The New Orleans Saints came nowhere near close to producing the kind of game they hoped for in the home finale of the regular season, a 25-10 loss to the Raiders in the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. There were a couple of spots that weren't entirely dismal on the day, though.
OFFENSE: Basically, this one is based on one half of play, but those two quarters were outstanding for rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler. He completed 11 of 13 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in the first half and led the Saints to two scores; his 30-yard pass to tight end Foster Moreau gave New Orleans a 7-3 lead, and he directed a seven-play, 54-yard drive that lasted 57 seconds and led to Blake Grupe's 34-yard field goal to pull the Saints to within 13-10 at halftime. Life for Rattler and the offense was decidedly rockier in the second half – he completed nine of 23 passes for 72 yards, was sacked three times and intercepted twice – but there have been visible signs of growth. He also led the team with 46 rushing yards on three carries.
DEFENSE: One game shy of completing his 14th NFL season while playing one of the most demanding positions on the field, defensive end Cameron Jordan remains capable of producing moments. Sunday, with the Raiders facing first-and-goal from the Saints' 1-yard line in the first quarter, was one of those times. After Carl Granderson and Demario Davis combined for a tackle for no gain on first down, Jordan and Davis tackled Alexander Mattison for a 2-yard loss on second down and Jordan sacked Aidan O'Connell for a 10-yard loss. Jordan now has sacked 49 quarterbacks in his career, and his franchise-leading sack total rose to 121.5 with his fourth sack of the year. He finished with two tackles for loss, a quarterback hit, the sack and three tackles.
SPECIAL TEAMS: J.T. Gray was credited with one assisted tackle on special teams Sunday. But the play that stands out was his hustle while covering a punt; Matthew Hayball's kick struck the turf and was bounding toward the end zone but Gray, the right gunner, was able to locate the ball and bat it back into the field of play before it landed in the end zone. The punt was downed at the 5 and Gray, a two-time All-Pro, showed why he is one of the most decorated special team players in franchise history.
