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Familiar issues plague New Orleans Saints during loss to Raiders in 2024 home finale

Offense could not generate points in second half, defense failed to produce timely stops

Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Las Vegas Raiders for Week 17 of the 2024 NFL Season on Dec. 29, 2024 at Caesars Superdome.

The New Orleans Saints didn't get out of their own way often enough, or in the Raiders' way often enough, on Sunday in the Caesars Superdome.

There were enough mental and physical errors strewn across the field to cover several Sundays, and the result was a 25-10 loss to Las Vegas in the regular season home finale that had a promising open before a familiar, disappointing close.

New Orleans (5-11) now will head to Tampa to face the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium this weekend, having dropped to 3-4 under interim head coach Darren Rizzi.

OFFENSE: There'll be no debating that rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler played his cleanest half of the season, cleaner even than during the second half rally against Washington. He completed 11 of 13 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, and helped the Saints take a 7-3 lead and to pull to within 13-10 at halftime. But things went sideways in the second half and got progressively worse as the Saints became more reliant on the passing game. Rattler completed nine of 23 passes for 72 yards, was sacked three times and threw two interceptions as New Orleans abandoned the run game (13 carries for 81 yards overall). Sprinkle in five first-half penalties – three of them presnap infractions, and one a holding penalty that erased a 39-yard completion to the Raiders' 1-yard line – and the Saints couldn't help themselves when opportunities did present.

DEFENSE: Sixteen games into the 17-game season, the Saints still miss far too many tackles and blow too many defensive assignments and the fact that those two problems remain is a siren-blaring issue. Before Sunday, the Raiders were the worst running team in the league at 77.5 rushing yards per game; against the Saints, they gained 156 on 38 carries and running back Ameer Abdullah gained a career-high 115 on 20 carries. Quarterback Aidan O'Connell wasn't great but he was more than effective enough, completing 20 of 35 for 242 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. The Raiders were successful on 10 of 18 third-down attempts and the defense was on the field for six scoring drives, two of which went 60 yards on 17 plays (field goal, lasted 9:11), and 95 yards on nine plays (touchdown, lasted 3:24). In the locker room after the game Saints players sounded weary of having to address the same issues, but they understood questions will be asked when a couple of glaringly persistent issues remain with four quarters remaining in the season.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Dante Pettis had a 21-yard punt return that was nice, Blake Grupe kicked a 34-yard field goal and three of Matthew Hayball's seven punts were downed inside the 20. But the best play was submitted by special team ace J.T. Gray, who as a gunner on punt cover, raced down the right sideline and batted one of Hayball's bouncing punts out of the air before it could land in the end zone. The ball then was downed at the 5.

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