<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Db1dg_0w5eBN7r00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Db1dg_0w5eBN7r00" width="1600" height="900" ><figcaption>Saints tight end Foster Moreau tries evading the tackle attempt of Tampa Bay's Tykee Smith after hauling in a pass from rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler on Sunday (Oct. 13). (Photo: Rob Krieger) (WVUE-Fox 8)</figcaption></figure>NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Take One: A team in troubleThe Saints two-game win streak to open the season feels like a lifetime ago. Especially since they haven’t won a game since. Sunday marked four losses in a row and their second in the division in a 51-27 beatdown provided to them by Tampa Bay. The Saints have used the mantra ‘start fast, finish strong’ often. On Sunday though the opposite was the case. The team started slow and finished weak. Yes, they were on a short week, but the Bucs had been displaced due to Hurricane Milton. The Saints are now 2-4 searching for answers with another short week ahead against a head coach that will want nothing more than to beat his former team on national television.Take Two: Rattler reportWhen the Saints introduced their offensive starters Sunday, it was clear from the crowd reaction to each player who they were most excited to see.Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler has become a bit of a folk hero in the fan base, and the Who Dat nation was stoked to see him perform. On Sunday he made his first career start. Frankly, his performance was a mixed bag and a tale of two halves. In the first half, one would’ve never known it was Rattler’s first start. He looked poised and confident. He excelled in the bootleg game and saw the field incredibly despite losing Chris Olave on his second pass of the game. At halftime, Rattler was 11/17 for 140 yards and a touchdown. The Saints had a 27-24 lead, and the Dome was rocking. In the second half, things came unraveled. Todd Bowles and the Bucs adjusted to the bootlegs and brought more pressure.It worked.Rattler’s first drive was promising but cut short on a Bub Means drop that was originally ruled a fumble. He opened the fourth quarter with an interception on a throw to Rashid Shaheed. Two drives later, he made a poor decision on a shorter throw to Shaheed and was picked off by the linebacker. After an exciting first half, Rattler finished: 22/40, 243 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Not bad but not great either.His effort was admirable and earned him another opportunity if Derek Carr can’t go. However, for those hoping for some kind of quarterback controversy, Sunday likely squashed any of that talk. Take Three: Tackling concerns ‘That was atrocious’Dennis Allen didn’t mince words when describing his team’s defensive performance. In particular, their horrific effort in tackling was an epic failure. On several occasions, simple short throws to the flat resulted in huge gains for the Bucs.The speed the Bucs had to the edges of the field really stood out, and it was the major reason why things spiraled out of control in the second half. In the third quarter, Baker Mayfield threw a short pass to the sideline at the line of scrimmage to Chris Godwin. Willie Gay was in position to make the play and missed. Then, Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor both touched him but didn’t come close to bringing him to the ground. From there, it was off to the races. A checkdown meant to get a couple yards turned into a 55-yard touchdown and gave the Bucs a lead they wouldn’t give up. On their first offensive play of the fourth quarter, Bucky Irving ran a counter, stiff-armed Jonathan Abram at the line of scrimmage then proceeded to make six more tackles in route to a 31-yard run.Those were just two examples of porous tackling. In all, the Saints surrendered eight plays of 20+ yards. That’s not a recipe for success in the NFL.Take Four: Injury IssuesThe Saints came into the game without: Derek Carr, Taysom Hill, Cesar Ruiz, Erik McCoy, Lucas Patrick, Will Harris and Pete Werner. Kendre Miller was inactive. During the game, the team lost Chris Olave and Tyrann Mathieu. At various points in the game, Alontae Taylor, Jonathan Abram and Bryan Bresee exited but returned.Health will never be used as an excuse in the NFL. Injuries were certainly not the reason they lost Sunday. However, there are only so many ‘next men up’ a team can truly turn to without it having a serious impact on your team. This team really needs to get healthy in a hurry to help salvage a season that feels like it’s slipping away. Take Five: Other Observations- The ironic thing about the defense’s collapse late, is that it came on a day when they helped their young quarterback out with three interceptions. One of those interceptions set up their first offensive touchdown of the game when Rattler found Means in the end zone. - Shaheed’s punt return was another boost for Rattler. Non-offensive touchdowns are huge for a rookie quarterback making his first start. Shaheed made one guy miss on the return and on one else came close to touching on the play.- Rattler avoided a disaster on his second play when he mishandled a snap and fumbled. Fortunately, he was there to recover the ball.<ul><li>Rattler’s 41-yard dot to Foster Moreau set up their second touchdown of the game on an Alvin Kamara run. </li></ul>- Todd Bowles dialed up his usual exotic pressures in the second half and it led to five sacks. - Gay had the Saints’ lone sack of the game.- Baker Mayfield is slippery in the pocket despite not having great speed. He kept several plays alive. - After scoring 27 points in the second quarter, the Saints second half possessions were: punt, punt, punt, interception, punt, interception, end of game.- The Saints must find a way to win Thursday against Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos. If they lose five straight games, some difficult decisions could get more real. See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Fazende: Five takes from Saints loss to Tampa Bay

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Take One: A team in trouble. The Saints two-game win streak to open the season feels like a lifetime ago. Especially since they haven’t won a game since. Sunday marked four losses in a row and their second in the division in a 51-27 beatdown...

Fazende: Five takes from Saints loss to Tampa Bay

Comments / 0