Kamara, Defense Lead Saints to 30-9 Win Over the Jets

And New Orleans is still in the playoffs hunt

The New Orleans Saints were facing the New York Jets in a battle of floundering teams with little to no playoffs hopes. The Saints however could still get in the postseason with a flurry to end the year. It all starts today if the Saints are able to win against the Jets.

The game marked the return of running back Alvin Kamara to the field after missing four games with lower body injuries. It also marked the first time in his Saints’ career that defensive end Cam Jordan missed a game. Jordan has been sidelined after a positive COVID-19 test.

In the first half, the Saints would manage the minimum, one touchdown by Alvin Kamara and a field goal, while the Jets would settle for two field goals and a New Orleans 10-6 lead at halftime, in a game that was slightly more entertaining than drying paint on a wall.

In the second half, the Saints would ride Alvin Kamara with a few sporadic passes and runs by Taysom Hill to build a 23-6 lead late in the fourth quarter. New Orleans would allow one more field goal to the Jets, but the defense was on point against Zach Wilson and the Jets, limiting them to only nine points. Taysom Hill would score a garbage time touchdown to make the final score 30-9.

The Saints win their sixth game of the season, snapping an unprecedented five-game losing streak. New Orleans rears its head back into playoffs contention with four games to go in the regular season.

Below is a live quarter-by-quarter description of how the game unfolded:

FIRST HALF

First Quarter

Saints win the toss and defer to the second half.

Jets return the kickoff to their 26-yard line. New York goes three-and-out after an incomplete pass on 3rd-and-7 with pressure by Marcus Davenport.

Saints begin at their 30-yard line. Alvin Kamara runs for 10 yards on second down to extend the drive. Taysom Hill finds Nick Vannett for a 19-yard pass into Jets’ territory. After a Kamara 7-yard run and a short run by Tony Jones, Saints face a third down. On third down, Taysom Hill comes up short. Saints go for it on 4th-and-1 and Taysom Hill converts at the Jets’ 25-yard line. Saints again face a 3rd down at the Jets’ 20-yard line, and Hill uses his legs again for the first down. On third and goal, a pass to Kamara is short of the goal line. Brett Maher makes a 23-yard field goal.

NO: 3 – NYJ: 0

Jets start at their 25-yard line after a touchback. Jets drop a third down throw and are forced to punt after another 3-and-out.

Saints return the punt to their 28-yard line. Saint move the ball into Jets’ territory on a pass from Hill to Juwan Johnson. After a penalty on the Saints, Taysom Hill is sacked for a 9-yard loss. On 3rd-and-24, Saints run to punt. Blake Gillikin punts and pins the Jets inside their 10-yard line.

Jets start at their 8-yard line. On second down, Ty Johnson drops his third pass of the first quarter. On 3rd down, the Saints hold the Jets to another 3-and-out. Saints return the booming punt to their 40-yard line as the quarter ends.

Second Quarter

Hill mishandles the snap and is sacked for a 21-yard loss. After a short run, Saints face a 3rd-and-28 and throw the ball away and punt. Braxton Berrios returns the punt beyond the Jets’ 40-yard line.

Zach Wilson runs for 18 yards into Saints’ territory on first down. On 3rd-and-7 Wilson’s pass falls incomplete and the Jets are going for it at the Saints’ 35-yard line and the Jets convert with Braxton Berrios hauling in a pass from Wilson. Jets face another 3rd-an-7 and can’t convert. Eddy Pineiro makes a 36-yard attempt.

NO: 3 – NYJ: 3

Saints take over at their 25-yard line. On 3rd-and-1, the Saints try to sneak and come up short. Saints go three-and-out and punt.

Jets begin at their 24-yard line and go three-and-out after a Wilson’s incomplete pass to Braxton Berrios.

Saints take over at their 46-yard line after a penalty on the Jets. On the first play of the drive, Alvin Kamara catches a pass into Jets’ territory. Kamara continues the drive with powerful runs and gets the Saints inside the red zone. Kamara runs into the end zone from 19 yards out for a touchdown, his fourth of the season. Brett Maher makes the extra point. This was the Alvin Kamara drive.

NO: 10 – NYJ: 3

Jets start at their 25-yard line and convert one third down at the two-minute warning. Zach Wilson finds Ryan Griffin for 22 yards to the Saints’ 40-yard line. Wilson finds Ty Johnson for a 16-yard catch near the Saints’ red zone. A penalty on the Jets pushes them back. Another penalty pushes New York into a 1st-and-25. Wilson finds Jamison Crowder at the Saints’ 29-yard line with 5 seconds left in the half. Eddy Pineiro makes a 46-yard attempt.

NO: 10 – NYJ: 6

SECOND HALF

Third Quarter

Saints begin at their 25-yard line and Kamara gains 5 rushing yards on the first play. Saints run two more rushing plays and fail to convert and punt, Berrios fair catches at the 20-yard line.

Jets begin with a reverse to Berrios for 9 yards, then a 14-yard run for Lamichael Perine. On 3rd-and-10 from their 42-yard line, the Saints hold and keep the Jets’ drive alive. Jets get into Saints territory on a short run play. Saints sack Zach Wilson on 3rd down and force a punt.

Saints are pinned inside their 10-yard at their 7-yard line. After a pass to Marquez Callaway, Saints face a 3rd-and-4 and Taysom Hill finds Tre’Quan Smith for 8 yards. Alvin Kamara runs to the Saints’ 39-yard line. Hill finds Nick Vannett for 18 yards into Jets’ territory. A well-timed screen play to Tony Jones Jr. goes for 19 yards and near the Jets’ red zone. On 3rd-and-2 from the Jets’ 18-yard line, Hill gets the first down. Saints face a 3rd-and-11 from New York’s 18-yard line and finds Kamara for 9 yards. Saints settle for a field goal attempt. Brett Maher makes a 31-yard field goal after a drive that took over 7 minutes off the third quarter clock.

NO: 13 – NYJ: 6

Jets return the kickoff at their 23-yard line and start with a 7-yard run by Perine. On third down, Carl Granderson sacks Wilson, as the quarter nears its end. Saints force the Jets to punt into the wind. Saints return the punt near midfield.

Fourth Quarter

Saints start at midfield and get into Jets’ territory on a short run by Tony Jones Jr. After an incomplete pass, Saints face a 3rd-and-7. Hill finds Tre’Quan Smith for 21 yards for a first down. Saints face a 3rd-and-3 at the Jets’ 19-yard line and Hill’s pass to Nick Vannett falls incomplete. Brett Maher makes a 37-yard attempt.

NO: 16 – NYJ: 6

Jets start at their 18-yard line. On the second play, a pass interference on Paulson Adebo gives the Jets the ball near midfield. After an intentional grounding on the Jets, New York faces a 2nd-and-20 at their 37-yard line. On 3rd-and-14, Wilson gains 8 yards and Jets go for it. Marcus Williams breaks up the pass and the Jets turn the ball over on downs.

Saints take over at their own 49-yard line. Alvin Kamara rushes for 9 yards, going over 100-yard rushing for the fifth time in his career. Kamara gains the first down as Saints start gashing the Jets with the run while using some clock. Taysom Hill finds Marquez Callaway down the left sideline to the Jets’ 3-yard line. Saints stall on 1st and 2nd and goal. Taysom Hill runs into the end zone for a touchdown on third down.

NO: 23 – NYJ: 6

Jets start at their 29-yard line and Zach Wilson uses his arm to drive New York into Saints’ territory. Wilson finds Berrios inside the Saints’ red zone. On 3rd-and-10 from the Saints’ 18-yard line, Wilson’s pass to Keilan Cole falls incomplete. New York elects to kick, Pineiro makes a 36-yard kick with 3:29 left on the clock.

NO: 23 – NYJ: 9

Saints take over at their own 25-yard line after a touchback. Saints run the ball trying to bleed the clock, as the Jets start using their timeouts. On 3rd-and-17, Saints force the Jets to use their final timeout with a quick swing pass that goes nowhere. Saints punt.

Jets begin the drive at their 31-yard line and immediately face a 4th-and-7 from their 34-yard line. Jets catch the ball short of the first down and turn the ball over on downs.

Saints run the ball until the two-minute warning. Saints run the ball to bleed the clock, with Jets out of timeouts. Taysom Hill then runs for 44 yards and a touchdown as he was just trying to run the clock out.

NO: 30 – NYJ: 9

Jets return the kickoff into Saints territory. Jets drive the ball to the Saints’ one-yard line but cannot score.

Saints win 30-9 and improve to 6-7 on the season, while the Jets fall to 3-10 on the year.

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