The New Orleans Saints lost 10-24 against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon. They came out of their bye week sloppy and it translated to the results. In spite of this, certain players performed well, particularly on the defensive side.
This loss is going to hurt for fans. Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham were in the building, the Saints were facing their rival and riding high off a win before the bye week. However, fans shouldn’t overreact. This isn’t a team who will win every game. The rebuild is ongoing and will hurt at times.
With that said, it’s time to get into the winners and the losers from the Saints loss on Sunday afternoon.
Two winners and three losers from the Saints loss against the Falcons
Winner: Justin Reid
The Louisiana native had a huge day against the Falcons. Reid was everywhere on the field, making plays left and right. He tallied his first interception of the year and took it back for a touchdown. In fact, he scored more points than the offense did. Beyond this, Reid was second on the team with seven tackles. Him keeping this level of play is pivotal to the Saints defensive success as the season winds down.
Loser: Blake Grupe
The struggles continue. Blake Grupe has had a disastrous year despite having sky-high expectations during the offseason. Grupe went ⅓ against the Falcons and is now 17/23 on the year. His confidence is destroyed and it’s evident in his play. At this point, it may be wise to give Charlie Smyth a shot. It really can’t get much worse than this.
Winner: Isaiah Stalbird
Isaiah Stalbird continues to impress as he sees more opportunities. The former undrafted free agent tallied his first career sack, nearly hurdling Kirk Cousins while doing so, and racked up five tackles. The future of Pete Werner isn’t certain and Demario Davis isn’t getting any younger so the Saints need to identify their future at linebacker. Stalbird could be a piece in figuring that out.
Loser: Kellen Moore’s playcalling
Kellen Moore has had great moments early in his head coaching career, however, his play calls have been inconsistent throughout the season. Alvin Kamara getting injured undoubtedly played a role, but Tyler Shough shouldn’t be attempting 43 passes. The success of the running game is vital to take pressure off Shough. It will be tough to get a full evaluation on the rookie if the entire offense stands upon his shoulders.
Loser: Taysom Hill
Is the magic gone? Taysom Hill just isn’t the same player he was a few years ago. He was ineffective against the Falcons with 10 carries for 17 yards and going 0/2 passing. He still gets tons of carries despite his lack of production. The days of running QB power with him are dwindling. The Saints should consider giving the short yardage situations to Devin Neal from now on.