Saints blowout loss to Buccaneers keeps getting even worse

Things have gone from bad to worse in a hurry for the New Orleans Saints. What was once a promising 2-0 start has now turned into four-straight losses, with the most recent being an utter disaster against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Not only did the Saints get completely blown out of the water by their division rival, but New Orleans also continues to be banged up on the injury front. Obviously, it was rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler's first NFL start while Derek Carr was on the shelf, so expectations should have been tempered.

But, the Saints defense was obliterated by Baker Mayfield and company en route to giving up 51 points.

To add to the pile of bad news, wide receiver and return specialis Rashid Shaheed was hurt in the fourth quarter. The severity was unknown, at first, but on Monday, things quickly changed. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported some news that could continue to alter the Saints' season.

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Without that last little bit in Rapoport's initial wording, one might not be too worried. However, adding in the fact that this is believed to be "concerning" shifts the perceived severity in a major way. Now, the Saints could be without Shaheed for an extended period of time, if this injury is, indeed, of the serious nature.

The Saints might be in serious need of help at wide receiver

Not only is Shaheed hurt, but Chris Olave suffered a concussion in this loss to the Bucs as well. If Olave and Shaheed miss time (which seems likely) the Saints would be down to veteran Cedrick Wilson, rookie fifth-round pick Bub Means and the undrafted rookie, Mason Tipton as their healthy wideouts.

Equanimeous St. Brown is the most recognizable name on the practice squad, which also includes undrafted rookie Jermaine Jackson and veteran Kevin Austin.

Had the Saints been able to maintain the momentum of their 2-0 start, maybe they'd be in the market to make a move at the trade deadline if they wind up being in desperate need at the position. But, at 2-4, going hard for a wide receiver trade might not be in the cards for New Orleans.

For the next couple of days, we'll have to wait and see how things play out. With the Saints playing Thursday night, hosting the Denver Broncos, things look fairly bleak right now. It seems doubtful that Olave or Shaheed would suit up for this one, and if either of them did, they may not bee 100 percent.