The New Orleans Saints faced the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 22nd in Week 3 of the NFL season. Here are some highlights from the game.
The cards seemed stacked against the Saints going into Week 3. Drew Brees was injured, Teddy Bridgewater was making his first meaningful start since 2016, and the club was going into one of the most hostile opposing stadiums in the NFL. Despite these factors, they played a complete game of team football and came away with the win in Seattle.
Coming into a big road game like this, the Saints needed an early spark to get them going. They got this in the form of a 53-yard punt return from Deonte Harris after Seattle’s first drive of the game. After a punt by each team, Seattle drove down the field quickly to tie the game up at seven. On Seattle’s next drive, Chris Carson put the ball on the ground and Vonn Bell returned it for a 33-yard touchdown. At the end of the first half, Bridgewater connected with Alvin Kamara on a screen pass. Kamara bounced off several defenders on his way to the end zone to put the Saints up 20-7.
"You need one of those plays to create points here" – @TonyRomo
Bet. #Touchdown | #NOvsSEA ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/AxVW7bbhkJ
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 22, 2019
To begin the second half, Bridgewater found Michael Thomas on a one-yard touchdown pass, giving the Saints a commanding 27-7 lead. This came on a drive that was extended due to an illegal formation penalty by the Seahawks on a missed field goal attempt by Wil Lutz. Late in the fourth quarter, the Saints seemed to put the game away with a one-yard touchdown run by Kamara. Despite Seattle’s best efforts, their comeback attempt fell short, and the Saints left Seattle with a 33-27 victory.
Bridgewater played a solid game all around, going 19-for-27 with 177 passing yards and two touchdowns. Two notable stats are that he had zero turnovers and was not sacked at all throughout the game. This was a huge improvement from the offensive line from Week 2. When Bridgewater took over in Los Angeles, he was sacked a couple times and was scrambling for his life on numerous occasions.
Alvin Kamara had one of his best performances of his young career against Seattle. He carried the ball 16 times for 69 yards with one rushing touchdown. He also caught nine passes while racking up 92 yards and a receiving touchdown. Throughout the game, he was bouncing off of defenders like a pinball, showing why he is one of the most elusive and dynamic backs in the game. He is a huge reason why the Saints won this difficult road battle.
You serious @A_kamara6? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/d4GE1cLlyh
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 22, 2019
Takeaways
Teddy Bridgewater did not play like a superstar in this game, but he did exactly what the Saints needed him to do. He played turnover-free football and managed an excellent game. With the talent surrounding him on offense, he does not have to be spectacular for the Saints to win games. He simply needs to play smart and get the ball in the hands of his playmakers. Sean Payton has one of the best offensive minds in the game, and he drew up a perfect gameplan that highlighted the best aspects of Bridgewater’s game.
In the first two weeks of the season, New Orleans’ defense was not good at all. Although they gave up 27 points, the defense really stepped their game up in this one. They got a very opportunistic fumble recovery and turned it into a huge touchdown return. They played well enough to help the Saints build a big lead, but once the game was seemingly out of reach, there were many breakdowns in coverage that helped Seattle mount a comeback attempt. In upcoming games, they will need to focus on putting the game away instead of playing lackadaisical when given a large lead.
The Saints will be back at home in Week 4 when they will take on the Dallas Cowboys. This will be a huge test for not only Bridgewater but also the defense, as Dallas’s offense has looked almost unstoppable in the first three weeks of the season.
