The Saints finally stopped the skid Sunday in East Rutherford, and they did it the hard way.
After three straight losses at home and growing public criticism from owner Gayle Benson, New Orleans went on the road and stared down a 10-point hole against the NFC East-leading New York Giants before flipping the game completely. The Saints ripped off 34 unanswered points on their way to a 34-27 win at MetLife Stadium.
That victory sends the Saints (2-4) into a very different kind of week. The team left for France right after the game and will meet the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday at 8:30 a.m. CT at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris, in the first NFL game ever played in that country.
Tyler Shough was the engine for New Orleans all afternoon. The Saints quarterback threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, despite a pregame report that he has been playing with two broken bones in his left hand since the Oct. 5 game against Atlanta. His last scoring throw came with 11:31 left, when he hit Chris Olave for an 18-yard touchdown to stretch the lead.
Shough also helped New Orleans recover from another sluggish opening. The Giants scored the first 10 points, but the Saints answered before halftime with one second left when Shough found rookie Bryce Lance for a 2-yard touchdown to tie it 10-10.
From there, Alvin Kamara took over a place in league history. His 31-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter gave the Saints their first lead of the day, 17-10, and pushed him to 5,000 career receiving yards and 5,000 career rushing yards. Kamara became the sixth player to reach that mark, and Christian McCaffrey is the only other active player in the club.
The Giants never really solved New Orleans after that, even though the game got messy late. Former Saints quarterback Jameis Winston threw the lone Giants touchdown of the first half, a 12-yard strike to Tyrone Tracy Jr., but he was picked off twice after the break by Martin Emerson, Jr. and Julian Blackmon.
Winston was then benched in the fourth quarter for J.J. McCarthy.
New York made one last push, scoring 17 points in the final seven minutes. Still, the Saints held on after McCarthy’s fourth-down pass from the Saints’ 12-yard line glanced off the fingertips of Isaiah Likely in the end zone.
New Orleans forced four turnovers and gave it away only once, even while being outgained 461 yards to 319.
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Kellen Moore Enters A Saints Game He Cant Afford To Mismanage
The Saints head into Week 6 against the Giants carrying far more than a 1-4 record, and the scrutiny around Kellen Moore has already reached the point where every decision feels magnified. With New Orleans struggling on both sides of the ball, the focus is no longer just on getting back in the win column. It is on whether Moore can put together a plan that looks organized, adaptable and worthy of a team that expected more than this kind of start.
Gayle Bensons public frustration only sharpened the spotlight, since the message around the building has been hard to miss: this level of performance cannot continue without consequences. So the matchup with New York comes with more than standard early-season urgency. It is a chance for Moore to show that his offense can function, his staff can adjust and the Saints can look like a team with a clear direction instead of one searching for answers week to week. [Read more 🡒]
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The same positive injury trend extends to New York, with left tackle Andrew Thomas and edge rusher Abdul Carter also expected to suit up despite their own injury concerns. For the Saints, the broader picture is simple: getting Kamara and Olave on the field matters because their availability shapes what this offense can be, even if the health questions around the week are not fully gone. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Backfield Shift Puts Cam Skattebo Under Pressure In Week 6
The Giants are making a notable backfield adjustment heading into Week 6 after Cam Skattebos ball-security issues became too big to ignore. ESPNs Jordan Raanan reported that New York plans to reshuffle its running back rotation, a response to Skattebos multiple fumbles this season and the critical one he put on the ground in Week 5 against Washington, a mistake that nearly swung the game the wrong way.
For New Orleans, the matchup now comes with a little extra intrigue because Najee Harris is expected to take on a larger role while Skattebos snap share is trimmed but not erased. The Saints will still have to prepare for both backs, yet the more pressing question is whether New Yorks change can steady the offense or simply shift the pressure somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]