The Saints needed a win in Week 5 to head into the bye week with positive vibes, and they got it -- while providing a good bit of entertainment along the way.
The Saints pulled off a Hail Mary from Jameis Winston to Marquez Callaway just before halftime, and got an all-time great performance from punter Blake Gillikin to ensure there was no fourth quarter collapse this time around.
"I think unquestionably we will sit here on a Monday and go 'Blake Gillikin is the NFC's Special Teams Player of the Week.' Be done with it. Go ahead and just give it to him now," said Voice of the Saints Mike Hoss in his weekly From the Press Box show with WWL digital sports producer Jeff Nowak.
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It wasn't all positive, though, with the Saints turning the ball over on two of its first three possession, sandwiched by a 72-yard bomb for a touchdown to Deonte Harris. The game was tied at 13 until the Hail Mary before halftime, and the defense repeatedly held Washington to field goals in the red zone.
Conversely, the Saints were perfect in the red zone, with their goal-line efficiency being a major part of a 3-2 start -- even with some yo-yo elements. The Saints are 13 of 14 in red zone opportunities this year. It was a very similar story to a loss to the Giants a week ago, but this time the Saints stood up and salted away a tough win. Much like in Week 4, the Saints faced a 2-point conversion attempt that would've cut the margin to 3 late in the game, but they were stopped.
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"The Giants threaded the needle, and that's not gonna happen most weeks. And that's what this Saints team is really banking on," Nowak said. "They're going to play close games with the gameplan that they establish, and by relying on the defense to stand up in those situations. They didn't in Week 4, they did in Week 5."
The Saints now get a week to lick their wounds before hitting the road again for a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. They'll hope to get several key players back for that game, including star wide receiver Michael Thomas, who will be eligible to come off the PUP list if healthy.
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Check out the full From The Press Box show in the player at the top of the page, and remember to subscribe to WWL Sports on Youtube for the latest news, notes and analysis as the season rolls on.
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