Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints weren’t able to pull off the upset against the New England Patriots, falling 25-19 in Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season at Caesars Superdome. Here’s the biggest overreaction from this weekend’s matchup:
The Saints should move WR Chris Olave at the trade deadline.
While Olave caught a team-high six passes on 10 targets for 98 yards—tying his career-long 53-yard reception from his rookie season on the first play of the game—he also had several crucial drops that many would argue cost the team the game against a red-hot Patriots squad.
Spencer Rattler completed 20 of 26 passes for 227 yards, posting a 76.9% completion rate. Four of his six incompletions were intended for Olave, including two drops. The two are struggling to find a consistent rhythm, but it appears to be more of a timing issue than a lack of opportunity. Olave ranks second in the league with 61 targets, trailing only Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (64), who is expected to miss an extended period of time with an ankle injury.
Olave should have hauled in what would’ve been a touchdown on a perfectly placed pass from Rattler down the sideline—you couldn’t have asked for a better throw. Those are the kinds of plays bona fide WR1s make. He also nearly came down with what could’ve been one of the best catches of his career but couldn’t secure it on the way down. The play was ruled incomplete, though it easily could’ve been considered a catch and fumble.
Frustration was evident when the broadcast cut to Rattler shouting, “Catch the ball!” after another Olave drop—a rare flash of fire we haven’t seen from the young quarterback since his arrival in New Orleans.
Nonetheless, it feels like an overreaction to suggest the Saints should consider moving their top pass catcher midseason. Trading Olave now would leave Rattler—who continues to exceed expectations each week—with an even thinner supporting cast.
The two have reportedly been working on their timing in practice, and there are clear signs of chemistry developing. Those mistakes should be cleaned up sooner rather than later.
That said, an offseason trade shouldn’t be ruled out. Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots expressed interest in Olave earlier this year, and the Steelers have also shown recent interest in Rashid Shaheed. Still, a midseason move involving either receiver would likely do more harm than good for New Orleans.
