The New Orleans Saints fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 51-27, extending their losing streak to four consecutive games following a 2-0 start.
After being down 17-0 early, New Orleans scored 20 unanswered points to take the lead as a comeback seemed to be in the works. However, the second-half adjustments made by Todd Bowles and the Bucs, along with the New Orleans defense forgetting how to tackle (15 missed tackles), allowed Tampa Bay to take over and never look back. The Bucs’ 594 total yards set a new franchise record, and they became just the fifth team in NFL history to tally 300+ passing yards and 275+ rushing yards in a single game.
Let’s take a look at two overreactions following the Saints’ Week 6 loss to the Buccaneers:
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“The Saints need to fire their medical staff midseason.”
New Orleans can’t seem to escape the injury bug and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to overcome. Against Tampa Bay, WR Chris Olave was ruled out with a concussion, S Tyrann Mathieu was ruled out with a forearm contusion, Alontae Taylor took a brief trip to the locker room with a shoulder injury, S Johnathan Abram missed a couple of plays with a back injury, DT Bryan Bresee visited the injury tent with an undisclosed injury, and WR Bub Means went to the tent after hurting his thumb while punching out the ball on one of Spencer Rattler’s two interceptions.
At the end of the day, firing the medical staff midseason is simply not a smart approach and would likely do more harm than good. Their familiarity with the players and their injury history, along with an understanding of how things operate within the organization, carries significant weight.
When the offseason arrives, I believe it’s time to start making some changes to the medical staff. In the meantime, the Saints need to evaluate the way they practice and the programs they currently have in place to finish the season strong. New Orleans has suffered an unusually high number of soft tissue injuries through the first six weeks of the season.
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Bite the bullet and trade for WR Davante Adams
With Chris Olave expected to miss Week 7 while in concussion protocol, the Saints’ need for extra playmakers on offense just got a lot bigger. If New Orleans wants Davante Adams, they’ve got to go get him now. Should the Las Vegas Raiders not budge with their asking price and decide to keep him, the Saints should look elsewhere because an addition must be made. Another weapon could be essential to the development of rookie QB Spencer Rattler, who looked promising in his NFL debut despite some anticipated growing pains.
At the beginning of the trade rumors surrounding Adams, I questioned whether it was a move worth making. At this point, it’s clear that the team is lacking viable pass catchers after Sunday’s performance. If Chris Olave is forced to miss time with his third NFL concussion (fourth in his football career), I’m not sure the Saints have enough firepower in the WR room with two rookies and an underperforming veteran behind Rashid Shaheed.
A receiver who specializes in contested catches and can be targeted over the middle appears to be one of the offense’s missing pieces. If not Adams, New Orleans should check on the availability of Cleveland Browns WR Amari Cooper or Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins. They could even try to rekindle the relationship with former Saints WR Michael Thomas, who is still available and has expressed his excitement for Spencer Rattler via social media. Something needs to be done, and fast.
New Orleans will face the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football as Sean Payton looks to put a nail in the coffin of the Dennis Allen-led Saints in his return to the Big Easy. Future Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees is also set to be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony, so expect a vibrant atmosphere in the Caesars Superdome.
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