Studs and Duds from Saints’ 13-10 road win over Seahawks
It often wasn’t easy, and at times it was perilous, but the New Orleans Saints beat the Seattle Seahawks at their own brand on football on Monday night. New Orleans’ defense bludgeoned Geno Smith and the Seattle running game, while their own offense did just enough to find a win.
But you’d like to see them do more than that. The Saints offense made enough mistakes and had enough bad performances to keep this game in jeopardy until the final minutes, including an uncharacteristic botched series or two in scoring position. Let’s go under the hood for Week 7’s Studs and Duds:
STUD | RB Alvin Kamara
Oct 25, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) celebrates after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s start with what went right, which was seemingly everything Alvin Kamara did. He caught 10 passes to gain 128 receiving yards, including a vital touchdown reception, giving the Seahawks fits throughout the first half. They finally conceded at halftime and committed two or more defenders to him every time he ran a route, but it wasn’t a decision his teammates were able to take advantage of in one-on-one matchups outside the numbers. His 179 scrimmage yards were the fifth-most he’s had in a single game in his impressive NFL career.
DUD | WR Tre'Quan Smith
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 25: Tre’Quan Smith #10 of the New Orleans Saints is brought down by Ugo Amadi #28 of the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field on October 25, 2021 in Seattle, Washington.
Now we’ve got to talk about what went wrong, which was nearly every play involving Tre’Quan Smith. He was getting open consistently against the Seahawks defensive backs but did little with it, mistakenly cutting his route short on the opening drive for what could have been a long pickup on a nice throw from Jameis Winston. Then he alligator armed a couple throws he should have caught, picked up a foolish penalty to back the offense out of scoring position, and finally caught an 11-yard pass to set up a manageable third down. He looked like someone who needed another week or two of practice to get back on the same page with Winston, who ripped into him on the sideline after another botched assignment.
STUD | LB Demario Davis
Oct 25, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; New Orleans Saints outside linebacker Demario Davis (56) reacts after a tackle against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s not overcomplicate this: Davis was a force in every phase of the game. He played all 56 (appropriate, right?) defensive snaps and finished the day with five solo tackles, all of which constituted a stop by Pro Football Focus. On passing downs he bagged a pair of sacks while breaking up one of the two targets thrown into his coverage, the other only gaining 9 yards. He’s rightfully seen as a leader of the team in this post-Drew Brees era, but Davis is also rapidly ascending to the pantheon of legendary Saints linebackers that came before him.
DUD | TE Adam Trautman
New Orleans Saints’ Adam Trautman (82) fumbles between Seattle Seahawks’ Ugo Amadi (28) and Bobby Wagner (54) during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 25, 2021, in Seattle. The Seahawks recovered the ball. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
We should’ve known the “Big Fish” would struggle against the Seahawks. Alright, that terrible pun’s out of the way — look, Trautman initially didn’t play too badly. He caught all three targets sent his way for 36 yards, doing enough to convert a first down twice. Then on the third catch he caught it short of the sticks and fought for more yardage, only to expose the football where Seahawks safety Ugo Amadi could punch it out for a fumble to set up the Seattle offense at the New Orleans 32-yard line. Fortunately the Saints defense was up to the task and forced a 50-yard field goal. But Trautman didn’t get another look after that, which was disappointing.
STUD | CB Marshon Lattimore
Oct 25, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) shoves Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
DK Metcalf should have been penalized for offensive pass interference after shoving Lattimore to the turf on his long touchdown reception five minutes into the game, but that speaks more to how difficult it is to play defense in today’s NFL. What’s important is that Lattimore only allowed 12 more yards to Metcalf through the next 55 minutes and 52 seconds of game time. But you’d like to see him better control his emotions and not respond to Metcalf’s trash talk, which led to a couple of costly penalties. He was also targeted twice while yielding Penny Hart and Tyler Lockett but only yielded 7 yards on one catch, breaking up the other pass.
DUD | WR Kevin White
New Orleans Saints’ Kevin White makes a catch before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Monday, Oct. 25, 2021, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
White finally got another look after spending a few months on the practice squad but he looked just as ineffective as he did in preseason. He just lacks the concentration needed to secure passes deep downfield, which is exactly the role his size and athleticism is made for. He only got on the field for 8 snaps with the offense but was thrown to twice, dropping one pass and failing to even come close to the other. It’s clear the Saints need to improve the receiving corps so players like him aren’t being put in such high-leverage situations.
STUD | CB Bradley Roby
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 25: Bradley Roby #21 of the New Orleans Saints looks on during the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on October 25, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Roby played 19 defensive snaps but he made an impact on almost all of them. He was charged with allowing only one single yard on two completions in coverage, consistently covering his opponents well and giving them little ground to gain. He also showed fantastic read-and-react ability on a designed screen to cut in between Seahawks blockers for a tackle for loss. If his rookie teammate Paulson Adebo weren’t playing so well he’d be starting, because he’s earned the opportunity for more snaps. The Saints are lucky to have him.
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