By Ross Jackson
The New Orleans Saints were shutout in the first half of what has been an ugly game so far.
Down 21-0, the Saints are not standing up to the competition when it comes to the Green Bay Packers, which isn’t super surprising. The Packers (10-4) have absolutely run the 5-9 Saints off the field before halftime.
Whether it’s penalties on third-and-long that gave the Packers third-and-short, porous coverage on defense, bad run defense, pressure allowed and turnovers, things have not gone well for New Orleans.
In a game the Saints were expected to lose after also being eliminated from playoff contention, this game was set to be all about the young talent on the roster. However, that talent has largely failed to impress.
Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler has connected on a couple of nice plays, but with starting center Erik McCoy going out of the game early, he also took a sack that led to a fumble that was recovered by the Packers. Up until the fumble, that six-play drive was the best the Saints’ offense had looked.
Running back Kendre Miller has been quickly taken out of the game for the most part thanks to Green Bay’s early lead and has averaged just 2.4 yards per carry on his five rushes.
Rookie tackle Taliese Fuaga was flagged for a false start, young cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor have been a part of a defense that has gotten not only challenged but beat on what feels like every play.
Whether watching for the sake of competition or to evaluate the young talent, the Saints have simply failed to deliver. The big concern now is that there are 30 minutes left to play, and it doesn’t look like there’s much of a delivery on the way in the final quarters.
Send help. The Saints are in desperate need of it.
