The New Orleans Saints were able to shake off their patented slow starts, but unfortunately they also lost their typical strong finish. Yes, they went three and out on the first drive of the game, but Tyler Shough capped off the team's second offensive drive with a touchdown to Juwan Johnson. It may not be the opening drive, but it's definitely not a slow start.
It can't be overstated how much of a deviation from the norm this is. It was the first time the Saints had led after the first quarter in the Kellen Moore era. Not only was Shough's pass the first touchdown the Saints have scored in the first quarter, it was the first time the Saints have scored any points in the first quarter.
Inefficiency early has been the talk of the team through two weeks, and they finally delivered on that front. Starting faster would have been the talk of the game if those inefficiencies didn't translate to the fourth quarter.
Saints absolutely crumbled in the 4th quarter
The same way slow starts have been a staple of the first two games, the Saints' ability to rally in the second half has equally notable. It's deeper than just this season as well. The offense has scored 85 points in the fourth quarter since Thanksgiving of last year, the most in the NFL in that span.
They outscored the Ravens 15-0 and the Lions 10-6. The offense was explosive, and the defense was a brick wall. They hadn't allowed a fourth quarter touchdown in eight games.
That script absolutely flipped in Week 3.
Instead of the forth quarter being the Saints' best quarter of action, it was easily their worst 15 minutes against the Raiders. Every offensive possesion ended in a turnover, and they had four attempts at it.
After protecting Shough well throughout the game, the front line collapsed, and Shough was under constant fire. That pressure was the direct cause of the first fumble and interception. The strip sack fumble was actually the first time Shough was sacked on the day.
That was the moment everything went downhill. The next drive was an interception and another fumble after that then a fumble on the final drive of the game. Four straight drives ending in a turnover at any point of the game will nearly guarantee you lose that game.
It happened in this game, and the result is the one the Saints earned. We no longer have to question if the Saints can start fast. We need to know if they can play a full 60 minutes.
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