2 winners (and 2 losers) for Saints in Week 14 win over Giants

On Sunday, the New Orleans Saints moved to 5-8 with a win over the New York Giants. The Giants have only won two games this season, so it’s not encouraging that this game came down to the last play, nevertheless, you don’t have to apologize for winning in sports.

The reason this game was close, but the Saints ultimately won, is because they had several good and bad performances. Some players and units underwhelmed, but others had statement games. Let’s take a look at a couple of guys that fall in each category by looking at the winners and losers from this game.

Winners from Saints win over Giants

Kendre Miller

Second-year running back Kendre Miller returned from his second stint on injured reserve, and he showed everyone exactly what they wanted to see. The young running back only had 10 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown, but he had some impressive runs that reminded everyone of his talent.

From making defenders miss, to running through contact, and carrying a pile into the end zone, Miller had a good return. Now, he just needs to stay healthy and stack quality wins.

Bryan Bresee

Bryan Bresee sealed the win for the Saints with some elite athleticism, jumping from a four-point stance to clear the snapper and block a game-tying field goal attempt. As great as that play was, Bresee’s impactful game started well before that.

In the game, the second-year defensive tackle had a sack, two quarterback hits, and two batted passes. He now leads the team with 7.5 sacks on the season, and he’s developing into a standout defensive tackle.

Losers from Saints win over Giants

New Orleans offensive line

The most disappointing thing from Sunday’s game was the performance of the offensive line. There was excitement entering the game, because the Saints were getting back Erik McCoy and Lucas Patrick. However, the starting unit appeared to be rusty, because New Orleans couldn’t run the ball against a defense that isn’t good at stopping the run.

The Saints finished the day with 32 carries for 93 yards, not including the kneel on the final play of the game. That breaks down to 2.9 yards a carry. That’s not going to get the job done, and that’s why New Orleans only scored 14 points.

Derek Carr

Despite the lack of team success this season, people were actually starting to point out that Derek Carr has been somewhat solid this season. Some people even started to accept the reality that Carr could be back under center next season. Unfortunately, it now looks like the veteran quarterback’s season is ending early.

As the Saints tried to put the game away late, Carr took off to run, and attempted to dive over about three players. That resulted in him falling to the ground, and possibly fracturing his left, non-throwing hand. While the veteran quarterback will say he was just trying to do anything to win, many would say it was an ill-advised decision. Now, with four games remaining, his season is likely over.

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