Everyone on offense has said it over and over: Things are closer than they might appear. They'll click, it's just a matter of time.
At least for one day in Indy, everything -- well, almost everything -- went to plan for the Saints in a 38-27 get-right win over the Colts.
Now, it's important to mention that this was a Colts defense that has made virtually every team it's faced look dynamic. A Browns team without Deshaun Watson or Nick Chubb put up 39 points just a week ago. But beggars can't be choosers, and a 38-point explosion deserves a stock up column that is (almost) completely about the offense.
Here's how I saw it out at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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STOCK UP
1. RASHID SHAHEED ... SPEED
I feel like I've listed Rashid Shaheed as an honorable mention in this column at least a half-dozen times. Take a bow, kid, you earned the top spot.
It feels like we're only scratching the surface with Shaheed, and to this point very few defensive backs have been able to hold up. The kid only had three catches in this game, but they went for a career-high 153 yards and a touchdown. All three came in pivotal moments.
The first came from 58 yards out in the second quarter and gave the Saints the lead in a game for the first time since Week 5. Rashid's touchdown helped the Saints not only climb all the way back from a 10-point deficit, but go into the half with a lead.
It took a while for his next impact, but it was just as impressive. This time it was Taysom Hill throwing the ball, and it wasn't a particularly good one. Hill put the ball up, and Shaheed could've just gone for the knockdown to play it safe. Instead he fought for the ball and made a spectacular catch that was initially ruled an interception but was overturned on review. Another 44 yards in the books. Hill ultimately plowed in for a TD that would effectively secure the result.
But Shaheed made sure that lead was safe when he beat backup Colts CB Tony Brown clean over the top on 3rd and 13 for a 51-yard bomb. The Saints went in for a field goal and an 11-point winning margin.
Oh, and for good measure he had four punt returns for 46 yards, setting his team up with good field position on multiple possessions.
The kid is special. This is now the third Saints win this season that's been closed out by a Shaheed deep ball, but I also agree with head coach Dennis Allen when he says the second-year pro is just scratching the surface. I look forward to watching where that goes.
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2. THE PETE CARMICHAEL OFFENSE
It still wasn't perfect. There were a few head-scratching calls, such as the decision to go up-tempo on a late drive where you're trying to ice the clock, but there was a lot to like with this offensive attack.
The Saints got creative with their tempo packages, they utilized the power run game perfectly. Taysom Hill *ahem* exactly as I predicted, had his best game of the season with 121 total yards and two touchdowns.
Michael Thomas got in on the action. Jamaal Williams got in on the action. Juwan Johnson got in on the action. Alvin Kamara did Alvin Kamara things. This offense has a lot of mouths to feed, and that was done to perfection in Week 8.
There are still things to quibble with, but for better or worse this is going to be the offense the Saints stick with the rest of the way. Outside of some obvious instances, the execution was there against the Colts much more consistently than we've seen in previous weeks. The results followed. Crazy how the offense can look immensely better when plays are executed correctly.
There's still a long way to go and not all defenses are as porous as Indy's. There will be more frustrating "that's on me" weeks for Carmichael and Co. But I had started to wonder if a day like this was actually possible, or if this was destined to be a season of empty yardage and near misses.
But here's a stat: The 2023 Saints have now logged three consecutive games of 400-plus yards. It's the first time that's happened for New Orleans since the 2018 season. It's not all a mirage.
For the first time in a while, the needle on offense seems to be pointed in the right direction.
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3. DEREK CARR
Say what you want about Derek Carr, and oh man, people are plenty happy to do just that. But one thing that he's said repeatedly that I do genuinely believe: He's willing to do whatever it takes for this team to be successful.
It's not a matter of willingness to do things like hand the ball over to Taysom Hill for QB snaps. It's not a selfish thing, where he's cramming his offensive ideology down the throats of his teammates. It's a collaborative effort.
He finished the day with a line of 19-27 for 310 yards and two TDs. He also had a fumble as he got eaten alive while trying to step up in the pocket. Not much to complain about on this day.
My only question is whether he's capable of operating this offense at a high enough level to compete for anything meaningful. Too often I've seen him hold the ball too long or check down immediately. I've seen too many touch passes rifled in. There are still some accuracy issues in the quick game, including a pair of misses to Mike Thomas in this game on slants that could've extended drives. A big win on the road over a wounded Colts squad won't solve all the Saints' problems.
A lot of the offense's issues will be placed at his feet, and he'll have to accept that. When things don't look right, he'll get blamed. And he also can't compound that by blowing up at his coordinator or pass-catchers. Carr knows that.
Carr was good today, and it was the players around him who stepped up. His connection with Shaheed is clear. His connection with Kamara, MT and Olave is still building. I'm still not entirely sold on the bigger picture and a title-contending offense, but, much like the entry above, the needle is pointed in the right direction, and that's a nice development.
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HONORABLE MENTION...
Paulson Adebo made what was probably the play of the game, but today was too much about the offense to not focus on those elements above. That said, the Colts looked to be in prime position to at least take the lead in the third quarter, driving into Saints territory while trailing 21-20. That's when Gardner Minshew made his seemingly programmed "WHY?" throws, and Adebo took full advantage. But the best part of that play came on the return, which might not have seemed advisable at the time. But remember, this year refs have been instructed to give DBs the ball where they caught it, even if their momentum brought them back into the end zone. The Saints would've likely taken over at the 2 (just rewind to Week 4 to see how that goes). Instead they got it at the 30. Adebo also didn't log a penalty in the game. A good day for him all-around as he continues to impress in coverage. ... Michael Thomas and all the others who played through a bad stomach bug, or as Alvin Kamara called it, a "sh*t bug." Gross. Players were getting IVs in the locker room postgame. It took dedication to show up and get the job done in this game. They all deserve credit. ... Khalen Saunders was again the full-bink, and it works. At some point they should reward him with a carry. Just saying. ... Lou Hedley gets a lot of grief, and no, the distance on his kicks won't wow many people. That said, Hedley's worst kick of the day still landed inside the 20 with no return. He also had punts downed at the 14, the 9 and the 3. You'd love to see a field-flipping bomb, but I can live with 4-for-4 inside the 20. ... Bryan Bresee didn't get to the QB today, but he did have two passes defensed, and that's something I'd love to see more Saints D-lineman find ways to do. The Saints have faced a slew of QBs that get the ball out quickly, and we haven't seen enough passes batted down. The rookie did that twice today.
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STOCK DOWN
1. CHRIS OLAVE
It was another difficult day for Chris Olave after a difficult week.
His final line in the box score doesn't look terrible with 5 catches for 46 yards on 9 targets, but the uneven play is pretty clear. Early in the first half he seemed to have a chance to work back to a deep ball but never seemed to locate it as it hit the ground next to him. On another play in the second quarter he caught a ball for 15 yards, but then went straight out of bounds with no defender near him. Had he cut upfield instead, there were a decent number of yards to be had.
The third quarter brought the most embarrassing moment, with a perfect ball from Derek Carr bouncing off his helmet as he seemed to lose it in the lights. He was wide open for what would've almost certainly been a touchdown. The biggest disappointment is honestly how elite of a route it was leading up to the doink.
In the 4th quarter he gave himself up on another play where it seemed like there were more yards to be had.
If Olave was a different player, he might get a pass. But he's supremely talented, and it'd be kind to say he appears to be having a crisis of confidence right now. If he was a lesser player, he'd probably be getting the same "step back for perspective" treatment that fellow 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning is undergoing right now.
The Saints are going to stick with him as he figures things out. When I asked Dennis Allen as much after the game, he gave his second-year WR a strong vote of confidence.
"I’m not worried about Chris Olave," Allen said. "I think he’s going to be a big part of what we’re able to do, hopefully successfully, as we go down the stretch here."
In fairness, Olave did make some nice catches in this game, several on first down to set up 2nd and short. Carr also hooked up with Olave for a key third down conversion with just over 7:00 remaining as the Saints worked to ice the game. There's good with the bad, he's just got to limit the bad going forward.
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2. RUN DEFENSE
At the end of the day things could've been a lot worse, but I still didn't love what I saw out of a defense that is usually at its best when it comes to shutting down the run game.
Zack Moss and Jonathan Taylor, arguably the best duo of backs in the NFL, combined for 161 yards on 23 carries (7 YPC). It's a bit misleading, because Moss broke a long run for 41 yards, and Taylor one for 42. So with some fancy footwork, you can make the argument that the Saints allowed 83 yards on two carries. On the other 21 they held that duo to 78 yards (3.7 YPC).
Unfortunately you can't just delete carries. Those big plays happened, and they helped set up 10 Colts points in the first half. Too often the Saints are chasing the action on defense. They won't face as stiff a test as Jonathan Taylor every week, but those big plays in the run game just can't happen.
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3. DA CHALLENGES
This is a weird one, but if you haven't noticed ... the red laundry hasn't been kind to the Saints this year. Saints head coach Dennis Allen has challenged three calls in the 2023 season, and all three have gone against him.
The one in Week 8 was tough and mostly blind. Josh Downs made a spectacular catch along the sideline and the Jags rushed up to the line. They clearly weren't sure either, and DA put the flag on the field. The replay was definitive.
The Saints head coach also challenged an incomplete pass to Rashid Shaheed in Week 1, and another call in the Week 5 win over the Patriots. The refs said no.
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It's worth noting because DA was actually very successful in his debut season with New Orleans, winning all four challenges he sent out there. The Saints also got the benefit of a massive overturned call, when the refs awarded Rashid Shaheed a catch on a deep ball in the 4th quarter that had initially been ruled an interception. With all turnovers and scoring plays reviewed anyway, coaching challenges have less weight than ever.
That said, a failed challenge early in the game can be tough. You really shouldn't be guessing on that first challenge, because if you lose it, effectively you're losing two. It means you have one left the rest of the game, whether it's right or not. There was a call later in the first half that might have been worth challenging, generally speaking, but with one already gone ... nope.
If this seems like it's grasping at straws, that's because it is. There wasn't a ton to criticize coming out of this game.