Tag: Eagles

Saints’ high-powered offense stalls out in the first half vs. Eagles

The Saints offense was completely shut down in the first half vs. the Eagles, and it starts with struggles along the offensive line:

The New Orleans Saints offense has flown high to start the season. They’ve scored the second most points through two games in NFL history. First halves, in particular, have been explosive since the addition of Klint Kubiak. The first two games featured the two highest scoring first halves of the Dennis Allen era.

Eventually, the output was going to have to slow down. That time came in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles. There was no Derek Carr to Rashid Shaheed 50-yard pass, though the pairing did come close. Alvin Kamara has struggled, and it all started with Erik McCoy exiting the game with a groin injury on the first drive. They were already without Taysom Hill, which limited their versatility. Losing McCoy made the entire offensive line lose its edge.

The Saints offensive line has struggled to stand up to the Eagles defensive line. The absence of McCoy is evident as Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis have destroyed the interior offensive line. Lucas Patrick slid to center and Oli Udoh moved to left guard. That pairing has been ineffective.

Kamara has 12 carries but only 33 rushing yards. Most of the impact has came from the interior. The Saints will have to jumpstart their offense in the second half.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

WATCH: Tyrann Mathieu gets career interception No. 35 in the end zone

Watch Tyrann Mathieu snag the 35th interception of his career — in the end zone. He’s now tied for second-most among active players:

The New Orleans Saints defense is off to a hot start so far, with Alontae Taylor getting his fourth sack of the season, and then Tyrann Mathieu getting the 35th interception of his career to save the Saints from at least a three-point play. He correctly read Jalen Hurts’ eyes and intercepted the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback in the end zone.

Mathieu is now tied for second among active players in career interceptions, tied with Harrison Smith at 35 and behind Patrick Peterson at 36 (pending an interception from either of the others or another one from Mathieu in Week 3). He has been exceptional for the Saints in his time here, and is a much playmaker addition to the safety group.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

WATCH: Demario Davis delivers his Week 3 pregame speech

Demario Davis pumped up his teammates with a pregame speech before their Week 3 kickoff with the Philadelphia Eagles:

Demario Davis is back again with his charismatic pregame speech for Week 3’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The New Orleans Saints captain pumped up his teammates with words of encouragement before kickoff on Sunday.

His message for the team on Sunday: “Taking the high ground.”

Fittingly so, the team is in a position to claim their spot amongst the NFL’s elite. With a win  today against Philly, they would most certainly be placed in that category. Marching to 3-0 on the season while beating two of the leagues best in back-to-back weeks would solidify their spot at the top.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Jay Glazer reports Taysom Hill is dealing with a bruised lung

FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reports New Orleans Saints do-it-all tight end Taysom Hill is dealing with a bruised lung:

Here’s some clarity on Taysom Hill’s chest injury. FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reported Sunday that the New Orleans Saints’ do-it-all tight end is dealing with a bruised lung. Hill had been limited at practice with a chest injury which he suffered last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

Hill was listed as questionable for this week’s game with the Philadelphia Eagles but the team chose to hold him out.

Glazer added that Hill still had some minor breathing issues which ultimately led to this decision. He quoted Dennis Allen on Hill’s absence as, “No one who can replace Taysom Hill” which meant there needs to be a collective effort in order to fulfill his special role in this offense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

It’ll take a group effort for the Saints to replace Taysom Hill

It’ll take a group effort for the Saints to replace Taysom Hill if he can’t play against the Eagles. No single player can match his skill set:

All eyes are on Taysom Hill when the New Orleans Saints take the field for pregame warmups at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. The do-it-all playmaker is dealing with a chest injury that’s left him doubtful to play against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Saints will need a group effort to replace him if he can’t go. No single player can match Hill’s versatile skill set.

Saints fans know it well. Hill can throw, block, run, and catch passes all  over the field. He even blocks punts and makes tackles on special teams when asked. But first-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has used Hill’s  presence to dictate personnel on opposing defenses, and his absence would make it easier for the Eagles to get a read on their intentions.

It isn’t as simple as drafting and developing a backup. They’ve tried that before with players like Tommy Stevens and other teams have tried and failed to copy the strategy. Hill is one-of-one. So who steps up if Hill has to watch this game from the sidelines?

Look for rookie tight end Dallin Holker to make his Saints debut, for one. The former Colorado State standout impressed coaches at training camp over the summer and made the 53-man roster outright, but a minor injury sidelined him for the first two games. If Hill can’t go, Holker makes sense as someone who could dress out in his stead and make some plays as a receiver and blocker inline.

Another name to watch? Fullback Adam Prentice. As ESPN’s Mina Kimes noted earlier this week, Prentice is already up to 50 snaps played through  the first two weeks after never logging more than 125 across the last three seasons. He’s the obvious choice to step up as a blocker out of the backfield and occasionally move around like Hill has been asked to do.

But there are things Hill does that no one else on the roster can do. They don’t have another player who can run his signature QB power plays into the teeth of the defense. And his very presence forces the defense to guard them differently, never knowing his assignment or where he could become a problem.

If there’s a silver lining to Hill sitting out this game, it’s that it’s happening in September rather than December or January. This Saints team appears to be playoffs-bound and it’s good for Kubiak to get some work without such an important player early on in case they need to plan without Hill again down the line. We’ll see if he’s able to suit up or not when the inactives report is announced before kickoff.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Tyrann Mathieu could enter Week 3 with an extra chip on his shoulder

C.J. Gardner-Johnson called out Tyrann Mathieu over Madden ratings this summer. Mathieu fired back, and that trash talk could work out as good motivation:

Tyrann Mathieu may play with an extra chip on his shoulder this week.

Players typically find their own source of additional motivation. Mathieu may look back to a social media moment with C.J. Gardner-Johnson this offseason as motivation for the game between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.

Gardner-Johnson took issue with Mathieu having a higher overall than him in Madden. In response, Gardner-Johnson called out Mathieu and his former team. He points towards how 2022 and 2023 transpired as proof that Mathieu isn’t a better player than him.

It’s flawed logic on a couple of fronts, but most notably, Mathieu didn’t replace Gardner Johnson. He may be a safety now, but he was a nickel corner with the Saints.

Mathieu didn’t care how flawed the logic was, he fired back in tweets that have now been deleted. It’s unclear if this was the straw that broke the camel’s back, but Mathieu responded like his name had been being played with.

More than just the initial response, Mathieu began to post lists where he was ranked highly. These moments always felt like subliminal shots towards Gardner-Johnson. The posts shared the same tone as Mathieu’s direct response.

The tone was Mathieu is a veteran who has played at a high level and continues to do so. It clearly lit a fire underneath Mathieu in August, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see that fire be reignited with Gardner-Johnson on the opposing side.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Eagles LB Devin White on slowing down Alvin Kamara: ‘It ain’t easy’

Devin White played the Saints twice a year with the Buccaneers, so he knows well what Alvin Kamara can do. The Eagles could use his insight:

Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, should be picking Devin White’s brain on how to stop New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara this Sunday. White has played the Saints twice a year for his entire career as a member of the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He left for Philadelphia in free agency this year but has yet to make his debut.

The addition of Klint Kubiak changes the scouting report for Kamara, but White should still be consulted. He has plenty of experience.

Tampa Bay did a good job slowing down Kamara for much of his tenure. White spoke about this on social media Saturday morning. He made it clear slowing down Kamara is hard and gave credit to Todd Bowles, who was the Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach.

White could give Fangio insight on some of the things Bowles did that were effective. Defending Kamara has always been a tough order given his versatility as a runner and receiver, and Klint Kubiak is putting his skills to good use. Kamara goes into Week 3 as the NFL leader in yards from scrimmage through the first two weeks of action.

But it’s unclear if White will be a part of implementing Fangio’s strategy. He missed Week 1 with an ankle injury before being a healthy scratch last week. His familiarity with the Saints, and Bijan Robinson’s effectiveness against the Eagles’ defense last Monday night, could lead to a change at linebacker. It would be a change that could result in White getting his first snaps of the year.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Jalen Hurts’ success against the Saints goes back to his first start

Jalen Hurts is 2-0 against the Saints, and Dennis Allen hasn’t figured out how to stop him yet. Week 3 is his next chance to spoil the Eagles QB’s winning recipe:

Jalen Hurts watched from the sidelines at the beginning of career before becoming the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting quarterback in the last four games of his rookie season. In that span, Hurts won just one game. It was his starting debut against the New Orleans Saints.

He faced the Saints again the following season. The results were the same. The Eagles walked away with the victory and Hurts terrorized Dennis Allen’s defense with his athleticism. Hurts has proven himself to be one of the most  mobile quarterbacks in the game, and that’s a skill set the Saints struggle to defend.

Despite having an athletic linebacker like Demario Davis, the Saints haven’t done well tracking guys like Hurts once they break into the open field. Hurts feels like the epitome of their issues guarding players of this archetype. Kwon Alexander was a member of the team for both games versus Hurts. Even with two linebackers who could run, the Saints haven’t been able to defend Hurts appropriately.

In his first game versus New Orleans, Hurts ran for 106 yards. The Saints were able to keep Hurts out of triple digit yards in the rematch but he scored three touchdowns as a runner. The Saints haven’t been able to find the right combination in the front seven to stop Jalen Hurts. This goes all the way to his first career start. Maybe the third time’s the charm for New Orleans against Hurts.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Spencer Rattler was the Saints’ scout team stand-in for Jalen Hurts

The Saints used Spencer Rattler as their stand-in for Jalen Hurts on this week’s scout team, preparing them to defend one of the game’s most mobile quarterbacks:


The New Orleans Saints will have to stop Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. How do you prepare for this challenge? Throw Spencer Rattler in there as the scout team version of Hurts, of course.

The truth is Hurts is a difficult player to replicate. You want to mimic the legs of Hurts while maintaining the element of the pass. This removes all non-quarterbacks. So who’s next? Derek Carr? Even if he wasn’t your starter, that wouldn’t work. Rattler is the more athletic of the two between him and Jake Haener.

Taysom Hill is the true best choice. He and Hurts resemble each other in style and stature. The problem is, Hill is dealing with an unspecified chest injury that limited him in practice this week. Under certain circumstances, you may have asked him to extend himself to help preparation but not with his health in question.

For this week, Rattler was the best the Saints could do. It’s not many people who could have replicated. We’ll see on Sunday if the Saints appear more prepared than the last time they saw Mr. Hurts.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Eagles’ Lane Johnson is the highest-graded right tackle in the NFL

Disrupting Jalen Hurts is a tough task with Lane Johnson in the way. He’s the highest-graded right tackle at PFF:

When the New Orleans Saints play the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans will have to go through right tackle Lane Johnson. Johnson has been one of the best at his position for a while now, and through two games he’s the highest-graded right tackle per Pro Football Focus.

Last week’s game with the Dallas Cowboys featured three players ranked within the top-five sack leaders. Similar to that, this game against the Eagles features three players with the highest grade at their position. Erik McCoy and Lucas Patrick are some of the highest-graded players at center and left guard.

Disrupting Jalen Hurts in the pocket won’t be an easy task. Johnson has a pass block grade of 87.3, per PFF.

Carl Granderson and Cameron Jordan will have to win their battles against Johnson as frequently as possible. Granderson has racked up 1.5 sacks so far this season.
Against a quarterback like Hurts, discipline may be even more important than just winning your pass rush set.
Hurts has been sacked three times in the first two games. If the Saints can beat Johnson a few times, they’ll have a better chance of increasing that sack total.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]