New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit Lions: Full Report-Card Grades for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints blew a two-score lead late in the fourth quarter, and they fell to the Detroit Lions in stunning fashion on the road Sunday, 24-23.
The contest matched the Lions’ top-ranked defense against the Saints’ No. 2-ranked offense, and New Orleans' success in the passing game enabled them to stay a step ahead of Detroit for the better part of the game.
New Orleans (2-4) was in control for most of the day, but Sean Payton’s squad managed to relinquish a 23-10 lead in the final four minutes.
Defensively, the Saints put forth one of their best efforts of the season, as coordinator Rob Ryan’s unit utilized a variety of packages to keep the Detroit offense at bay for much of the game.
With just 3:38 remaining, however, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford found wide receiver Golden Tate, who beat Saints corner Corey White for the football and proceeded to outrun the New Orleans defense into the end zone for a 73-yard score.
On the ensuing series, Saints signal-caller Drew Brees forced the ball into coverage and was intercepted by Detroit’s Glover Quin. The crucial interception all but negated a quality performance by Brees, and Stafford subsequently found wideout Corey Fuller in the back of the end zone for what would prove to be the game-winning touchdown.
With the loss, the Saints remain winless on the season in road games, as they’ve now dropped all four contests in which they've played the role of visitor.
Continue reading for a position-by-position analysis of the Saints’ shocking defeat, complete with a final grade on the last slide.
Quarterback
1 of 10
The Saints’ star quarterback hasn’t been his usual sharp self this season, but for much of Sunday’s contest, Drew Brees was Drew Brees again.
He completed 28 of 45 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns on the day, as he spread the ball around to nine different receivers.
With the Saints running game stymied by the Lions dominant defensive front, Brees lit up the Detroit secondary, working the flats in the first half and stretching the field in the second.
He missed on some downfield throws early in the game, but he connected with Kenny Stills on a perfectly thrown deep ball to give New Orleans a 17-3 lead in the third quarter.
Just after Tate’s touchdown, however, the perennial All-Pro made a backbreaking gaffe, as Quin stepped in front of a Brees pass and raced deep into Saints territory to set up the winning score.
The error proved extremely costly to the Saints, and it tarnished an otherwise solid performance by the New Orleans team captain.
Grade: C-
Running Back
2 of 10
The New Orleans running backs had a tough go on Sunday, as the Saints totaled just 73 rushing yards on 21 carries.
Mark Ingram returned from a three-game absence and ran the ball hard, but there simply wasn’t much running room against the fierce Detroit front seven. With 10 carries, Ingram was the Saints’ primary ball-carrier, but he managed just 16 yards on the day.
Khiry Robinson did an admirable job as Ingram's replacement for the previous three games, but his role was significantly reduced on Sunday. He carried only three times, but he ripped off a 17-yard run on a quick pitch to the outside in the fourth quarter.
Pierre Thomas didn’t fare well in the running game, but he did haul in four receptions and was utilized on screens and swing passes.
Travaris Cadet was also highly active in the short passing game, as he finished with 51 yards on six catches.
Fullback Austin Johnson got in on the scoring action when he turned a short pass reception in the flat into a 20-yard touchdown, but he struggled to clear running lanes as a blocker against the Lions’ active linebacking corps.
It’s difficult to give this group a bad grade when they didn’t have the benefit of effective blocking up front, but they certainly didn’t earn a good grade, either.
Grade: C
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Injured tight end Jimmy Graham was limited in action, and he was only targeted twice in the game.
Marques Colston filled in nicely for him as Brees’ top target, as the veteran wideout hauled in six balls for 111 yards. He was utilized in the short, intermediate and downfield passing games, and Brees looked for him often to keep the chains moving.
Stills had his best game of the season with a 103-yard outing, including the aforementioned deep-ball scoring strike that covered 46 yards.
Rookie Brandin Cooks caught only two passes on the day, and like fellow wideout Robert Meachem, he didn’t appear to get much separation against Detroit’s corners.
Tight ends Josh Hill and Benjamin Watson each caught one pass for minimal yards, and the Saints could have used a bigger contribution from each of them as blockers.
Grade: C+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Detroit may very well have the best defensive line in football, and Ndamukong Suh and Co. flexed their muscles more often than not on Sunday against the Saints offensive line.
As was expected, guards Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs found the going tough against Suh and Nick Fairley, as did center Tim Lelito, who came in for the injured Jonathan Goodwin.
The New Orleans line did have its moments on Sunday, as the group bought Brees adequate time to throw on several occasions. The run blocking was below par for the most part, however, as the Saints managed only 3.5 yards per carry.
The unit yielded only one sack, but Brees was heavily pressured on some crucial plays in the game, and the Lions recorded six tackles for losses.
Grade: C-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The New Orleans defensive line had one of its better outings of the season.
Yes, the Detroit offensive line is far from being considered an elite group, but the Saints can't be penalized for that, and the New Orleans front did its job for most of the game.
The Lions were limited to just 59 yards on 24 rushing attempts, and it wasn't until late in the game that Joique Bell was able to find running lanes on a consistent basis.
Akiem Hicks, Cam Jordan and John Jenkins controlled the line of scrimmage for the most part, but the group was hurt by the loss of nose guard Brodrick Bunkley, who left the game with an apparent concussion.
The pass rush from this group was far from spectacular, but overall, the New Orleans defensive front delivered a solid performance.
Grade: B-
Linebacker
6 of 10
For the majority of the game, the Saints linebackers delivered a praise-worthy performance.
Curtis Lofton was seemingly everywhere, and he led all tacklers with an eye-popping 16 stops. The inside ‘backer filled holes quickly, and his tackling was lights-out.
Fellow inside linebacker David Hawthorne wasn’t as solid, however, as he was late getting to his spot on several occasions and missed some tackles. He did have two tackles for losses, however, and he played with high intensity against the run.
On the outside, Junior Galette continued his improved play in the pass-rushing department, as he registered a sack for the second straight game.
Parys Haralson was also active on the outside, and he recorded one of the Saints' three sacks of Stafford. As usual, however, he didn’t see the field as much as the others due to the Lions' usage of mulitple-receiver sets.
Like the other position groups on the New Orleans defense, the linebackers played well for three quarters, but they hit a lull late in the fourth quarter as Detroit began to pick up yards on the ground and through the air.
Grade: B-
Secondary
7 of 10
The Saints secondary turned in a strong performance against Stafford and the Detroit receiving corps for the better part of the contest, but the group fell apart like a house of cards in the final period.
Keenan Lewis had a fine game from his outside corner spot, although he didn't have to lock up with injured Lions star Calvin Johnson. Nevertheless, Lewis was impressive in single coverage, and his first-quarter interception was a thing of beauty.
As for fellow corner Corey White, his performance left a lot to be desired. He was beaten in coverage at various points throughout the game, but the most glaring of these was when Golden Tate beat him for a Stafford pass late in the game and raced 73 yards for a score.
Cornerback Brian Dixon was also picked on, as was safety Rafael Bush, although both players had some nice moments in coverage, as well.
Safety Kenny Vaccaro recorded the Saints' second interception on the day, as he plucked a deflected ball out of the air near the New Orleans goal line in the fourth quarter, thus thwarting a potential Lions scoring drive.
Safety Marcus Ball brought a strong effort in his first game as a Saint, as the former CFL linebacker finally saw the field after recovering from a lingering injury.
The Saints secondary has undoubtedly turned in worse performances than Sunday's this year, but despite the unit's two interceptions, they couldn't be counted on with the game on the line.
Grade: C-
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Saints special teams were once again average on Sunday.
Shayne Graham made all five of his kicks, (three field goals and two extra points), although he did put a scare into the hearts of Saints fans when his field goal just before halftime hit the upright before bouncing through.
New Orleans entered the game dead last in the league in punt returns, but Cooks finally delivered a decent runback with a 15-yard effort on his lone chance at a return.
While the Saints kick coverage unit was serviceable, punter Thomas Morstead finished with a 42-yard average on four punts, one of which was downed inside the 20.
Grade: B-
Coaching
9 of 10
The Saints looked to have a solid offensive game plan against the Lions' No. 1-ranked defense, as they attacked the flat with the short passing game in the first half and then worked the middle with deeper routes in the second.
Defensively, Rob Ryan gave Stafford and the Lions a wide variety of looks, and the Saints used a lot of pre-snap movement near the line of scrimmage.
That's where the praise ends.
New Orleans accumulated 12 penalties for 134 yards in the game and had a number of mental miscues in the final stages. Granted, some of the penalties were questionable, but the sheer amount of flags the Saints drew points to a lack of discipline, which ultimately falls on coaching.
The bigger issue at hand, however, is that the Saints continue to struggle to close out games this season. Sunday's late-game meltdown was by far the most glaring example to date, and part of the blame must be placed on Payton's shoulders.
Grade: C-
Final Grade
10 of 10
The Saints went on the road to face a division-leading 4-2 football team, and they controlled the game for 56 minutes.
What happened in the final moments of the contest, however, was a total collapse that had to be seen to be believed.
The New Orleans defense, which had played exceptionally well for most of the game, suddenly folded like a tent.
Drew Brees, who had sliced and diced the Detroit secondary for the majority of the contest, reverted to his season-long practice of tossing costly interceptions.
These aren't the habits of winning football teams, and the Saints' 2-4 record reflects that. Whether Payton's club can recover from Sunday's nosedive remains to be seen, but thus far, this team has demonstrated a profound lack of ability to finish games, especially on the road.
The fact that the Saints play in a weak division seems to be their only hope for a postseason berth.
Final Grade: C-
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