Another week. Another chance for late-game heroics. Another key failure with the game on the line and a 23-21 Saints loss to the Titans.
For the second week in a row the Saints found a way to battle back from a double-digit deficit in the 4th quarter, but after a thrilling touchdown to Marquez Callaway, Trevor Siemian's 2-point conversion attempt to Mark Ingram was broken up by former Saints CB Janoris Jenkins.
The play was from the 7-yard line because of a false start penalty called on Adam Trautman. And the Saints don't exactly need to be making those opportunities more difficult, considering they've now failed on eight consecutive attempts. There is also soon to be another reckoning at kicker, with Brian Johnson's pair of PAT misses looming large in the final score.
With all that in mind, here are my three quick takeaways from another disappointing result that drops the Saints to 5-4.
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BAD CALLS CAN RUIN GAMES
I don't like to be the person complaining about the officiating. There's enough of that on calls that are only subjectively bad.
A lot of roughing the passer calls are questionable, but they can at least be explained by the "letter of the rule." OK, he used his body weight. Can't do that. OK, he went low. Can't do that. OK, the QB basically can't be touched. Got it.
But when you abide by the nearly impossible restraints placed on pass-rushers and STILL get a game-changing penalty, it rises above a complaint and into the area of a significant, serious issue. That's what happened when Kaden Elliss got flagged for a hit to the head of Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The issue: The hit never happened.
The call negated a Marcus Williams interception in a game that was tied 6-6. Tannehill eventually plowed into the end zone from 1 yard out for a score that turned a massive Saints defensive stop into an extended scoring drive.
It was a call that changed the game. It was egregiously bad. Will there be any accountability? Unlikely. The Saints have been here before, and yes I'm talking about the no-call in the NFC Championship. There's still no mechanism to review terrible blown calls. And that's not for lack of trying. To correct the issue from the no-call, the NFL began allowing pass interference calls to be challenged. That lasted for one season before it was dropped. And it was dropped because the refs proved incapable of correcting their own mistakes.
So, here we are. Refs are still changing games with bad calls. Teams have no recourse to correct it. Rinse. Repeat. I don't expect this to change any time soon. But, geez, this is bad.
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THE TIGHT ENDS ARE (FINALLY) COOKING
The only consistent thing about the Saints' tight end group the first eight weeks of the season: They were consistently and conspicuously absent.
Juwan Johnson was effective in red zone opportunities, but that was about it. Adam Trautman was effective as a blocker, but that was about it. Whether it was Jameis Winston actively looking for WRs and RBs, or something else, the tight end pages of passing playbook were gathering dust.
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That showed signs of change in a win over the Tampa Bay Bucs in Week 8, with Trevor Siemian taking over for an injured Winston. Siemian quickly showed he'd be funneling more targets to the TEs, and that's continued to be the case the next two weeks. Adam Trautman logged just 13 total targets (9 catches) over his first six games. In Weeks 8 and 9, he logged 13 total targets (6 catches).
That continued in Week 10, with Johnson and Trautman combining for 7 catches (9 targets) and 68 yards.
There's no wide receiver help waiting in the wings. Michael Thomas won't be coming back. Getting more production out of the big-bodied pass-catchers will be an important element in how this team can win the close games it is bound to be playing down the stretch.
And if Trautman could avoid false start penalties on pivotal 2-point conversion attempts, that'd be swell.
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TAKE A BOW, MR. INGRAM
Mark Ingram set the Saints' new all-time rushing mark, but it was his all-around performance in Week 10 that left the biggest impression.
Ingram's efforts on the ground were largely held in check by Tennessee's dominant front 7. But as we know well, he's got other tricks up his sleeve. He even ran a strange-looking flea-flicker at one point.
He showed burst and elusiveness on his touchdown run in the third quarter. He got outside the numbers on a wheel for a big gain that got the Saints in position for their comeback. Everything the Saints need out of their backfield-mate with Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram is that and more.
It was anything but pretty for the Saints in Week 10. Without Ingram, I shudder to think what it might've looked like. It was a rough result, but there are positive signs.
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