Falcons bury Saints 30-14

The Saints may have one game remaining at Tampa next week but the season is over. The Falcons win 30-14 and ended it with an exclamation running back a fumble 86 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the game. The Saints had 4 turnovers and the Falcons had none, so that pretty much tells you all you need to know. The big surprise was the offense’s complete inability to move the football on the 32nd ranked defense in the NFL at home. Drew Brees had what I thought was arguably his worst game of the season, in part due to really poor pass protection. The Falcons finished with 5 sacks which is the most they had all season. Prior to that many had described the Falcons’ pass rush as the team’s major liability. Go figure. The Saints had numerous players banged up and are really short on bodies at this point. Below are my notes on the game:

• Jimmy Graham should not be playing. He goes for most passes with one game, seems shy of contact, and is clearly not right. The few times he was hit he favored his shoulder. Whatever is wrong, it’s affecting his play to the point where he’s a net negative.
• Graham had a ruled fumble at the Falcons’ one with the Saints down 20-7. A touchdown there would have made it 20-14. Graham seemed to clearly cross the goal line with the ball on the play but even with the benefit of the replay the referee decided against it. A truly poor call in my opinion and all non biased parties seem to think so.
• Pierre Thomas left the game with an injury. Zach Strief left and returned. Keenan Lewis looked to be really compromised in the second half. He was hunched over in between plays and looks like he was going to throw up. Judging from his IV at halftime, I’m thinking he was trying to play with the flu. Ramon Humber was banged up but returned. The Saints missed Terron Armstead sorely.
• Jalen Saunders started the game and ran the opening kickoff back 99 yards to the Falcons 1. Ingram would score and the Saints were up 7-0 in the blink of an eye. Hard to believe they’d only score once more.
• The Saints had the ball down 20-14 late, but Brees threw an interception deep in Saints territory. That’s happened too often this year.
• Cameron Jordan’s disappearing act continues. He had 1 tackle.
• The Saints did a good job on special teams of taking Devin Hester out of the game.
• The Falcons’ defensive line was in Brees’s face all game long. They had 5 sacks and forced numerous hurries.
• The Saints went for it on 4th and 2 from the 34 in the first half before a false start by Bryce Harris. On 4th and 7 from the 39 they went for it anyone. Needless to say they didn’t convert. Crazy decision there.
• Terrence Frederick wasn’t nearly as good in start #2. Beaten consistently.
• Kenny Stills and Marques Colston both came to play, credit them. Two of the few guys on the team that impressed me along with Saunders.
• The Saints defense wasn’t great by any means but they did some good things. The run defense was pretty solid. The only negative was a 31 yarder given up for a touchdown. Even with that, though, the Falcons had just 81 yards rushing at 3.7 per carry.
• Julio Jones may have missed practice all week and been injured, but you wouldn’t know it. The Saints had little answer for him.
• After all that “funeral” talk by Lewis this week, it sure felt like one for the Saints.

I’d like to see the Saints shut down a lot of players that have been so banged up next week. Galette, Lewis and Graham are three players at minimum who should not be playing. I’d also lobby for Luke McCown to start the game. That’s not to slight Brees, I just think there’s no sense in playing him and risking injury setting him up for an offseason of rehab in a meaningless game. Judging by how this line has played he will get hit if he plays.