Saints vs Redskins: New Orleans Grades, Notes and Quotes

The New Orleans Saints entered Sunday’s contest with the Washington Redskins hoping to run their record back to an even 5-5, but coach Sean Payton’s reeling squad was thoroughly dominated in a 47-14 loss.

From the get-go, New Orleans was inadequate on the defensive side of the ball, as Washington (4-5) marched 96 yards for a touchdown on its opening drive. The home-standing Redskins reached the end zone on three of their first four possessions, and they accumulated 394 yards of offense in the first half alone.

The Saints (4-6), who came in ranked first in the league in total offense, matched Washington with a touchdown on their first possession, and they later managed to even the score at 14 in the second quarter with a 60-yard Drew Brees-to-Brandin Cooks touchdown pass. Washington went on a 33-0 run after that, however, handing the Saints their most lopsided defeat in Payton’s tenure.

After leading 27-14 at the half, the Redskins piled on the points in the third and fourth quarters, as the New Orleans defense went from bad to worse.

By the end of the game defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s unit had yielded 513 yards. The Saints gave up four touchdown passes for the third consecutive week, with Washington’s Kirk Cousins taking the honors this time around.

Not to be outdone, the Redskins running game, which had struggled heading in, found its rhythm against New Orleans. Washington finished with 225 yards on the ground for an average of 6.9 yards per carry.

Continue reading for a closer look at the Saints’ Week 10 defeat.

Grades

Evan Vucci/Associated Press

QB	D
RB	C-
WR/TE	D
OL	D
DL	F
LB	F
DB	F
Special Teams	C
Coaching	F

Offense

After throwing for nearly 900 yards and 10 touchdowns in his two previous outings, Drew Brees came back down to earth in this one. He completed 19 of 28 passes for 209 yards and two scores, but he also threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a score by Dashon Goldson.

Granted, the pick-six wasn’t Brees’ fault, as the ball bounced off wideout Marques Colston's hands and into Goldson’s waiting arms, but the fact remains that the Saints' signal-caller failed to get them in the end zone for nearly three quarters.

New Orleans got off to a hot start in the running game, as Mark Ingram ripped off a 70-yard run on the Saints’ first possession. Ingram had just four carries after that, and he was taken to the locker room with an apparent injury. He later returned and was used in the short passing game, but C.J. Spiller and Tim Hightower carried the load on the ground, as New Orleans ended up with 158 yards rushing.

The Saints offensive line opened up some holes late in the contest, but the group’s overall performance was lacking. Redskins pass-rushers pressured Brees throughout the game, and New Orleans failed to create a push in some important short-yardage situations in the second half. The group also committed multiple holding penalties.

In a game where the Saints offense clearly needed to show up, the unit was surprisingly unproductive throughout large stretches of the contest, although it didn’t help that Washington’s offense held onto the ball for long periods of time.

Defense

The New Orleans defense had played poorly in the weeks leading up to this one, but on Sunday, it was stunningly incompetent.

The Saints once again allowed an opposing quarterback to post astounding numbers against them, as Cousins finished the game with a perfect passer rating of 158.3. New Orleans did manage to apply some pressure on the Redskins quarterback, sacking him three times, but he repeatedly burned the Saints with screens, and he completed 20 of his 25 pass attempts.

New Orleans was equally inept with regard to rush defense. Washington utilized a nice variety of running plays to keep the Saints on their heels, as three Redskins ball-carriers finished with at least 50 yards rushing.

Big plays were a thorn in New Orleans’ side all game long. In fact, Washington had nine plays that went for 20 yards or more, and four plays of 30 yards or more. Running back Matt Jones was a big play waiting to happen, and he racked up 131 receiving yards on just three catches, one of which was a 78-yard catch-and-run to the end zone.

Perhaps the most shameful aspect of New Orleans’ defensive performance was its effort, or lack thereof. The Saints appeared lethargic and uninspired for the entirety of the game, and there looked to be no competitive fire coming from Ryan on the sidelines as he looked over his play sheet and sent in the calls.

Saints Fall to Last Place in NFC South

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Just two weeks ago, the Saints were riding the high of a three-game winning streak, and they were nipping at the heels of the second-place Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South standings.

After two straight losses, however, New Orleans is back in the cellar, thanks in part to the 4-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 10-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

With the 9-0 Carolina Panthers running away with the division, the battle for second place may prove to be quite important, as a shot at a wild card slot could be up for grabs.

At 4-6, the Saints certainly aren’t out of reach of the Falcons (6-3) from a mathematical standpoint. Sunday’s poor showing didn’t lend any credence to the notion that New Orleans can keep pace with Atlanta for the remainder of the season, however, and a run at the playoffs now seems far-fetched.  

Tim Hightower Makes First NFL Appearance Since 2011

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Positives were at a premium for the Saints in this one, but if there was one, it was the return of Tim Hightower.

The 29-year-old running back played in his first regular-season NFL game since 2011, when he suffered a devastating knee injury while playing for the Redskins.

Hightower, who spent the offseason with the Saints and competed for a roster spot in the preseason, was signed by New Orleans on November 2 after Khiry Robinson was lost for the season.

His one-yard carry in the third quarter marked his first game action in four years, and he finished with 46 yards on 11 carries.

Kenny Vaccaro on the Saints Entering Their Bye Week

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Following the game, Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro was asked if he had a message to the team about its upcoming bye week. He gave the following response, which was posted on New Orleans' official website:

“Get away from football. Get your body right, get your mind right and come back ready to do whatever it takes to help this team win.”

When a team suffers a crushing defeat like New Orleans did Sunday, it isn’t generally considered an ideal time to head into a bye week. Getting back to work, correcting mistakes and then getting back on the field often serves as good medicine following a lopsided loss.

In the Saints’ case, however, the bye week appears to be much-needed. New Orleans has given up at least 34 points and at least four touchdown passes in three consecutive games, and for the first time during that stretch, the Saints offense struggled on Sunday.

Their problems appear to be getting worse rather than getting better, and with six games still left, some time off could be just what this defense, as well as the entire team, needs at the moment.