The New Orleans Saints fed Alvin Kamara and the star running back feasted against the Las Vegas Raiders as the Saints rolled to a 24-0 victory Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.
The win ended a two-game losing streak for the Saints (3-5) and kept them in the mix in the NFC South. The loss dropped the Raiders to 2-5. It was the Saints' first shutout since defeating Tampa Bay 9-0 on Dec. 19, 2021. The Saints held the Raiders to just 183 yards and didn't allow them past midfield until late in the fourth quarter.
"Ii is a big win for us," Coach Dennis Allen said. "We get a little momentum."
Kamara scored his first three touchdowns of the season - a 3-yard run, a 16-yard reception and a 36-yard reception - as the Saints played their cleanest game of 2022. The six-year veteran finished with 62 yards on 18 carries and nine receptions for 96 yards. According to the NFL, Kamara is the first player in NFL history to record 10 games with at least one rushing and one receiving TD in his first six seasons.
Quarterback Andy Dalton, named the team's starter earlier in the week, was 22 for 30 for 229 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. Tight end Taysom Hill was a weapon running the ball with 10 carries for 61 yards and rookie receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed added five and three receptions for a combined 90 yards. The Saints were seven of 12 on third down and possessed the ball for nearly 35 minutes.
Veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu had an interception in the first half and the team's pass rush found its groove in the second half, sacking Las Vegas quarterbacks four times (Cam Jordan .5, Kentavius Street .5, David Onyemata and Payton Turner with two in his return to the lineup). The defense did an excellent job against Las Vegas receiver Davante Adams and running back Josh Jacobs. Adams had one reception for three yards while Jacobs ran the ball 10 times for 43 yards.
"The defense was challenged a little bit this week and they played with energy ... a little bit of swagger," Allen said.
The Saints will play host to the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) on Monday, Nov. 7 at the Caesars Superdome, ending a stretch of four home games in five weeks.
New Orleans Saints players in action during their 2022 Week 8 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.