New Orleans Saints need help for playoffs, but focus on selves entering final two regular-season games

'I have no idea where everything is going to stand by the time we get to the Tampa Bay game, but that's what we control. We control how we get ready to go play that game'

Dec 22, 2023 at 05:57 PM

John DeShazier

Senior Writer

Check out the game action shots from the New Orleans Saints game against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season.

With the New Orleans Saints' opportunity to win the NFC South Division and a playoff berth now hinging on the performances of other teams, Coach Dennis Allen said Friday that the team has no option other than to simply continue trying to control what it can as the Saints (7-8) take the long weekend before beginning preparation next week for a division game against Tampa Bay (7-7) at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

New Orleans and the Buccaneers owned identical records before New Orleans’ 30-22 loss to the Rams on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The Saints will need outside help (the Buccaneers play Jacksonville at home on Sunday) in order to pull back into a tie over the weekend, then would be back in position to climb into first with a win next Sunday.

"It was frustrating in that we didn't play better than we did, but it's the performance we put out there," Allen said of Thursday night. "We've got to own that performance and you own it, you make corrections, then we have to move forward.

"We've got two more division games (New Orleans will play the Falcons in the Caesars Superdome the weekend following their trip to Tampa). I have no idea where everything is going to stand by the time we get to the Tampa Bay game next week, but that's what we control. We control how we get ready to go play that game, so that's where our focus is going to be.

"Our guys are going to come in here next week, ready to roll. We'll put together a plan to go win against Tampa Bay and then we've got to go down there and execute and get the job done. And that's what we control. We don't control anything that happens with any other team, we control what we do and that's where our focus is going to be."

Total control slipped away against the Rams, as New Orleans totaled 339 yards overall and just 35 rushing (on 16 carries), turned over the ball once and failed to convert on all three fourth-down attempts en route to falling into a 30-7 deficit.

"We just weren't consistent enough in any phase of the game to give ourselves a real chance in the game," Allen said. "I just felt like there were some things we did offensively where we moved the ball, and yet, we stalled out on third down once we got across midfield.

"We went in with a little bit of an aggressive mind-set, knowing that we were going to have to possess the ball against this team, knowing that we were going to have to score touchdowns. We went for it on fourth down, obviously we didn't get it. I put the defense in a couple of bad positions in that particular situation.

"Defensively, I thought it was just some inconsistency. You've got to give (the Rams) credit, they made a lot of plays. There were some plays that they made that were contested throws, contested catches, and they made the play and we didn't. And then there were some times where we didn't play things exactly how we needed to and got exposed. I just think overall, there's just too much inconsistency in that game for us to be able to win."

Allen said the Saints need to be better at establishing the running game, which averaged 2.2 yards per carry on 16 attempts. The longest run went for five yards.

"We have not run the ball well enough, which has made us have to rely way too much on the passing game," he said. "I do think our play-action passing game has been much better, but we've got to be able to run the ball more effectively so we can be a more balanced offense. That has to happen.

"I think we've got to do a better job of creating some movement up front, of creating some seams in the running game. There's a lot of factors that go into the running game.

"Obviously, the line has to get some movement, create some space. We've got to do a better job of blocking on the perimeter. And we've got to do a better job of hitting the ball where it needs to be hit and creating some plays that way. That's where the inconsistency falls in.

"There's a number of plays where there's nine or 10 guys that are getting their job done, but there's a play where one or two guys don't get their job done and it ends up being a negative play. It's frustrating that we haven't been able to run the ball better."

Photos: Game Action | Saints at Rams | 2023 NFL Week 16