Saints continue to get in their own way with penalties
Sunday was the same issue, different week for the New Orleans Saints when it came to penalties. It's one of the many lingering problems the Saints must solve.
From what everyone understands, the definition of insanity of is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. For fans of the New Orleans Saints, they'd be forgiven if they're starting to feel a little crazy. The problems with the Saints have lingered and felt perpetual, and that didn't change one iota during Sunday's defeat at the hands of the Houston Texans.
Arguably the biggest issue with this team at the present moment is also the one that should be the most easily fixable, and that is the issue of penalties.
During the Saints' loss to the Texans, they were flagged seven times for 83 yards, three of which were for pass interference. For those keeping score at home, two were offensive holding. As a result, the Saints now lead the league in both.
That's not all though. The Saints also lead the entire NFL in total penalties with 55, as well as penalty yards with a whopping 406. The 16 first downs their opponents have been awarded from Saints penalties? Well, that's good enough for second in the league.
The Saints have been whistled for a league-high 55 penalties (12 declined) for a league-high 406 yards. They lead the NFL in offensive holding (18) and defensive pass interference (9) penalties. Their opponents' 16 first downs by penalty is tied for second highest in the league.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) October 16, 2023
So what gives? Well, the issue comes down to coaching. It's as simple as that. While Dennis Allen has kept the Saints afloat, they've never been outright BAD, something needs to be done. This isn't a knock on Allen at all, it is however a knock on the Saints apparent refusal to separate themselves from the Sean Payton era. As an aside, look how well he's doing with the Denver Broncos.
Simply put, if this doesn't change, it's going to be a long season for the New Orleans Saints. Sure, they're sitting with a .500 record of 3-3 now, a testament to their defense, but that could easily look a lot worse if the players and staff don't clean up the penalties.