Well, that was more like it. The Saints defense finally showed the dominance that was expected this season in a 24-0 shutout of the Raiders in Week 8.
For at least one week all is right for the Saints.
With all that in mind, here are my three quick takeaways and some lagniappe after a much-needed bit of positivity and get-right win over the Raiders.
THE DEFENSE WE WERE PROMISED
This offense was never supposed to be a juggernaut. It was supposed to be a complementary unit that supported a title-caliber defense.
Through the first seven weeks, this group was anything but. The pressure wasn't there. The coverage broke down too often. The takeaways didn't exist. that all changed in Week 8.
There was no Marshon Lattimore, but the combination of Alontae Taylor and Paulson Adebo harassed star WR Davante Adams throughout. The Raiders WR was sick throughout the week and maybe that played a factor. Regardless, it was another stud performance by the rookie Alontae Taylor following a matchup with DeAndre Hopkins a week ago. Adams finished the game with 1 catch for 3 yards on five targets. Taylor logged 3 tackles 2 passes defensed.
But it wasn't just the secondary. Pete Werner tipped a pass that Tyrann Mathieu collected for a rare interception. Josh Jacobs ran hard and amassed 43 yards on 10 carries, but the missed tackles that had plagued this team were cleaned up.
The pass rush also made life miserable on Derek Carr all day. They logged 4 sacks and 7 QB hits.
In the end it was a dominating performance that held the Raiders off the scoreboard and to just 183 yards total -- a large portion of which was accrued in garbage time. The Raiders went 5-14 on third down. It was the first shutout for New Orleans since they defeated the Bucs 9-0 in Week 15 of last season.
There's been a lot of merited negativity directed toward this group's season-long prospects, and it was largely based on an underperforming defense. If this group really does have it's swagger back, look out.
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OH DEAR, ALVIN IS HERE
Alvin Kamara going seven full weeks without a touchdown was one of the weirder anomalies in all of sports.
Part of it was an offense that wasn't prioritizing him deep in the red zone. But the largest part was the efficiency of Taysom Hill in those opportunities. That changed in the first half against the Raiders.
Taysom got his chance on first and goal, but Las Vegas managed to pull him down at the 3 yard line. That mean Alvin got his chance, and he didn't waste it, plowing in for his first touchdown of the season. The floodgates opened after that.
His second touchdown came from 16 yards out after a penalty left the offense behind the chains in the red zone. He took the ball down to the 1-yard line before being stonewalled by the defense, but had the presence of mind to reach the ball out over the goal line for the score.
His third touchdown was his easiest yet, taking a pass from Andy Dalton 36 yards for a score that put the Saints well in control.
This offense doesn't have a ton of weapons. It doesn't have to be complicated -- it just has to make sure they get used. Taysom Hill, Rashid Shaheed, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave. At the moment, those are your best playmakers. When they're all eating, this team can thrive.
- Olave: 5 catches, 52 yards
- Hill: 10 carries, 61 yards; 1-1 passing, 2 yards; 1 catch, 11 yards
- Kamara: 9 catches, 96 yards, 2 TDs; 18 carries, 62 yards TD
- Shaheed: 3 catches, 38 yards
No one was left hungry. This offense is tough to stop when that's the case.
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SELLERS, THEY ARE NOT
It's not an exaggeration to say the Saints walked onto the field today playing for their season.
Would they have been mathematically eliminated? No. But from a realistic perspective, would a 2-6 start to the season and another ugly home loss have left you thinking this team really had a chance even in THIS NFC South? If we're being honest, we all know the answer to that.
Everything would've been on the table heading into the Nov. 1 trade deadline.
Fortunately for the team and the city, they put together a performance that makes sure they really don't have to answer that question. They're not going to be sellers at the deadline and they honestly might now be the favorites to emerge from the dirt in a scuffling division.
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Will they be buyers? I hope not. There are still too many questions around this team to justifiably send out even more assets for a better chance in 2022. The group on the field needs to figure things out the rest of the way. But they could turn into low-level collectors. If a player hits waivers that can help this group, the Saints can and should be in play. If someone is getting offered for packing peanuts, sure, why not.
The performance in Week 8 won't get this team where it needs to go, but for the first time this season it felt like the Saints were the better team on the field throughout. It was a team that you can finally envision figuring things out, getting healthy and maybe even making noise in the postseason. The dose of positivity was needed. We all felt it. The Saints got it. Thank goodness.
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LAGNIAPPE
I see you, Payton Turner. The Saints' 2021 first-round pick finally got on the field this week after missing time with a chest injury. He made his presence felt with multiple pressures, and his highlight moment came when he was shot out of a cannon and took down Derek Carr for a big loss. Cool for him, and big for this pass rush if he can be a factor. ... Wil Lutz missed another makeable kick in this one, and he now has a bizarre split of 8 of 11 from 20-49 yards (73%) and 3 of 4 from 50-plus (75%). It didn't hurt them in this one, but it's still something that's got to get better. ... Andy Dalton continued to lead a proficient offense. There were no turnovers. They put up 24 points and ground down the clock in the 4th quarter. He's the QB1 as long as the offense continues to produce. It's unlikely we'll see anything change in that regard this week. ... Mark Ingram left in the first half with a knee injury and did not return. His status will be something to watch. Dwayne Washington drew snaps in his absence in the second half. ... Rashid Shaheed finally got multiple touches, but it was still his first touch that went big for a 30-yard gain. He finished with 3 catches for 38 yards. If nothing else, we can stop complaining about the 1-and-done approach.