The New Orleans Saints rarely let a loss turn into a streak, and they were never in danger of that despite playing without multiple starters Week 3 in New England.
The Saints defense battered rookie quarterback Mac Jones all day and the offense did enough for a 28-13 victory despite struggling to move the ball in the second half.
So with the New Orleans football season back on the winning track before a trip back home for the first time since Hurricane Ida, here are my top 3 takeaways from a refreshing win up in Foxborough.
1. THIS IS STILL A TITLE-CALIBER DEFENSE
Let me say that again: This Saints defense IS good enough to lead the 2021 version of this team to a title, if the offense allows it.
Despite being undermanned in Week 2, the defense scratched and clawed to maintain a chance for a comeback that never came. With Marshon Lattimore, CJ Gardner-Johnson and Tanoh Kpassagnon returning from injury in Week 3, the group looked flat-out dominant.
The pass rush got home. The coverage was stifling. The hits came fast and hard. New England ran the ball 17 times for a total of just 49 yards.
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But in order for that to happen, you need to see complementary football. One element is the offense avoiding turnovers that force the defense to play on a short field, but another is possessing the ball for more than three plays at a time to allow that defense to stay reasonably fresh. New Orleans did that in the first half, but things changed after the break. The Saints offense ran 8 total plays in the third quarter, punting twice.
Jones took advantage with an impressive scoring drive finished off with a tight-rope TD grab by Kendrick Bourne. That touchdown brought the margin back to 8 points. Momentum appeared squarely on the Patriots' side, but Jameis Winston found Deonte Harris on third and long, Alvin Kamara asserted himself and things settled down. Taysom Hill eventually finished off the drive in the end zone. The defense caught its breath, and took it from there intercepting Jones for the third time of the day (this time Marshon Lattimore) to seal the result. Malcolm Jenkins had an interception for a score 9 seconds into the second half, and PJ Williams intercepted a wobbler and returned in into the red zone to set up another score.
This team appears close to figuring it out in all three phases, but the offense still has a ways to go before it fully complement an elite defense.
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2. JAMEIS STILL MAKES SOME BAFFLING CHOICES
Jameis Winston still hasn't found the efficiency he'll need to show to lead this team on a serious postseason run, but an undermanned offensive line did enough and he made enough impressive throws to earn the win. That was particularly true when he started the Saints on a game-sealing fourth quarter drive by converting a 3rd-and-long to Deonte Harris.
But there are still too many flashback moments that have you asking "wait, why?" Winston threw a pair of interceptions in Week 2 on questionable decisions. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on a desperation ball to Marquez Callaway in the red zone, but he confirmed after the game he was actually trying to throw it away and didn't know it was a free play.
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But there were multiple throws that represented more dangerous decisions, particularly a 3rd-and-11 play in the 4th quarter with the Saints holding a 21-6 lead. Winston was getting pulled down from behind, and instead of securing the ball and surviving to the punt, he opted to flip the ball into the middle of the field well short of the sticks. Alvin Kamara appeared to be in the area, but he had little chance to convert a first down. The ball was tipped dangerously and fell to the turf, and Winston escaped without a turnover.
The ball was tipped dangerously and fell to the turf, and Winston escaped without a turnover. Winston was more consistent and effective than Week 2 and successfully navigated a game without his starting center (Erik McCoy/calf) and Terron Armstead (elbow). But there's still a way to go in the decisions department, fortunately there's a lot of season left before the elimination games start.
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SPECIAL TEAMS IS A WEAPON (and so is Taysom Hill)
Punter Blake Gillikin has been a machine. The Saints have blocked a punt each of the past two weeks -- this time it was Andrew Dowell -- and Deonte Harris is plus field position waiting to happen.
This group is always coached well. It shows up when it's needed. But with an offense scuffling early in the season and still weeks away from getting star wide receiver Michael Thomas back, an incredibly stout special teams group feels more like a necessity than a luxury.
Oh, and yes: Taysom Hill power football is a massive advantage, particularly in the way the Saints used it down the stretch in Week 3. After getting pounded for 3.5 quarters, what's the last thing the Patriots want to deal with? A Taysom wrecking ball is probably high on that list.
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