Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - It sure looks like a David vs. Goliath matchup this Sunday in Orchard Park.
The New Orleans Saints, 0-3 for the first time since 2016 and looking like one of the worst teams in the National Football League, will face the 3-0 Buffalo Bills, who are one of the best teams in the league once again.
Bills fans are hoping this time around, Goliath wins easily.
The Saints actually looked competitive during their first two games, losing by seven points to the Arizona Cardinals and five points at home against the San Francisco 49ers.
Then they traveled to Seattle in Week 3, and found themselves down 21-0 after 10-and-a-half minutes to the Seahawks. The 38 points they gave up in the first half equaled a franchise record.
The Saints have a new head coach in former NFL quarterback Kellen Moore, who had been the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. At 36 years of age, Moore is the youngest head coach in the league.
Moore chose second-year pro Spencer Rattler to be his starting quarterback to start the year, and while Rattler hasn't played badly, the offense has struggled to reach the end zone.
New Orleans has managed just five touchdowns over the first three games, and are ranked 29th in points per-game.
The passing game has been average, so opposing defenses can key on running back Alvin Kamara. If you have Kamara on one of your fantasy team,s you are well aware that he is averaging just 3.7 yards per-carry and has only one touchdown.
Rattler, who is 0-9 as an NFL starter, has some talented targets in the passing game. Wide receiver Chris Olave leads the team in catches (23) and is second in yards (165). The No. 2 receiver is Rashid Shaheed. Tight end Juwan Johnson leads the Saints with 176 receiving yards, and has developed a good chemistry with Rattler.
Three of the five starting offensive linemen have been dealing with injuries, and that has played a big part in their production issues.
If you were wondering about do-it-all offensive weapon Taysom Hill, he is still working his way back from a torn ACL sustained last season, and won't be available for this game.
Defensively, the Saints are middle-of-the-pack in most of the statistical categories, but they are 25th in points per-game. The 44 points given up in Seattle dragged them down in those rankings.
They have had issues getting off the field, and are sixth-worst in the league in third-down efficiency. Opponents have been able to convert at a 45% clip on third down.
36-year-old linebacker Demario Davis leads the Saints in tackles. Defensive end Carl Granderson tops them in sacks with three-and-a-half. Cameron Jordan, who came back for a 15th season, is first in Saints history for career sacks with 123, but has only six over the last two years.
The Saints have managed just two takeaways, both fumble recoveries. Their defense has yet to record an interception over the opponents' first 89 pass attempts.
They do have a starting cornerback, though, with one of the best names in the league in Kool-Aid McKinstry.
As for special teams, place kicker Blake Grupe is 5-for-5 on extra point attempts, but only 4-for-7 in field goal attempts.
While getting routed this past week in the Pacific Northwest, New Orleans gave up a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown, and had one of their own punts blocked, leading to a Seahawks touchdown. The Saints are ranked 31st in both kick and punt coverage.
One bright spot has been the punt return work from Shaheed, who is averaging 16 yards a return.
Penalties have also been a problem for the Saints, with 31 accepted penalties over the first three games. Prior to their Week 2 matchup against the 49ers, the Saints brought in officials during practices in an effort to clean up that part of their game.
New Orleans has been an infrequent visitor to Orchard Park. This will be the sixth time the Saints have ever made the trip to Western New York. They've actually won the last four meetings, but only one has come in the Sean McDermott era.
Back in McDermott's first year in 2017, the Saints pounded the Bills, 47-10, which remains the most lopsided home defeat in his coaching career.
Here are some Bills notes for your consideration:
- The Bills have won 14-straight regular season games at Highmark Stadium. Since the start of the 2022 season, they are 24-2 at home in the regular season. They are 4-2 in the playoffs.
- If the Bills win, the 4-0 start would equal their best under McDermott (2020).
- The Bills are one of three teams with no giveaways so far this season (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts).
- The Bills are leaning on James Cook a little more through the first three games. His snap count of 55% is up from 44% last season. He's averaged 17 carries a game, up from 13 last year. The payoff has been there. Cook is second in the NFL in rushing, and his yards per-carry has gone up from 4.9 in 2024 to 5.4 this season.
- Keon Coleman did have a bad drop during the win over the Miami Dolphins, but his catch percentage is up early on. Coleman has caught 77% of his targets (14-of-18), a big jump from last season when his catch rate was only 50% (29-of-57).
- Even though Matt Prater badly missed a 39-yard field goal attempt in the Dolphins game, he has been solid since joining the Bills. Prater is 7-for-8 on field goal attempts, and 9-for-9 on extra point attempts. Tyler Bass is eligible to come off Injured Reserve after this game.
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