Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints dropped to 2-10 on Sunday after losing 21-17 to the Miami Dolphins. Despite the loss, there were positive performances from key players that stood out for New Orleans, while some areas of concern continue to be an issue.
By far the biggest standout for the Saints on Sunday was the breakout of wide receiver Devaughn Vele. The second-year wide out logged 8 receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. Vele was rookie quarterback Tyler Shough’s go-to target in the loss and brought in every pass coming to him, literally. The former Denver Broncos wide receiver was targeted eight times and brought in all eight receptions.
After trading away Rashid Shaheed and waiving Brandin Cooks, the Saints needed a wide receiver to step up. On top of the need at receiver, New Orleans has been missing a big-body target that can catch passes over the middle of the field. While Chris Olave has had a solid performance this season, he hasn’t been as reliable over the middle of the field, and a history of injuries is a concern. At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Vele offers size and reliability the Saints haven’t had since Michael Thomas.
Quarterback Tyler Shough may be a controversial pick for a positive in Sunday’s loss. In fact, the Saints’ offense hasn’t scored 20+ points since the rookie took over. Despite the offensive struggles, however, Shough continues to display his immense arm talent and his ability to make off-schedule plays.
Shough ended the day throwing for 2 touchdowns, a fumble, and an interception, with another interception not showing up on the stat sheet due to it occurring during a 2-point conversion. Despite the struggles, the 26-year-old rookie continues to show flashes of talent and will make the Saints’ decision in April difficult if they hold a top-3 pick.
The Offensive line play for the Saints continues to struggle. Shough was sacked four times on Sunday, and while it is valid to put some of the blame on the rookie quarterback, he also was forced to make plays with his feet due to a quickly crumbling pocket.
Pro Football Focus released their grades for Sunday’s matchup, and the O-Line for the black and gold did not fare well. RT Taliese Fuaga was given a 59.0 grade while rookie LT Kelvin Banks Jr. earned a 52.4. But the worst graded offensive lineman for the Saints on Sunday was veteran guard Dillon Radunz, who earned a 45.5. New Orleans continues to struggle with offensive line play, and it’s hindering the team as a whole. The Saints have drafted an offensive lineman in the first round in the last two years, yet it continues to be one of their biggest areas of concern.
