The New Orleans Saints became the first team in the NFL to be shut out this season. On Monday Night Football, they were defeated by the Green Bay Packers 34-0. The New Orleans offense laid a goose egg in a blowout loss, making them 5-10 on the season after a 2-0 start. This disappointing performance helped the Packers clinch a playoff spot, but for the Saints, it is emblematic of their underwhelming season. Despite showing promise, they are now a team eliminated from playoff contention, playing out their final games, and anticipating the offseason.
Green Bay Packers Defeat New Orleans Saints
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The New Orleans Saints offense struggled to move the ball, and when they did, those drives ended in turnovers. After the Packers scored on their opening drive, the Saints punted after six plays and 21 yards. Green Bay took another long drive down the field to go up 14-0, and New Orleans went three and out, punting again. The Saints didn’t muster a sustainable drive until they were down 21-0. After a 39-yard kickoff return from Dante Pettis, the Saints went six plays to the Green Bay 29 yard line. But Spencer Rattler was sacked by Keisean Nixon and fumbled the ball, with Rashan Gary recovering. The New Orleans Saints went into halftime down 21-0.
The closest the Saints came to scoring in the second half was on a drive deep into Packers’ territory. After converting on a 3rd and 17, Rattler threw an interception on a pass intended for Foster Moreau. They turned it over at the 22, meaning that the Saints offense did not reach the red zone the entire game. They had 196 total yards to Green Bay’s 404. But the offense was not the only thing at fault. The Saints’ defense gave up 34 points and multiple long drives that put the game out of reach. On the Packers’ first three possessions, they scored three touchdowns, including a 17-play, 96-yard drive that took up nearly nine minutes.
The New Orleans Saints Disappointing Season
This shutout loss is another example of the New Orleans Saints’ downward trajectory this season. At the start of the season, the Saints were one of the biggest surprises in the NFL. They defeated the Carolina Panthers 47-10 and the Dallas Cowboys 44-19. Their offense was scoring in bunches, and they were blowing teams out. But, after starting 2-0, the Saints lost seven consecutive games. Derek Carr missed time with injuries and the team began to spiral. When Carr returned, New Orleans went on a 3-2 stretch, but he got hurt again with a fractured hand.
But even with Derek Carr healthy, the New Orleans Saints are not the team many thought they could be after week two. The Saints are 5-5 with Carr at quarterback this season, meaning he has accounted for all of their wins, but they are still a .500 team. Without Carr, New Orleans is 0-5. They have given Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener snaps at quarterback, and Rattler has looked like the better option. But, with a 34-0 loss, it is clear that the offense still struggles.
Looking Forward to the Offseason
The New Orleans Saints have been in a state of mediocrity since the end of the Drew Brees and Sean Payton era. Finishing with 7-to-9 wins and missing the playoffs, while still spending big money on aging players. They’ve been in the purgatory of not being good enough to compete in the playoffs, but not bad enough to get a high draft pick. Now, they hold a 5-10 record and will be looking for a new head coach in the offseason. As the offseason approaches, the Saints organization will have to decide if they want to run it back and compete for the division or blow it up and commit to a rebuild.
Our Partners
