Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Washington Commanders for Week 15 of the 2024 NFL Season on Dec. 15, 2024 at Caesars Superdome.
The New Orleans Saints used bubble gum, chicken wire, electrical tape and glue to hold it together for a half on Sunday in the Caesars Superdome and remain in position to challenge Washington in the second half.
The combination almost worked: A change at quarterback from Jake Haener to Spencer Rattler and an energized defense helped the Saints rally from deficits of 14-0 at halftime and 17-0 in the third quarter, and only an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt with no time remaining in regulation prevented New Orleans from a total comeback, as it fell short 20-19 to the Commanders.
In one of their more riveting games this season, the Saints dropped to 5-9 overall and 3-2 under interim head coach Darren Rizzi but left the Superdome having shown measurable resolve and fortitude in defeat.
OFFENSE: The piecing together especially was needed by the offense; Haener started at quarterback and completed four of 10 passes for 49 yards, with an interception, and was sacked three times in the first half. It didn't help that one first-down completion was erased due to a penalty and a chunk play dissolved on a dropped pass. But clearly the Saints found bounce in their step with Rattler, who completed 10 of 21 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, and wasn't sacked. His lateral to Cedric Wilson Jr., who then threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Alvin Kamara, pulled the Saints to within 17-7 and was the momentum-builder they needed. There wasn't much help from the running game – 69 yards on 16 carries – but Rattler appears to have grown from his previous three starts. New Orleans needs significant third-down and time-of-possession improvement between now and Monday night when they play Green Bay; it was 3 of 11 on third down, which partly contributed to the Saints maintaining possession for only 19:10 of the 60-minute game. But still, New Orleans was a successful two-point conversion short of winning and there's something (good) to be said for that. Reasoning for the attempt was sound – the Saints were running low on play-makers (Kamara was out of the game with a groin injury, Marquez Valdes-Scantling had been evaluated for a concussion and allowed to return) and the defense had been on the field for too long already.
DEFENSE: Unit allowed nine first-down conversions on 17 attempts, was on the field for 74 plays and nearly 41 minutes, and saw Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels do unto it as he had done unto others: 25 of 31 passing for 226 yards and two touchdowns, plus a game-high 66 rushing yards on 11 carries. But the things that the Saints did well on defense, they did very well: New Orleans held the Commanders to 20 points and despite what the rushing total says, hemmed in Daniels enough and rallied around him to record eight sacks (two each from Cam Jordan and Chase Young, and one each from Demario Davis, Ugo Amadi, Carl Granderson and Willie Gay Jr.). As impressive as Daniels was, that sack total was equally so as the Saints stayed to the gameplan and did what they set out to do on defense, which was force field goal attempts and rally to the quarterback. Washington's remaining ballcarriers combined for 24 carries for 71 yards, numbers that are more than respectable.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Blake Grupe rebounded from two missed field-goal attempts against the Giants to make 41- and 51-yard attempts against Washington, to help put New Orleans in position to win. Matthew Hayball also rebounded well from the Giants game, with two punts fair caught inside the 10-yard line. Not much to speak of in the return game but the cover units did the usual solid job.