The defense was a liability, but Drew Brees and company helped the Saints improve to 2-1.
The New Orleans Saints potent offense once again had to carry a bad defense on Sunday (Sept. 23), a problem that has been too common during the Sean Payton and Drew Brees era.
In a 43-37 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints and Falcons experienced nine lead changes, not including the first score of the game, but Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas were determined to carry the Saints to a win.
The game started with Brees, Kamara and Thomas leading the Saints downfield on the opening drive, and when Ted Ginn scored on a 4-yard reception, the Saints looked ready to have a good day on the road against their bitter rival.
But, that happened before the defense took the field. Through three games this year, complementary football has evaded the Saints as the offense and defense just can’t play well at the same time. In Week 1, the Saints lost despite a great offensive performance. In Week 2, they barely won even though the defense mostly played well.
The Saints were fortunate this week to have the biggest special teams play of the game when Alex Okafor blocked a punt and Craig Robertson recovered, helping set up a third-quarter touchdown.
This was a huge win for the Saints to improve to 2-1 after three weeks in which they have had serious struggles. The defensive issues don’t seem to be going away, but the group made a key stop to force the game into overtime and give the offense the chance it needed to win the game in overtime.
Matt Ryan threw a career-high five touchdowns, including three to rookie Calvin Ridley, so even though the Saints won, it’s going to be a rough film review for the defense back in New Orleans, particularly cornerback P. J. Williams.
Brees was incredible in a game in which he broke Brett Favre’s record for most career completions. He finished 39 of 49 for 396 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for a 7-yard touchdown that tied the game with 1:15 remaining in regulation, using a spin move to evade two Falcons defenders. He also scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime with his patented leaping quarterback sneak.
Kamara and Thomas continued to be the go-to options on offense, too. Kamara had 15 catches for 124 yards as well as 16 carries for 66 yards. Thomas had 10 catches for 129 yards and set an NFL record for the most catches for a player in the first three games of the season.
The Saints didn’t waste those impressive performances, but the defense has to get better quickly if the team wants to get back in the conversation of Super Bowl contenders.
