Saints: Winners and losers from Week 9 loss to Falcons

1. Adam Trautman

Our expectations for Trautman this game were dirt low, but he somehow still landed six feet underground.

As in: he’s dead to us.

Trautman had eight games to prove he could be a No. 1 tight end for New Orleans, and so far he proved he’s good enough as a blocker. That’s all.

During a season when the Saints need receiving targets more than ever, Trautman continues to disappoint game after game. He caught just four of his seven targets for 47 yards, but no one was talking about his catches. Everyone was talking about his drops.

Trautman failed to catch several balls thrown his way on crucial downs and even in the end zone. Why Siemian was looking his way so often is a different issue, but if Trautman was complaining about playing time last year, he has absolutely no excuse this time.

With Juwan Johnson still a little too raw to start, it looks like New Orleans have a tight end problem along with…all their other problems.

2. Erik McCoy

Trautman rant over, the following “losers” on this list are mostly players who underperformed and Twitter called them out for it.

First up is Erik McCoy, who had two holding calls in the first half that disrupted momentum.

3. Kwon Alexander

Linebacker Kwon Alexander, who returned to New Orleans this offseason, has typically been a pillar in the midfield but missed some big lapses in coverage on Falcons’ RB Cordarrelle Patterson.

Alexander also got called for a taunting foul that gave Atlanta a new set of downs, eventually leading to a Falcons score at the end of the second quarter.

We’d expect as much from C.J. Gardner-Johnson, but not you, too, Alexander. Not you.

4. Tre’Quan Smith

And what “loser” list would be complete without the biggest loser on the Saints this season (offense intended): Tre’Quan Smith.

Smith’s final stats weren’t repulsive: he caught three of four targets for 53 yards, averaging 17.7 yards per catch.

But he still hasn’t played a game even remotely worthy of his offseason hype. Part of that is too unrealistic expectations, part of it is Sean Payton not picking up a WR to ease the burden, and most of it is Smith playing poorly. Like, wouldn’t-even-warm-some-NFL-teams’-benches poorly.

Smith’s most memorable highlight of the game was his holding foul during a big Kamara run in the third quarter that essentially nullified the play.

Then again, it’s not completely Smith’s fault. The entire WR room sucks. What’s new?

The 5-3 Saints still sit in second in the NFC South, but they missed their best opportunity to add another tally in the win column before tough matchups against the Titans, Bills, and Cowboys.

We never thought we would say this but: OBJ, come to NOLA. We need you.