, Ryan was not pressured.
In total pressure percentage, which includes sacks, hurries and knockdowns, the Saints rank 21st in the NFL, which is not horrible, but with an offense struggling to find weapons, it’s not good either.
The hope was that David Onyemata’s return last week would change that, but it hasn’t really – yet.
And, at number one, eight games in, we are now getting a clearer picture of who the 2021 Saints are: They’re upside down. Better so far against good teams – the Saints have three wins against playoff teams from 2020, and two losses against bad teams.
But the Saints are a playoff team – at least if the season ended today.
They are firmly in the sixth spot in the NFC and seven teams get in and, yes, for now, the Falcons are a playoff team too.
Looking ahead, three of the next four games are against division leaders but in this upside down season, who knows what’s coming next.
And that’s my number one takeaway from the wild, and disappointing loss to the Falcons.