By Ross Jackson
Even in games that feel like worst-case scenarios, there are always bright spots. Or at least there usually are. That was still the case for the New Orleans Saints in their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here are the top and bottom Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades from the loss, adjusting for at least 15 snaps in the game:
Top 5
RT Trevor Penning – 82.1
S Jordan Howden – 75.1
TE Juwan Johnson – 74.7
LT Taliese Fuaga – 72.4
TE Foster Moreau – 72.2
Penning and Fuaga have been the only offensive linemen for New Orleans to play every game so far. Fuaga, the rookie first-round pick that immediately stepped into the team’s left tackle spot, surrendered four pressures including one sack. Penning surrendered two hurries, per PFF. As a whole, they’ve both been solid enough to run and pass behind. It’s been the interior of the line, where the injuries have been piling up since Week 2, that has been the biggest concern through recent games.
Howden was given the starting nod in place of fellow safety Will Haris Jr. who was sent to Injured Reserve with a hamstring injury. While the second-year safety was on the field for every defensive snap in the game, he was never targeted in coverage and was one of the few Saints defenders to not miss a tackle.
The tight ends were a big part of the game plan early on. For a rookie quarterback like Spencer Rattler, that’s a good sign. As Johnson said during his Monday media availability, tight ends tend to be the “safety blanket” for young passers. Both he and Moreau played that role well. The duo reeled in all five of their targets for 102 passing yards. Rattler and Johnson connected on what would have been another big gain if it weren’t for a penalty negating it.
Bottom 5
S Jonathan Abram – 44.0
DE Carl Granderson – 41.3
RB Alvin Kamara – 40.9
CB Alontae Taylor – 40.0
LB Anfernee Orji – 24.4
Much of the struggles at the bottom of the list come from the defense. That may not be a surprise to anyone, as that is the side of the ball that faced the most challenges. Between missed tackles, missed sacks, yard after catch surrendered and other miscues, the defense as a whole ended up grading out poorly by PFF. The four defenders at the bottom of the list contributed six of the Saints 15 missed tackles.
Kamara on the other hand received his low grade mostly because of his receiving day. He was credited with a pair of drops as well as a fumble that ended up being out of bounds. No harm, no foul on the fumble. However, still something that’s going to show up on tape and something he was clearly docked for with a 25.0 fumble grade, which grades the ball-carrier’s propensity for protecting the football in a game.
