NEW ORLEANS — The 2021 New Orleans Saints are currently on pace to not have a wide receiver or tight end catch at least 50 passes for the first time since 1987. That was 34 years ago, I was 11, the Saints had yet to have a winning season in their history, and lots of you reading this column weren't even born yet. It was a confusing dark time without cellphones, the internet, or Twitter. We had to read this thing called the newspaper or watch one of 3 television channels to find out what was happening. It was basically the Stone Age
Alvin Kamara leads the Saints in receptions but he's a running back. Marquez Callaway, the Saints leading wide receiver, is on pace to catch 44 passes in 2021. For perspective, Michael Thomas caught 40 passes in 2020 while playing just 5 games.
The Saint's lack of a receiver or tight end on pace to catch 50 passes is because of a couple of factors. The first is Sean Payton just isn't calling as many pass plays. The Saints might not throw 500 passes in a season for the first time ever under Payton. Sean Payton knows the 2021 Saints win with defense and running the football. It's like that old Bum Phillips joke about throwing the ball, “Only 3 things can happen when you pass, and 2 of them are bad.”
The 2021 Saints are different philosophically than we are used to, and even if they had a healthy Michael Thomas, he wouldn't be catching 149 passes like he did in 2019. The thing is, in the NFL in 2021, to not have a receiver or tight end catch 50 passes is a sign something is very wrong with your passing game.
This brings us to the main problem with the Saints receiving problems – talent. The Saint's highest-paid receiver currently on the active roster is, Kenny Stills at just over a million bucks, and he was signed during the season.
The Saints were in an incredible bind this off-season. They had to reduce their salary cap by 100 million and that included releasing receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who general manager Mickey Loomis admitted they hated doing. Maybe they could have drafted a receiver to hedge against Michael Thomas rehab going badly, but the Saint's top 3 draft picks in 2021 have all shown signs of being good, and the Saints defense without Paulson Adebo and Pete Werner would be a lot worse off. So a rookie receiver might have helped but would it help more than not having Adebo or Werner?
This just in, Mickey Loomis' job is incredibly difficult.
I haven't even mentioned the Saints struggles at tight end, because this is a family website, and my thoughts mostly involve screaming 4 letter words. The Saints are so bad at tight end, I sometimes wish they had kept Jared Cook and my only memory of him is him fumbling the ball!
Also, Deonte Harris' DWI in the off-season has finally been settled in court so he might be getting suspended soon. Dark times my friends.
Saints Twitter and social media have been looking longingly at Odell Beckham Jr. the last week as a potential miracle cure – me included. The Saints haven't had an LSU Tiger score a touchdown for them since Devery Henderson did so in 2012. Odell coming home and being a Saint would be amazing fun for the rest of the season but I can't see Beckham choosing the Saints over the Green Bay Packers or Kansas City Chiefs.
Those teams have elite quarterbacks and receivers making more than the NFL minimum. Beckham would probably thrive either place, but Odell, catching passes from America's favorite suburban dad QB Trevor Siemian could be the experience of a lifetime. Oh, and New Orleans is home and is a better city than Kansas City and the frozen village in the middle of nowhere known as Green Bay.
Think it over. New Orleans needs you.
The 2021 Saints story at receiver and tight end is just calamity, terror, sadness, and drops. So many drops.
Saints Fan Mood and Meditation Music: You Make My Dreams – Daryl Hall & John Oates
I was going to use Doja Cat 'Need to Know' because Saints fans everywhere need to know which team Odell Beckham is going to sign with, but then I thought we need to be more aspirational around here. Odell, make our dreams come true. This gives me an excuse to drop a ridiculous Hall & Oates 1980's video. Do it for the City. Do it for America. And do it because the Saints locker room is the most fun in the NFL.
The Games Last Week: 2-3 Season: 17-23
New Orleans (+3) at Tennessee: The Titans are rolling, having won 5 straight, including 4 over 2020 playoff teams, and this seems like a terrible spot for the Saints. The thing is though, Tennessee didn't even have 200 yards of offense last week against the Rams without injured star running back Derrick Henry, and their defense allows 4.5 yards a rush.
The Saints have run the ball well all season, and if they could have avoided tripping over themselves during the first half against the Falcons, they would have run the ball down Atlanta's throat. The Saints will stay out of third and long and the Titans are about to get a face full of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.
On defense, the Titans without Derrick Henry won't run on the Saints, because no one runs the ball on the 2021 Saints. Let's hope Tennessee tries and tries and tries though. The Saints secondary got roasted by the Falcons no-name receivers, they will need to bounce back against Julio Jones and AJ Brown, and they will.
Maybe OBJ will even be the star of the game? Never give up on your dreams kids.
Saints 24-10
Dallas (-10) vs Atlanta: The Cowboys will bounce back and Matt Ryan will remember he's old.
Cowboys 35-17
Buffalo (-13) vs New York Jets: If the Bills lose to the Jaguars and Jets back-to-back weeks they might need to be thrown out of the NFL.
Bills 27-10
Detroit (+8.5) at Pittsburgh: This is your week Dan Campbell! I believe you...can cover.
Steelers 23-16
Kansas City (-2.5) at Las Vegas: We are in like week 5 of waiting on the Chiefs to not be mediocre.
Chiefs 30-27
Ralph Malbrough is a contributing writer and Saints fan living in Houston. Email him at saintshappyhour@gmail.com, find him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter at @SaintsForecast or download the Saints Happy Hour Podcast.
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