The New Orleans Saints didn’t just simply lose to the Rams to fall to 1-8 on the season. They were thoroughly dominated in nearly all facets.
That showed on the scoreline with the 34-10 margin, but it showed even more clearly in the stat book. The Rams won time of possession by 27 minutes, and had the ball for all but three plays in the third quarter. It’s a situation that leaves the Who Dat Nation, and the Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert, looking for answers.
"It’s humiliating. ... This is the National Football League, it’s supposed to be pros versus pros, well it sure don’t look like that with the Saints right now,” Hebert said in his postgame rant. "I mean, OK, what’s the common denominator as of late right now, I think, OK, we have a new coach. First-year coaches can’t get fired. Kellen Moore is not going to have Sean Payton’s personality and he never will, you know, his mindset, but the GM has to come in the picture. The general manager, who got these players and who is running the team. No, how can you not be held accountable?”
Hear Bobby Hebert's full postgame rant in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
The Saints were debuting a new starting QB in rookie Tyler Shough, and while he had some nice moments they were too few and too far between. The Saints started with three straight three and outs and continued to feature an ineffective run game. The lone explosive run play came from Taysom Hill with a 28-yard run in the first half, but that drive ended in a field goal. Shough did find some positivity with a touchdown drive in the final moments of the first half, but those would be the final points of the game.
L.A. came out after halftime and executed a 16-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that burned the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Saints turned the ball over three plays later and the Rams went on another 10-play touchdown drive. The Saints young secondary was carved up by Matthew Stafford and his top weapons in Davante Adams (5 catches, 60 yards, 2 TDs) and Puka Nacua (7 catches, 95 yards, TD), but he also found any of four different tight ends seemingly at will in big moments.
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“When you’re trying to do something significant when the game is on the line and you’ve got to get a first down, change the momentum,” Hebert continued. "We’re not doing that. We’re not doing it. … All those things add up and we’re doing what losing teams do, you lost the turnover margin and you have no chance to win.”
It all adds up to a Saints team that’s facing its second worst start in team history as it tries to assess the future at the quarterback position. There was a reasonable expectation that this season would be a development year, but winning football has seemed further away than ever in three straight double-digit defeats. The Saints will certainly be an interesting team to watch at Tuesday’s trade deadline and with several veteran players who could draw interest from contenders across the league.
However that pans out, there’s no “sugarcoating anything,” as the Cannon says, the Saints entire operation can and should be under scrutiny as we see how this project plays out the rest of the way.
“I’m just telling you, fans want answers, and if you try different things and it’s the same … song and dance and then you look, well, who is in charge, and it’s just the way it is,” Hebert continued. “So don’t be hating on me, nobody get mad, nothing personal against anybody. It’s just the way it is. This is tough love. This is professional football, and someone has to be held accountable and it’s just the way it is. I don’t make the rules.”
The Saints’ next opportunity to get their season pointed in the right direction will come on the road against the Carolina Panthers. Catch all the action on WWL and Audacy.