Like many of the Saints' wins this season, it was anything but pretty.
The offensive line struggled to block or create lanes in the run game. Taysom Hill missed some throws. Marquez Callaway dropped a pair of passes. The defense allowed 10 early points.
The good news is there's no style points in the win column, and the Saints kept their playoff hopes alive with a clutch, 18-10 victory over the Panthers in Week 17.
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With all that in mind, here are my three quick takeaways from a pivotal win at the Caesars Superdome.
1. THE OFFENSIVE LINE IS IN SHAMBLES
It's not really anyone's fault, but the Saints' greatest strength has managed to become its biggest weakness ... and yes, I'm talking about the big boys on offense.
Entering the year, the offensive line featured a starting group that could've been argued as the best in all of football. Perennial Pro Bowlers at LT in Terron Armstead, RT in Ryan Ramczyk, another Pro Bowler in Andrus Peat, a first-round guard in Cesar Ruiz, and an up-and-coming center in Erik McCoy.
Fast forward to Week 17, and Ruiz is the only member of that group to play in all 16 games, and he's also the member of that group that's still clearly finding his way in the NFL.
McCoy has now missed multiple games twice, Armstead and Ramczyk have been absent for much of the past two months. Andrus Peat is already lost for the season.
A group that was expected to be a strength is now featuring names like James Hurst, Will Clapp and Calvin Throckmorton. Yikes.
Ugly football is beautiful in its own way, and the Saints have certainly found a way to win in that image. That was the case in Week 17, with Taysom Hill -- and if we're being honest, mostly Brett Maher -- finding ways to put enough points on the board to steal another win. Armstead, Ramczyk and McCoy are reportedly all hopeful to at least attempt a return. For the Saints to make the postseason and, more importantly, have the ability to do anything when they get there ... that OL group could be the key, win or lose.
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2. DEONTE HARRIS IS A SPARK PLUG
First things first: You may have heard that Deonte Harris is now Deonte Harty.
The Saints' All-Pro return man and "quick as a hiccup" wide receiver legally changed his name to honor his stepfather. But as far as the NFL is concerned, he's still Harris for the rest of the season, per league rules.
He'll have the option to update his name with the league heading into the 2022 season. I only say this because for simplicity's sake, until it says "Harty" on the back of his No. 11 jersey, I'll keep referring to Deonte Harris as Deonte Harris.
Now that we've got that out of the way, I'll get to the point: Welcome back, Deonte.
Look, the man didn't generate any explosive plays in the return game. He was only targeted twice and picked up 23 yards in the passing game, but that did include a nifty sliding grab and another big catch to pick up first downs in the second half.
You could argue his presence as a passing game weapon is at least something to help Marquez Callaway go to work with less defensive attention, and he delivered with 6 catches for 97 yards.
But for a team that struggles to generate explosive plays at any position, having a guy that could break a touchdown at any point in the return game is an advantage the Saints have missed during his three-game suspension. His abilities add pressure on opposing special teams groups that you can't replace. It turns every forced punt into a big opportunity, not just another chance with the ball.
The Saints have more than their share of struggles on offense. But Harris represents something this team does as well as any team in the NFL. He's an important piece. He's rested. And he'll play a big role down the stretch.
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3. NO TOUCHDOWNS? NO PROBLEM
It's not very often you watch a team fail to score a touchdown for 11 consecutive quarters. Even less often will you see a team do that and manage a winning record during that three-game span.
But that's exactly what the Saints did in Weeks 15, 16 and 17. Between Taysom Hill's late-game touchdown run in a win over the New York Jets and Alvin Kamara's touchdown reception in the 4th quarter against the Panthers, no Saints player found the end zone. The Saints won 9-0 on three field goals against the Tampa Bay Bucs, then lost 20-7 without more than 20 players due to COVID against the Dolphins.
And in Week 17, it was Brett Maher's suddenly rock-steady leg that set the stage for a gotta-have-it victory over the Panthers. Maher hit all four of his field goal attempts, and had the Saints ahead 12-10 before Kamara's score in the fourth quarter. That score ended the longest streak without a TD in the Sean Payton era. In total, the Saints have only had 7 games without a touchdown during that span.
Maher missed the PAT, forcing me to reconsider this assessment, but hey ... he's rusty. I'll give him a break.
Kicking for wins is obviously not the scenario you want to be in. Everyone wants touchdowns. But the ability to win tight games is important. And if you're constantly finding yourself in tight games, the ability to make big kicks is vital. It's easy to forget just how brutal the Saints' kicking game was over the first half of the season. The team initially signed Maher after the news that Wil Lutz would need surgery and would miss a significant portion of the season.
Then Maher himself was hurt warming up for the Saints' preseason opener. He was waived, and the Saints tried Aldrick Rosas, then Cody Parkey, then Brian Johnson. Eventually Maher was the pick again, and he's made his second chance count.
He's now connected on 13 of 14 field goal attempts kicks, with his lone miss coming from outside 50 yards. He's missed a pair of PATs, but who hasn't? Seriously, name a Saints kicker that hasn't this season, other than Lutz.
In the end, Maher's leg helped put away wins against the Bucs and Panthers to keep the Saints alive in the playoff race. Good for Maher. Even better for the Saints.
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LAGNIAPPE: Cam Jordan had 3.5 sacks, and now has 11.5 on the season. Of those, 7.5 have come since he was forced to sit out Week 14 due to COVID. Big performances by Cam often equal big performances by the Saints.