After a pitiful start to the game on offense, it may be a surprise that many of the highest-graded players coming out of the New Orleans Saints’ thrilling one-point loss to the Detroit Lions came from that side of the ball. Meanwhile, the Saints’ porous run defense sank an otherwise impressive display for many New Orleans defenders.
After the first week of the season, here are the highest and lowest graded Saints players from the team’s 31-30 loss in Detroit.
Highest Graded (min. 20 snaps)
- DL Vernon Broughton – 91.7
- WR Chris Olave – 82.9
- TE Noah Fant – 79.6
- QB Tyler Shough – 75.0
- TE Juwan Johnson – 73.4
Broughton not only forced the Saints’ only turnover, or at least the only one that stood, but also recorded a pair of hits on Lions quarterback Jared Goff. In his first action back from the season-ending hip injury suffered in Week 2 of last year, he made some impactful plays in the pass rush and showed hustle to force the fumble on a play that developed behind him.
Offensively, Olave, Fant and Johnson didn’t have a lot that didn’t go their way after the opening quarter, it’s just that what did go their way was either out of sync or resulted in a negative play for reasons outside of their own performance. With that, their production otherwise made up for the unit’s habitual slow start.
Olave was credited with one drop, but also reeled in 10 of his 13 targets for a career high 182 receiving yards and seven first downs. Fant had two balls that were interceptions go his way, but both were out-of-rhythm or off-target throws. Outside of that, he corralled three receptions for 33 receiving yards and had a pivotal touchdown in overtime.
Johnson took a while before he saw targets, but once they did, he became a key piece in the team’s comeback surge. He also graded out well as a run blocker (75.1 grade). He caught three of his six targets for 51 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the second half.
Shough started off with a bad day. Off-target throws, turnovers and an assumed sense of panic rather than urgency. But after settling in, he looked like his usual self and the team rallied from a 21-0 deficit. In the fourth quarter and overtime, Shough piled up 231 of his 410 total passing yards, and all three of his touchdowns passes, his first game with either 400 or more passing yards or three scores.
Shough’s resilience was the story of the game, it also helped him in the grading category lift what was otherwise a low grade after his third quarter sack-fumble.
Lowest Graded (min. 20 snaps)
- DL Nathan Shepherd – 30.5
- DL Davon Godchaux – 34.6
- EDGE Tyree Wilson – 40.7
- RT Taliese Fuaga – 41.2
- RB Kendre Miller – 44.1
For the most part along the defensive line, the team’s run defense knocked down players’ grades. Each defensive lineman received a run defense grade of 37.1 or lower and tackling grades of 34.6 or lower with four missed tackles combined among the three of them.
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs forced a career-high 12 missed tackles in this game. When that happens, tackling and run grades are going to be expectedly low.
Meanwhile, it was pass blocking that hurt the grades of Miller and Fuaga on the offensive side of the ball. Fuaga was credited with six pressures surrendered including one sack, while Miller was credited with a sack allowed on just nine pass blocking snaps.
