Tag: streak

Derek Carr’s first quarter interception broke Saints’ streak

Derek Carr extended his interception streak to four games, and ended the Saints’ streak of opening-drive scores in the process:


Derek Carr threw an interception on the New Orleans Saints’ opening drive. That makes the first time the Saints haven’t scored on their first drive of the game this season.

While one streak breaks, another is extended. Carr extends his streak of games with an interception to four in a row. It was an ugly interception at that. The pass was intended for Rashid Shaheed and is a great showcase of how Carr reacts under pressure.

A Chiefs defender entered in the backfield and Carr was clearly antsy from the mere presence of a red jersey. Alvin Kamara did a good job stopping George Karlaftis. But Carr was already nervous.

Carr never stopped fading backwards and threw off his back foot. The pass lofted in the air. Shaheed had no chance at this pass. It was a rushed decision that appeared heavily influenced by fear. The idea of pressure left Carr scared, so he rushed to get rid of it.

The result was an interception and no points on the board.

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13-year streak of starts for Demario Davis is coming to an end

Demario Davis has started his last 101 games with the Saints, and his streak of 197 games played goes back to 2012. But that’s coming to an end on Sunday:

It won’t be easy for Demario Davis to watch this week’s New Orleans Saints game from the sidelines (or from the couch at home with his family). The five-time All-Pro linebacker’s 13-year streak of games played is coming to an end after he suffered a hamstring injury last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. So the Saints will kick off with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday without him for the first time since he signed with the team.

This will be the first game Davis has missed due to injury in his lengthy NFL career. He’s played 197 consecutive regular season games, starting the last 101 of them with the Saints. Sure, there’s a caveat — Davis was forced to sit out a 2021 game with the Miami Dolphins while in the league’s COVID-19 protocol — but he’s never been too injured to play before.

You have to wonder if Davis would be out there if it were up to him. But Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Friday the team wouldn’t risk turning something like a strained hamstring into something more severe by playing him.

“We’re not going to put anybody out there that we feel like we’re putting at risk of injuring themselves,” Allen said. “We had to do the same thing with Cam (Jordan) at one point in time. I think with all these things, you’re always just looking at, you know, what’s the proper thing to do, what’s the right thing to do for the player and for the team. That’s all that goes into any of those types of decision.”

So while it’s a shame Davis can’t play this Sunday, the hope is he can return sooner rather than later. In the meantime, Willie Gay Jr. is confident he can fill in at linebacker next to Pete Werner. The Saints need to learn to win without Davis eventually. He’s the NFL’s oldest linebacker and he won’t be around forever. Here’s a good opportunity for some guys he has mentored to show what they can do.

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Chiefs DB L’Jarius Sneed on track to end regular season without allowing a touchdown

#Chiefs DB L’Jarius Sneed is on track to end the regular season without allowing a touchdown.

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed has put together an almost unbelievable campaign that makes the tall task of defending against opposing passing attacks look easy.

Through 16 games, the beloved veteran hasn’t allowed a touchdown on more than 80 targets and could end his regular season with a perfect record if he can shut down the Los Angeles Chargers’ receivers in Week 18.

Sneed’s outstanding achievement has come at a cost, though. He was among the NFL’s most penalized players in 2023, and while this aspect of his game is something that will need to be cleaned up ahead of the playoffs, Sneed’s ability to keep opponents from scoring points is second to none and could warrant recognition with Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors when the season ends.

Expect the former Louisiana Tech Bulldog to keep his hot streak alive on Sunday as Kansas City looks to finish their regular season campaign with a win.

The Saints won’t start winning one-score games unless…

The Saints can’t keep doing the same thing and hope one game ways will swing their way. They have to fix the root of the problem.

Dennis Allen believes these one-score games eventually have to go the New Orleans Saints’ way. The key, he says, is to keep fighting.

It would be nice if that were true. The thing about manifestation is it requires action. Otherwise, it’s just a wish. The action needed here is having better first halves. Good teams win close games  great teams leave no doubt and avoid them in the first place with dominant wins.

The improvements must be seen on both sides of the ball. The defense tends to play so well in the second half that it’s confusing how they start the game so poorly. The offense has struggles throughout the game so it’s not hard to believe they struggle to start games. New Orleans has found themselves trying to climb out of holes in multiple games that ended in one-score defeats.

Losses to the Jaguars, Lions, and Vikings are all perfect examples of this exact issue. The Saints were able to make the games close, but the hole dug in the first half were too deep to climb out of. The Saints must stop forcing themselves to need mistake free football in the second half. This has been the score at halftime of the Saints one score losses:

  • Packers: 17-0 (Saints led at halftime prior to Carr’s injury)
  • Texans: 17-10
  • Jaguars: 17-6
  • Vikings 24-3
  • Lions: 24-7

Start faster on defense and get more stops. Put more points on the board sooner and avoid early deficits. The Saints are a great second-half team, but they must stop taking so long to get up to speed. If that doesn’t change, they’ll just keep getting into close one-score games and coming up short.
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Cameron Jordan could miss just his second-ever game due to injury in Week 13

Cameron Jordan has played a lot of games in his NFL career — 214 of them, including the playoffs. But he could miss a game to injury for just the second time this Sunday:

This is tough. Cameron Jordan has played a lot of games in his NFL career — 214 of them, including the playoffs. But an ankle injury suffered late in last week’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons has kept him out of the first two days of practice going into Week 13’s matchup with the Detroit Lions, and it’s looking like Jordan could have to sit this one out.

If so, it’ll be just the second game of his 13-year pro career that he’ll miss due to injury. Jordan’s NFL-best streak of 172 consecutive starts came to an end in 2021 when he missed a game in isolation during the league’s COVID-19 protocol, but his first absence due to an injury came last year with a fractured orbital bone.

So it’s looking like he’ll be sidelined for a second time this weekend unless Jordan is able to practice on at least a limited basis Friday. The eight-time Pro Bowler has pressured quarterbacks at a higher rate this season but struggled to finish plays with takedowns; his 2.0 sacks are the fewest he’s had in a single season since his 2011 rookie year.

What’s more frustrating is that the Saints just had Jason Pierre-Paul on their practice squad. They knew Jordan was hurt and could have signed Pierre-Paul to the 53-man roster, but he chose to leave and join the Miami Dolphins. Now, it’s possible they made Pierre-Paul an offer and he declined for a better long-term opportunity elsewhere (as happened last season with Latavius Murray going to the Denver Broncos). Miami is a legitimate Super Bowl contender with an 8-3 record and one of the game’s most popular head coaches in Mike McDaniel. The Saints are 5-6 and trending in the wrong direction. If Pierre-Paul wanted out, there wasn’t much they could do to force him into staying.

Should Jordan be unavailable on Sunday, look for Carl Granderson and Tanoh Kpassagnon to start at defensive end with Isaiah Foskey and Kyle Phillips rotating into the game; the Saints could also bring up preseason standout Niko Lalos from their practice squad. Foskey missed some time with a quadriceps injury but has practiced fully this week, and this could be the opportunity the rookie second-round pick needs to prove he’s earned more snaps. Stay tuned.

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Saints’ playmaking secondary looking to get the better of C.J. Stroud

The Saints’ playmaking secondary is looking to get the better of C.J. Stroud where other units have failed. The rookie QB still hasn’t thrown an interception:

Something has to give here. The New Orleans Saints’ playmaking secondary is looking to get the better of C.J. Stroud where other units have failed; the Houston Texans rookie quarterback looks like the real deal going into Week 6. He’s playing at a very high level and making some difficult throws despite an undermanned receiving corps and spotty protection keeping him upright.

He has not thrown an interception through his first five games, a streak of 186 consecutive pass attempts, which is commendable — but it would be a mistake to characterize this as Stroud not putting the ball in harm’s way. There’s been a little luck involved. He’s fumbled three times in the last two games, twice failing to recover and turning the ball over. And you have to think the interceptions will come soon.

Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III dropped a pick last week, as did two different Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3. Pro Football Focus charting has found Stroud has thrown five turnover-worthy passes this season, but opponents have not capitalized on those risky decisions.

Can the Saints take advantage of his rookie mistakes where others didn’t? Maybe so. They’re going into Week 6 with seven interceptions, tied for third-most around the league, and those passes have been taken away by seven different defenders. Multiple players are stepping up and plucking the ball away when given the opportunity.

So what’s going to happen first? Will Stroud’s dangerous throws come back to bite him? Or will the Saints defense start dropping passes? It’s an intriguing factor in this matchup. Every opportunity to take the ball away and put the New Orleans offense in good field position matters. The Saints did a great job of playing complimentary football last week. Let’s hope it continues on Sunday.

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Saints offense continues to waste opportunities created by their defense

The Saints offense is wasting opportunities created by their defense. They’ve held opponents to 20 points or fewer in 11 straight games, but they’ve won just 6 of those matchups | @ClutchWDN

The New Orleans Saints suffered a tough loss against the Green Bay Packers, with quarterback Derek Carr going down with a shoulder injury. After taking a 17-0 lead prior to that point, the team as a whole collapsed as the Saints went on to lose 18-17. However, the offense was the biggest point of note, as they would score zero points once Derek left the game.

The offense as a whole has struggled to this point in the season regardless, and even through much of last season as well.  As we have been told a few times across social media, the Saints have held opponents to 20 points or less in 11 straight games. However, there is a counterpoint to this: they’ve only won 6 of those games with the offense failing to manage even 20 points on their own during that stretch.

As impressive as this streak has been for New Orleans, the offense has struggled to back the efforts put in by the defense. In Week 1 this season, the offense only scored 16 points (10 of which coming in the second half). In Week 2 they scored 20, which was slightly better, but 14 of those points came in the second half as well. In Week 3 they started off hot with 17 in the first half, and then were completely shut down, punting on five of six drives until Blake Grupe missed a manageable field goal at the end. They’re playing too much disjointed football their different units complimenting one another.

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The Saints played a key role in Christian McCaffrey’s 12-game scoring streak

Christian McCaffrey is the talk of the NFL during his 12-game scoring streak. Did you know the Saints were the last team to keep him out of the end zone?

Christian McCaffrey is the talk of the NFL, and for good reason: the San Francisco 49ers star running back has scored a touchdown in 12 straight games, an impressive streak by any measure. But he couldn’t have done it without the New Orleans Saints.

Did you know the Saints were the last team to keep him out of the end zone? McCaffrey was limited to just 32 rushing yards (on 11 attempts) and 17 receiving yards (on 4 receptions) by the New Orleans defense when they met last November, and he didn’t put any points on the scoreboard.

Including the playoffs, he’s since racked up 804 rushing yards and 349 receiving yards, with a dozen touchdowns scored as a runner and receiver going into halftime on Thursday night. That’s a total of 1,153 yards from scrimmage (if he doesn’t even touch the ball in the second half against the New York Giants), or 96.1 scrimmage yards per game with one score each week. Compare that to the 49 scrimmage yards the Saints allowed — on top of keeping him out of the end zone.

New Orleans has a history of guarding McCaffrey well. They faced him often when he was with the Carolina Panthers earlier in his career. McCaffrey only scored five touchdowns in eight games against the Saints while he was in the NFC South, and that experience helped them defend him when their paths crossed again in San Francisco. Hopefully the next time they see him their offense can manage to put some points on the board themselves.

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Ravens bring NFL’s longest active streak for multiple sacks in a game into Wild Card matchup vs. Bengals

Baltimore will look to extend their streak of games with multiple sacks against the Bengals in the Wild Card round of the playoffs

The Baltimore Ravens have earned their place in the AFC playoffs with their 10-7 regular season record and will face the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round this weekend. Everything the team accomplished in 2022 was in spite of some adversity from injuries that they had faced since Week 1, especially pertaining to absences from star players such as quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Nonetheless, Baltimore has managed to bring the NFL’s longest streak of multi-sack games into the first round of the playoffs, and hopes are high that their fierce pass rush can help mitigate the threat posed by the Bengals’ prolific offense. The Ravens have seen contributions from outside linebackers Justin Houston, Tyus Bowser, David Ojabo and more, but have seen their sack production fall off ever since the bye week.

Despite the lack of recent production, Baltimore’s multi-sack streak has lasted for 13 weeks, and with some luck, the team could extend it with a strong showing this weekend. No less than 17 Ravens defenders have registered a sack this season, and with their season on the line Baltimore could look to add to that total in emphatic fashion against Cincinnati.

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The Saints are better in cold-weather games than you think

The Saints may be a dome team, but their record over the last 8 seasons outdoors and in cold weather might surprise you, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Call the New Orleans Saints what they are: a cold-weather team. Okay, that is obviously not true, given how many games they play inside the climate-controlled Caesars Superdome. But the team’s record when outdoors and in cold winter weather is better than some would have you believe. 

Year after year, from the moment the schedule is officially released, the narrative arises that the Saints can not win in cold-weather matchups. Ahead of the 2022 season, the team’s Week 16 and 17 games were quickly circled. In facing the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on the road, respectively, concerns of cold weather in the hosts’ outdoor stadiums immediately arose. Which are especially commonly brought up around New Orleans, but other dome teams as well. 

But the good news is that the Saints met the first of those challenges head-on and secured a 17-10 victory in the process, leaving the Cleveland tundra with a win. But that result is not new for New Orleans. In fact, since 2014, the Saints are 5-1 in outdoor games that are played below 40 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff. That includes a January playoff win against the Eagles in the 2013 postseason. 

The upcoming Week 17 game in the City of Brotherly Love is not expected to be a chilly one. The current forecasts show the temperature is expected to hover in the low 50’s throughout the contest. Given the Saints’ track record over the last 8 seasons, and their recent losses to the Eagles and starting quarterback Jalen Hurts the last two years, perhaps it would better for New Orleans if it were colder. 

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