Jameis Winston said earlier this week that he had dreamt of playing the New Orleans Saints, but the meeting went about as badly as it could have for the former Saints quarterback.
New Orleans turned his day into his worst performance of the season, and the defense did most of the damage. Winston was picked off twice, which doubled the number of interceptions the Saints had coming into the game. Through his first three starts this season, he has now thrown three interceptions and lost a fumble.
That mattered even more because New Orleans had been stuck in an interception drought. The Saints had only one interception through five games before finally snapping that streak against a quarterback they know well. It was a weirdly fitting moment, and it came at exactly the right time.
The first takeaway landed with four minutes left in the third quarter, and it opened the floodgates. From that point on, the Saints kept generating turnovers and almost-turnovers, and the defense suddenly looked like it had shaken off the weight of that drought.
The second interception came just two drives later, when Winston threw straight to safety Julian Blackmon. With nobody around him, Blackmon had room to return it 20-something yards to the New Orleans end zone. Two plays later, the offense finished off the possession and stretched the lead to three scores.
The turnover parade still wasn’t done. On the drive after that touchdown, Martin Emerson Jr. intercepted Giants quarterback JJ McCarthy after Winston had been benched.
That one didn’t turn into points on the next possession, but it kept the pressure on. Emerson Jr. nearly added another pick on the following Giants drive, too.
All of it came from relentless pressure. The Saints finished with five sacks, their most ever in a game, and no quarterback the Giants put out there had much comfort in the pocket.
By the end of the day, New Orleans had quadrupled its interception total, picked up its second win of the season, and bought Kellen Moore some breathing room for the time being.
In Other News...
Saints Win Came With A Kool-Aid McKinstry Concern
The Saints got what they needed Sunday in a 34-27 win over the Giants, with Tyler Shough throwing three touchdown passes and Alvin Kamara helping keep the offense moving with a key 15-yard run. It was the kind of victory that can steady a season, but it also came with a side note on the defensive back end, where Kool-Aid McKinstry has been working through a stretch that has not looked like the player New Orleans expected.
Kellen Moore said McKinstrys recent issues have been tied to a collection of migraine symptoms and on-field trouble, offering some context for a performance dip that has been hard to miss. The Saints still walked away with the win, but McKinstrys status remains something worth watching closely as they sort out how much of this is health-related and how much is tied to what has been happening on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Stopped The Skid But One Lingering Problem Remains
The Saints finally got a win back in the column Sunday, outlasting the Giants 34-27 to snap a three-game losing streak and steady things for a team that badly needed a reset. New Orleans leaned on a productive ground game, piled up 176 rushing yards and came away with four turnovers, with Tyler Shough, Alvin Kamara and a pair of special teams contributors helping set the tone in a game that had plenty of momentum swings.
Even so, the final score still hinted at the same issue that has followed this group for much of the season: the Saints could not put it away cleanly. They survived a late Giants rally after looking in control for much of the afternoon, and the closing stretch served as a reminder that one solid win does not erase the work still ahead, especially if New Orleans wants to turn a relief result into something more stable. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Paris Trip Carries One Big Concern As NFL Watches Closely
The Saints trip to Paris is officially on the calendar, and the NFL says the Week 7 matchup with the Steelers will go forward as planned at Stade de France. The league has been keeping a close eye on the situation in France, where widespread protests and broader security concerns have added an uneasy backdrop to what is supposed to be one of the NFLs showcase international games.
For New Orleans, the trip now carries a different kind of attention than the usual overseas spectacle. The league says it is working with local authorities and that preparations have not changed, but the environment around the game remains something to monitor as both teams continue getting updates. For a Saints team headed into a marquee international spot, the football side is set, even if the larger picture still feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]