By Ross Jackson
Alongside the potential improvements that could be made on both offense and defense, the New Orleans Saints will have another crucial part of the game to refine in 2025.
Penalties.
The Saints have, for too many years now, been on the wrong side of the penalty equation both overall and in uniquely important situations.
Last season, the Saints committed 110 penalties combined, which was the most the team has been called for since 2019 (126). Relative to the NFL, they were whistled at a below average pace, at least, tying for No. 21 in total penalties.
However, their 1,003 penalty yards against was No. 7 in the league.
This was obviously more than they’d like, with some of the penalties called against the Saints in 2024 resulting in something much larger than just the total yards tally.
For instance, per TruMedia, the Saints had six offensive holding or false start calls that walked the team back on third or fourth downs in pivotal situations. They also saw an average of 23 yards per defensive pass interference penalties, which was the sixth-highest average in the league.
Darren Rizzi obviously has a laundry list of things the Saints did wrong tonight, but “self-inflicted wounds” the one he has pointed to most often.
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) December 24, 2024
Those are small but impactful examples of how the Saints would often suffer in games from what they often called “self-inflicted wounds.” The moniker was often referred to in post-game press conferences following losses, one that the team would like to repeat a little less in 2025.
