Atlanta – Getting out of their own way turned out to be the insurmountable object for the New Orleans Saints in Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
A second consecutive loss stung, especially considering New Orleans' worst wounds were self-inflicted. But there were a few standouts for the Saints amid the disappointment.
OFFENSE: Receiver Chris Olave tweaked his hamstring Friday and was questionable for the game Sunday, but he started and caught eight passes for 87 yards. It was a gutsy performance from the third-year pro. And Alvin Kamara was questionable with a rib injury, but the running back totaled 119 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 26 touches. But that said, the offensive line deserves to take a collective bow. Shane Lemieux took his first NFL snaps at center, Landon Young stepped in a right guard for injured Cesar Ruiz and the rest of the line (left tackle Taliese Fuaga, left guard Lucas Patrick and right tackle Trevor Penning) helped pave the way for 366 yards, 35:42 in time of possession and seven successful third-down conversions in 13 attempts. That's a lot to build on.
DEFENSE: Cornerback Alontae Taylor probably is playing as well as any slot corner in the league through four games. He didn't add to his team-leading sack total (3.5), but he defended two passes and added four tackles. He has adapted well to the space that comes with playing the position since he went all-in, and it shows in the play-making.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Rookie punter Matthew Hayball did exactly what he was supposed to do with his opportunities Sunday. Hayball punted three times and each time, he pinned Atlanta inside its 20-yard line. His gross and net averages weren't much – 40 yards for both – but he didn't need to be a boomer against the Falcons. He needed to give them a lengthy field to navigate, and that's what he did.
