The New Orleans Saints’ loss in Week 3 felt like in a ‘back to Earth’ moment, and that’s no disrespect to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have been one of the bigger surprises this year and a genuinely quality team, but it still feels like they’re a step below the Baltimore Ravens, who the Saints beat in Week 3. For all the hype the Saints received after their week two victory, the loss the ensuing week made the seven days of hype feel a bit premature.
The game against the Raiders was a harsh reality check that this is still the NFL and any given Sunday is a real thing. This is a week to week league, and the Saints have to show the consistency. They knocked off the Ravens, but stumbling the next week is proof they’re not quite where they need to be yet.
It’s also how you lost the game. Having 4 turnovers can be quite humbling, especially when they all came on consecutive drives in the fourth quarter. After dominating the fourth quarter through two games, the Saints completely folded to close the game and left an even more sour taste in their mouths
Saints' loss was a massive missed opportunity
The Saints had a missed opportunity on three fronts: failure to build on momentum, separation in the division, and ultimately, a missed opportunity to close out the game.
The latter is easily the worst. The other two are things the Saints will have an opportunity to correct, but there's no chance for the Saints to get back the final 15 minutes of the game. In their home opener, the Saints held a 27-22 lead in the fourth quarter, and they were in scoring position.
That's a game you're supposed to win when you're playing against an equal opponent and you're at home. To be in that position then turn the ball over four times is the definition of letting one slip through your fingers. If the game started at the top of the fourth quarter 10 more times, the Saints likely come out on top in most of them, and what actually happened wouldn't happen again.
Losing this game also took away a chance to truly build momentum. New Orleans secured a massive win over the Ravens, and this collapse took away the momentum. We saw a similar sequence with the Carolina Panthers last year.
The Panthers recorded big wins over the Packers and Rams then loss to the Saints the following week both times. Carolina had taken a step forward, but it still had a ways to go. If the Saints want to prove they're further along than last year's Panthers, then they'll need to start stacking together wins and performances.
Speaking of the division, a win would have put the Saints at the top of the division. Instead, they sit in a three way tie with Carolina and Atlanta. They still find themselves in a solid position, but beating the Raiders then having a Monday Night showdown with Atlanta was the perfect combination for the Saints to create some early space in the NFC South.
How the Saints loss and what it means are much bigger than the loss itself. Week 3 has to be a learning lesson as all attention turns to Atlanta.
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