Once again, the New Orleans Saints defense failed to close out the game, narrowly falling to the Atlanta Falcons 26-24 in Week 4’s gut-wrenching loss.
Following a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, the short-handed Saints looked to bounce back against their bitter rivals in enemy territory but were unable to do so due to further injuries, poor execution, and mistakes that shouldn’t be happening four weeks into the season.
Let’s take a look at three overreactions following the Saints’ Week 4 loss to the Falcons:
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Saints let CB Paulson Adebo walk in FA this offseason
Other than his interception on a bad throw from Falcons QB Kirk Cousins early in the game, Paulson Adebo’s Week 4 performance against Atlanta was absolutely atrocious.
He finished the game with 1 INT, 2 stops, 3 PBUs, and 11 total tackles. However, if you look past those stats, he allowed 7 receptions on 13 targets, giving up 120 yards (17.1 YPC) along with 3 defensive pass interference penalties, one of which was on the crucial deep ball that set up Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo’s game-winning 58-yard field goal. Adebo was given a 37.5 overall grade for Sunday’s performance, per Pro Football Focus.
Positioned to enter free agency this offseason, Adebo is projected to earn a significant payday based on his career year in 2023. That said, he hasn’t shown consistency and has gotten his contract year off to a slow start.
New Orleans will need to make a decision this offseason regarding their plans moving forward with either Paulson Adebo or franchise CB Marshon Lattimore, especially after the emergence of slot corner Alontae Taylor and the additions of rookies Kool-Aid McKinstry and Rico Payton. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of both players relocating this offseason, with the Saints looking toward the 2025 NFL Draft’s loaded defensive back class for replacements.
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Once UDFA Dallin Holker gets his opportunity, he won’t look back and will become the team’s starting TE
The Saints’ tight end group has been underwhelming through four weeks, to say the least. Between Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau, they’ve combined for just 9 receptions on 12 targets for 84 yards and a TD each (both in Week 1). It was widely anticipated that Johnson, a former WR, would take the next step in his career under new OC Klint Kubiak, but we just haven’t seen him make that leap yet. It’s worth noting that Johnson started the season on a limited snap count due to a foot operation that kept him out of training camp, although that snap count has gradually increased each week.
Holker, who suffered an ankle injury during pregame warmups prior to the team’s second preseason matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, has yet to be activated through the opening four weeks of his rookie season. $235,000 of Holker’s contract was guaranteed by the Saints, one of the highest totals for UDFA signings in 2024. They are clearly high on his potential, and he could provide a much-needed spark for the position and offense as a whole. In his final year of college at Colorado State, the BYU transfer was outstanding, finishing the season with 64 receptions, 767 yards, 6 touchdowns, and a plethora of highlight-worthy plays.
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The Saints’ offense won’t be able to function without Taysom Hill (ribs) if he is forced to miss any time
Taysom, also known as ‘The Falcon Killer,’ opened the game with two rushing touchdowns on Sunday before exiting with a then-undisclosed abdominal injury, later identified as a rib issue. Saints HC Dennis Allen stated that he is unsure if Taysom sustained any fractures but plans to wait until Thursday’s required injury report to discuss any injuries. It’s worth noting that Taysom just returned from a bruised lung suffered in Week 2’s win over the Dallas Cowboys.
A wild stat I found eye-opening: The offense has seen 18 drives (excluding kneel downs) with Taysom and 18 without. In the 18 drives with him, they’ve scored 11 TDs and 4 FGs. Without him, they’ve scored just 2 TDs and 4 FGs.
Against Atlanta specifically, New Orleans averaged 6.7 yards per play with Taysom on the field, including 6.1 yards per carry. In contrast, when Hill was off the field, their average dropped to 4.1 yards per play and just 2.6 yards per carry. Allen stressed the need for the team to find another playmaker to ease the load on Taysom Hill, Alvin Kamara, and Chris Olave, as what we’ve seen so far is simply unsustainable for a 17-game season.
New Orleans will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Week 5 of the 2024 regular season.