Saints Report # 6 - October 28, 2018

Revenge.  The Saints returned to the scene of the crime (the Minneapolis Miracle) from last year’s playoffs and exacted methodical revenge, 30 – 20.  They moved to 6-1 and did it in a most un-Saint-like way. 

This was a lackluster game where the shoe that the Saints normally wear was on the other foot.  They got outgained.  Drew Brees threw for little yardage – one third of what his counterpart Kirk Cousins threw for.  Brees threw his first interception of the year.  But two of Cousin’s vaunted receivers made critical mistakes that the Saints turned into touchdowns.  The first occurred late in the first half.  Picture this - The Vikings lead 13 – 10 and had driven deep into Saints’ territory.  Had the Vikings scored, then gotten the 2^nd half’s first possession and scored they would have been up 27-10.  It almost seemed inevitable. The Saints were on death’s door, when all-world receiver Adam Theilan fumbled and Marshon Lattimore returned the ball to set up a TD making it a Saints 17-13 lead at the half.  I could argue this is almost a 3 score swing.  In the 2^nd half, Saints cornerback PJ Williams, who had gotten picked on all night, picked off a mix up and returned it for a TD.  The pass was intended for sticky-finger Stefon Diggs but he stopped his route short to appear in a commercial and Williams was the beneficiary.

During three straight 7-9 seasons it was a common sight to see the Saints outgain their opponent and lose to a ball control team.  But the Saints are now 4-0 on the road and the last 2 weeks have been by running more than passing in hostile territories.   They can win in different ways.  It’s promising, but the reality is that the season is not yet half over and while the Saints could take a big step toward playoff home field advantage by bringing the Rams down to turf this weekend, two games with the Panthers, and one each with the Falcons, Steelers, Eagles, Bengals, Buccaneers, and Cowboys remain.  There’s not a pushover in the bunch.  But for right now, Sean Payton is formulating masterful game plans and the Saints are executing them.  Stay tuned.