We learned a lot about the New Orleans Saints in Week 17’s big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was their most complete win against a quality opponent all season, and they did it on the road against a division rival that knows them well. This is the kind of game that a good team should be expected to win, and this time the Saints came through. Too often this season they’ve failed to meet expectations.
Here’s a quick rundown of our notes and observations from the game:
1
Derek Carr made some great throws off of play action
The Saints have steadily increased their play action rate week by week, and this game seemed to have the best execution we’ve seen from those plays so far. Carr is historically a very effective passer off of play action in his NFL career so it made sense to get him those looks early and often against Tampa Bay; it’s just a shame the Saints neglected to make it such a point of emphasis earlier in the season.
2
The tight ends can catch passes after all
Much of the praise is rightfully going to Juwan Johnson (6 receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown), but Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau made some nice plays, too. As a group they converted seven first downs and scored two touchdowns. Johnson was someone who built a ton of hype over the summer as a Darren Waller-like receiver that Carr could quickly work with, but it took some time for them to get on the same page. It’s exciting if these are the kind of results we can expect moving forwards.
3
Running backs room is frightful
Alvin Kamara sprained his ankle on an awkward tackle in this game, and it’s not looking good for his chances to play in Week 18. The Saints are already down rookie running back Kendre Miller who has missed a few months managing his own ankle injury. Veteran runner Jamaal Williams had his most productive game to-date after Kamara exited the Buccaneers game, but he still averaged just 3.1 yards per carry. That may not be good enough against the Falcons next week with a playoff berth on the line. The Saints drafted a running back and invested a solid contract in one last offseason but they may need to go back to the well again in the spring.
4
The offensive line stepped up
The Saints asked a lot of their offensive line against one of the better pass-rush units around the league, and they responded really well, even with a revolving door at right tackle. Ryan Ramczyk wasn’t able to play after going on injured reserve and his backup Landon Young went down with an injury of his own, putting third-string reserve Cameron Erving into the game in the second half. And Carr was still sacked only once while the Saints ran well as a team (if not individually). Changes are in store for this group, but this was a really encouraging afternoon from them.
5
And the embattled run defense bounced back
Look at how many rushing yards the Saints allowed per game going into this matchup, since their bye week: 228, 142, 204, 60, and 133. They couldn’t stop a cold on the ground (except against the New York Giants), and while the Buccaneers aren’t known as a high-end rushing unit, they’re still a quality opponent. And the Saints stopped them in their tracks. Tampa Bay finished with just 58 yards on the ground from running backs Rachaad White and Chase Edmonds. That’s a huge win for a New Orleans squad that’s gotten pushed off the line of scrimmage all too often this year.
6
Youngsters take point on the pass rush
The Saints continued their experiment in letting Zack Baun move up to the line of scrimmage and rush the passer like he did in college, and it’s continuing to pay dividends; he had a couple of pressures and his second career sack in this game. Rookie defensive tackle Bryan Bresee made some plays too, despite an untimely facemask penalty deep inside Buccaneers territory, and he’s now the record-holder for the most sacks by a first-year interior lineman in Saints history. Seeing young draft picks like these guys emerge and develop into playmakers is highly encouraging as the Saints defense continues to age.
7
Dennis Allen has his best-ever record after Week 17
It’s a small thing, but Dennis Allen exited Week 17 with the best record he’s ever had this late in his five seasons as a head coach: 8-8. It’s not a winning record, but it’s close, and he has an opportunity to finally end a year in the win column next week against the Falcons. The Saints have supported Allen through a lot of disappointments and adversity through his first two years on the job, and it’s unclear just yet whether that much faith was warranted. But he’s already more successful in New Orleans than he was in three years with the Raiders, and this much is certain: he’s going to let everyone know about it.
