What we learned from Saints vs. Packers

The New Orleans Saints were blown out on Monday Night Football by the Green Bay Packers 34-0. The Saints trotted out a young and inexperienced lineup due to multiple injuries with interim head coach Darren Rizzi coaching his 6th career game. The Saints were completely outplayed against the Packers on prime-time TV. There was nothing positive for the Saints coming out of Green Bay and the loss didn’t provide a better draft position.

The Saints are a long way away

The 34-0 loss to the Packers made them the first team to be shut out this season. The offense played poor, the defense was being manhandled, and interim head coach Darren Rizzi had his worst showing of the season. New Orleans is further than just one season away from being able to compete again and they lack enough talent on all sides of the ball. The Saints’ cap and roster problems also could present an issue leading to them becoming one of the least desirable destinations for head coaches. In my opinion, the rebuilding process for New Orleans will last over multiple seasons and the team won’t be competitive soon.

Finding the future head coach will be a challenge

The Saints’ embarrassing loss on Monday Night Football was more than a team dealing with injuries. From the terrible clock management to the questionable play calling, New Orleans was fully outcoached and outplayed. While the team has been a better-coached team under Darren Rizzi, the former special teams coordinator hasn’t done enough to lead the head coaching search. Despite Rizzi’s terrible showing on Monday, the Saints may have a hard time finding a candidate to replace him. New Orleans doesn’t look like a desirable destination for top candidates as they deal with a major cap space problem and a lack of young talent. Former Saints defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and Mike Vrabel have all been connected to New Orleans, but the Saints may not have their pick with the issues inside the building.

The young core couldn’t take advantage

With all the injuries the Saints suffered, New Orleans was relying on their young core to step up in primetime and cement their spots on the roster going forward. What the Saints got was a shutout with no riveting performances from any single player. Running back Kendre Miller was unsuccessful running the ball earning just 15 yards on 8 carries while rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler struggled with the lack of pass catchers ending the day by completing slightly over half his passes and an interception. The young pass rushers for New Orleans weren’t able to record a single sack and the defense rarely got a stop. In an era of Saints football that has been underwhelming, the lack of flashes by their young stars doesn’t look so promising for the future.

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