The Saints walked out of Las Vegas with a loss that felt like it slipped through their hands. New Orleans had the lead, played well enough to win, and still came away with a result that had to sting, especially after a handful of confusing calls went against them.
One of those calls, according to the rulebook and against the Detroit Lions, should have been ruled an incomplete pass. That kind of finish turned a game the Saints controlled into a tough one to swallow.
Even with the frustration, there were plenty of bright spots for New Orleans. Travis Etienne stood out in a big way, which was especially notable given how much criticism the Saints’ run game has taken.
In the home opener, Etienne found room early and repeatedly made defenders miss. His ability to create space helped the offense stay on schedule and kept Tyler Shough from having to carry everything on his own.
Etienne also left with what looked like a hamstring issue, but before that moment, he was excellent.
Shough kept his strong start rolling, too. It may be getting repetitive to keep putting his name in this conversation, but he continues to look like the Saints’ franchise quarterback moving forward.
With Etienne helping balance the offense, Shough still had to be sharp, and he was. He was accurate, made good throws while moving, handled pressure well, and even added value as a runner.
The fourth-quarter interception was a clear blemish, but it didn’t erase the overall quality of his performance.
Another encouraging development came up front with Taliese Fuaga. He handled Maxx Crosby far better than expected, especially after a rough start to the season that had raised questions about whether he was dealing with an injury. The run game likely helped him settle in, but Fuaga looked solid enough that it seemed he would have held up even if the ground attack had been less effective.
And while the wide receivers have been getting plenty of attention, the tight ends deserve their moment here. Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant both turned in huge outings as receivers and blockers. Each had multiple-touchdown games, and both came through with important catches that helped keep drives alive.
There were concerns in the loss, especially on defense against tight ends, but the bigger picture for the Saints was hard to miss: this was a game they played well enough to win and didn’t get.
In Other News...
Saints Fans Have Every Reason To Hate This Tyler Shough Ruling
The Saints had another rough Week 3 finish against the Raiders, and one sequence involving Tyler Shough has only added to the frustration. The NFL upheld the ruling on the field, saying Shough lost control of the ball before his arm started moving forward, leaving the play as a fumble and not an incomplete pass.
For Saints fans, the irritation is obvious because the league handled a similar-looking situation differently in Week 1 when Jared Goff was involved. NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth explained why the two plays were separated, but the explanation is unlikely to make New Orleans feel any better about how the call broke in a game already going the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Collapse Came Down To Tyler Shough And One Brutal Call
The Saints had their best early footing under Kellen Moore on Sunday, jumping ahead after the first quarter and giving themselves a chance to carry that edge into a needed win over the Raiders. Instead, the game unraveled late in a 35-27 loss, with New Orleans giving the ball away four times in the fourth quarter and watching a promising night slip into a frustrating collapse.
Tyler Shough was at the center of it, with multiple turnovers and a strip that led to one of the games most contentious moments, when Las Vegas came away with the fumble recovery. A late Juwan Johnson fumble only deepened the damage as the Raiders kept answering with offense, leaving the Saints to sort through how a game they once controlled turned so quickly in the final period. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious Over This Replay Ruling
The Saints already had plenty to argue about during their game against the Raiders, and the replay decision only deepened the frustration. Adrian Hills crew drew heat for a series of controversial calls against New Orleans, including multiple penalties on the defense, but the play that really stuck with fans was a quarterback drop that ended with the Raiders coming away with the ball.
NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth upheld the ruling after review, saying the quarterback lost control before his arm came forward. The problem for New Orleans is that the explanation landed differently than another similar play earlier this season, when the league ruled it an incomplete pass, leaving the Saints and their fans to wonder why a key judgment can look so different from one week to the next. [Read more 🡒]