Armchair Quarterback: Saints vs. Jaguars

It’s beyond time to move on from this game.

The New Orleans Saints are finally ready to move on from the debacle of the Thursday Night Football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Superdome. Now, the attention shifts to the Indianapolis Colts this coming Sunday.

Before that, though, we must take one final look at the Jags game:

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There’s an issue with the offense

In 2022, the Saints had some offensive issues. But when Michael Thomas returned healthy and New Orleans got Derek Carr at quarterback, many people thought the offensive issues would be fixed.

That wasn’t the case.

In the first seven games of the 2023 season, the Saints have only scored 12 touchdowns and have looked out of sorts from the beginning. Whether its play calling, scheme, or just a lack of communication, New Orleans has some serious work to do on offense. With one of the easier schedules in the league, the Black and Gold are sitting at 3-4 and have no sense of direction.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Foster has to catch that ball

I’m not going to say that a dropped touchdown is the reason the Saints lost (I don’t blame the No-Call for losing to the Rams), but when you’re open like that in the endzone, you have to make the catch.

I’m also not the person to say that somebody’s job is easy when I’ve never done it, but the rule in football is if it hits you in the hands, you have to make the catch. Moreau straight up dropped it. The Saints may very well bounce back and have a great run in the season, but that drop in the endzone is going to sting for a while.

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

The Saints are wasting this defense

The Saints have had a strong start to the season defensively, holding their opponents to just 18 points a game and right around 300 yards per game of total offense. The Black and Gold is also forcing fourth downs 30% of their drives.

The point being players like Pete Werner, Demario Davis, Cam Jordan, Marshon Lattimore, and Tyrann Mathieu have become center pieces of this defense. However, the offensive issues listed above have covered up a lot of the success the defense has had in 2023.

Whatever the root of the issues may be, the Saints need to figure it out and figure it out fast, because otherwise, this season will be a lost one when it doesn’t have to be.

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