Reflecting on the Saints-Ravens game
By: Jake Rajala
The New Orleans Saints love to play with fire. They came back from a 21 deficit in Week 1, to bring the game to overtime. In Week 2, the Saints were down by 11 points and they came back to win. With that said, I’m going to reflect on five things we learned from the showdown.
Chris Olave is an All-Pro player
After playing like the best WR in Week 1, Chris Olave put together another monster performance in Week 2. He recorded 8 grabs, 86 yards, and an touchdown. I sure enjoy him balling out, as he’s on my fantasy team. Olave was second team All-Pro last season. If he can stay healthy, he should be first team All-Pro this season.
Atrocious Saints run game
Somehow, the Saints play-action game was effective. They couldn’t run the ball, but the defense respected their run game. Travis Etienne had 8 carries for 25 yards and Kamara was even worse with 9 carries for 15 yards. Etienne also struggled to hold onto the ball.
Kyle Hamilton!
Kyle Hamilton was flying around the field. He showed his speed and range, to say the least. He had 13 tackles. The person with the second most tackles was Roquan Smith with eight tackles. Hamilton makes it hard for slot weapons to shine vertically down the field or with screens.
Lamar Jackson legs
I would have enjoyed to see Lamar Jackson use his legs more, especially on the last Ravens offensive drive. He only had 34 rushing yards on the day. Pete Werner is a stud, but they are still missing Demario Davis at LB. Lamar proved he isn’t an overly impressive, clutch QB in the final drive as he threw an easy interception to Julian Blackmon.
Daniel Carlson
Daniel Carlson proved to be worth the signing in the past pre-season. He unleashed 3 successful field goals on three attempts. One of his kicks was from 51 yards and he drilled it in. He is still 31 years old, so he’s not washed up just yet. It may sound wretched, but I still wish Will Lutz was the kicker. Of course, he’s in Denver with Sean Payton.
Honorable Mention
Slow start
As previously noted, the Saints have come back late in the game to tie it up or win. I really want to see the Saints start out better. They can’t allow teams like the Los Angeles Rams or Philadelphia Eagles to jump ahead by two scores. Hopefully, they can find ways to jump start their offense in the first quarter.
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