New Orleans Saints Week 7 game recap: Everything we know

Well that was something. A game of professional football transpired between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints, who improved to a 4-2 record with a stifling defensive effort at Lumen Field. There are very real concerns to be had about the Saints offense based off a particularly ugly performance, but that’s a problem for another day. Let’s dig in:

Final score: Saints 10, Seattle 10

Saints' top performers

• This was one of the toughest games of Alvin Kamara‘s career, with the all-star running back seeing a combined 30 touches (20 carries, 10 receptions on 11 targets) to put up 179 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown catch. And he did it in a slog behind poor blocking in the rain and wind in front of a raucous crowd. He deserves a ton of credit.

• It was a respectable performance from rookie kicker Brian Johnson, too, in his first NFL action since turning pro out of Virginia Tech. Johnson made both of his short-range field goal tries as well as an extra-point attempt in ugly conditions. It went as well as you could hope for someone in these circumstances but Sean Payton does deserve some credit for keeping him out of risky, long-distance situations.

• Several defenders had strong games but Demario Davis was most impressive with four tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. He also had three quarterback hits and challenged the Seahawks offensive line’s gap integrity throughout the game. He’s the vocal leader of the defense for good reason, but he’s also known for leading by example — just look at his huge pass breakup on the final play of the night from Seattle, which he just nearly intercepted.

• A couple of starters returned from injured reserve this week and none had a better game than Marcus Davenport. The big defensive end was constantly around the football (and quarterback Jameis Winston), even if the stats sheet doesn’t reflect it well enough. He immediately looked like New Orleans’ best pass rusher. Getting him paired up with David Onyemata next week could be fun.

Injuries

• Left guard Andrus Peat exited early in the game after another player rolled onto his left ankle, but he tried to return and ended up suffering a shoulder injury. The Saints announced at halftime that he was questionable to return but Calvin Throckmorton finished the game in his spot.

• Defensive tackle Christian Ringo briefly left the game and was evaluated in the blue medical tent, but returned to continue playing. New Orleans was already light in the rotation with Albert Huggins released and Malcolm Roach inactive.

Important game notes

The Saints pass defense deserves some credit. Yeah, they gave up a horrendous 84-yard touchdown reception to DK Metcalf minutes into the game, but those 84 yards counted for half of Seattle’s total 167 passing yards. New Orleans otherwise only allowed 83 passing yards on 11 completed throws. And they sacked Winston five times and forced him into several throwaways, too.

And New Orleans’ special teams units came through in multiple clutch moments. Blake Gillikin punted six times and dropped four of them inside the Seattle 20-yard line without conceding a touchback. He had a long of 58 yards and the Seahawks only gained 19 punt return yards. On kickoffs, the Saints never allowed a return of longer than 23 yards at an average of 17.7 yards per kick return.

It’s obvious where the Saints must improve on offense: they converted just 2 of 13 third down plays, consistently putting themselves in a tough spot with modest games on first and second downs. As Drew Brees pointed out earlier this season, they’ve got to find more early down success to make those third downs more manageable.

What's next?

Sep 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) under center against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Saints will return home for a highly-anticipated game on Oct. 31 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady’s squad is 6-1 and hoping to get multiple playmakers back on both sides of the ball, ranging from Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown to Lavonte David and Richard Sherman. New Orleans has a lot to clean up — and even more just to figure out, on offense — before they’ll be ready to compete with the reigning Super Bowl champions.

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