The New Orleans Saints got themselves back into the win column in Week 5 by defeating the Washington Football Team, 33-22. Things didn’t start out too hot and it was looking bad for them as a whole team in the first quarter, but they rallied and kept moving forward despite the countless injuries across their roster.
Sean Payton finally took the training wheels off of Jameis Winston and it was rough at first but he settled in as the game progressed. He started the game by throwing a pick on his first drive, though replay showed a linemen stepped on his ankle while he delivered the throw, keeping him a little off balance and thus throwing a horrible football. The next drive he threw a 72-yard touchdown to Deonte Harris. Then the third drive he was strip sacked. The rest of the game was ten times better. Winston ended with 279 yards, four touchdowns and just the one pick. He looked comfortable and was great when throwing the ball down the field. Their run game came to life as well with Alvin Kamara taking 16 carries for 71 yards and a 20 plus yard touchdown. However, they added onto a massive injury list. Harris left the game with a hamstring injury and Taysom Hill was knocked out of the game due to a dirty hit to the head after an incomplete pass. Before we move onto the Washington Football Team’s side of things, we have to give a shoutout to Blake Gillikin, the punter. He dropped three punts inside the five-yard line in this game and truthfully was the difference maker in the contest.
Defensively, New Orleans played great. Forcing two sacks and two interceptions, with Marshon Lattimore shadowing Terry McLaurin and tying an NFL record, six pass deflections in a single game. Taylor Heinicke struggled, throwing just 248 yards with no touchdowns and those two interceptions. Antonio Gibson led the way on the ground with 20 rush attempts for 60 yards and two touchdowns though. McLaurin, as previously mentioned, had four receptions for a measly 46 yards. Washington should feel better about their defensive line in this game, but overall, it was another pitiful effort defensively. Especially when they allowed a hail mary touchdown with no time left in the first half. Even the commentators said that it didn’t look like any Washington defender even attempted to jump for the football.
Wrapping this all up, we should take a look into our division and see how we stand. New Orleans is currently third in the division with a 3-2 overall record. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the top spot for now after thrashing the Miami Dolphins, 45-17. The Carolina Panthers choked a late game lead against the Philadelphia Eagles, dropping them down to 3-2 on the year and in second place due to that tie breaker over the Saints. Finally, we have the Atlanta Falcons. Who pulled out a 27-20 win over the New York Jets to get to 2-3 on the season. They are also in store for a long trip back after their London game.