The New Orleans Saints scored on their first drive on Sunday, similar to how they performed in their surprisingly high-scoring first two games of the season.
However, nothing else about their 15-12 loss to Philadelphia resembled the blowout wins against Carolina and Dallas, where their offense seemed nearly unstoppable and scored an NFL-high 91 points under new coordinator Klint Kubiak.
The Saints managed only 12 first downs and were outgained 460 yards to 219. They were ahead of the Eagles for most of the game, thanks to their strong defense, but lost when Saquon Barkley scored a touchdown with just 1:01 left.
“You knew adversity would happen at some point,” said Saints quarterback Derek Carr, who threw an interception in the final minute that decided the game. “It’s not going to be that easy all the time.”
For New Orleans, it was a challenging game overall.
After scoring on their first nine series against Carolina and getting touchdowns on their first six possessions at Dallas, they struggled to score in the first three quarters.
Blake Grupe’s 34-yard field goal hit the right upright and then went over the crossbar to finish a 15-play opening drive. That was the only time New Orleans scored in the first 50 minutes.
Starting center Eric McCoy left the game with a groin injury on the opening drive, and the offensive flow that New Orleans showed in their earlier victories quickly disappeared.
“It’s a big blow,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said about McCoy’s injury. “He’s an important part of our offensive line and the way that we play up front. It was difficult to lose him and yet it’s part of the game and we’ve got to be able to step up and still play at an acceptable level when we lose a guy like that.”
With guard Lucas Patrick moving to center and reserve Olisaemeka Udoh coming in at guard, Carr was sacked on the first play of the Saints’ second possession, setting a difficult tone for the game.
The Eagles managed to hold running back Alvin Kamara to 87 yards on 26 carries after the Saints had rushed for 370 yards in their first two games.
When the Saints handed the ball to Kamara on fourth-and-1 from the Eagles’ 18-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter, Philadelphia stopped him just short.
Carr completed 14 of 25 passes for 142 yards, with a longest pass of 29 yards. This was a big difference compared to Weeks 1 and 2, when he threw five touchdowns, including one that was 70 yards and another that was 59 yards.
“Their offense was rolling for two weeks, putting up a lot of points and a lot of yards with a lot of efficiency,” said Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts, whose interception in the end zone and lost fumble in the first half didn’t end up costing the Eagles.
“Our defense played a hell of a game.”
Grupe’s field goal with 9:49 left gave the Saints their first points since the opening drive, and Carr connected with Chris Olave for a 12-yard touchdown, putting New Orleans ahead 12-7 with 2:03 remaining.
But it wasn’t enough. Hurts threw a 63-yard pass to tight end Dallas Goedert, bringing the ball to the New Orleans 4-yard line.
Saints safety Jordan Howden collided with cornerback Marshon Lattimore, causing safety Will Harris to maneuver around them while chasing Goedert across the field.
Barkley scored the winning touchdown on the next play. “Defensively, we just gave up too many explosive plays,” Allen said. “We made too many mistakes, and when you play a good team and make mistakes, they take advantage of it.”
The final mistake came from Carr, who tried to force a pass downfield under pressure as the Saints attempted to get in range for a tying field goal. Safety Reed Blankenship intercepted it just before it hit the ground.
