Saints playoff hopes die in 28-13 loss to Lions

The Saints aren’t a good football team and they have a bad defense and a mediocre offensive line. These things have been true all year and they proved themselves to be true once again today. The defense HAS shown improvement all year, and they aren’t the dumpster fire they were of years past, but don’t confuse not being the worst defense ever with being good. The same can be said for the Saints offensive line. They aren’t bad, but they are mediocre and getting dominated by a defensive front that can only be described as ‘meh’ against the Lions today.

The Saints offense looking awful the same week where a report about Cooks being frustrated with his lack of targets is guaranteed to stir up Saints fans, but it had nothing to do with this performance. The fact is that the Saints were outplayed by a Lions team that plays harder than they do, attacked their weaknesses ruthlessly, and they played their worst game of the year. They were both incompetent, and outplayed. The Lions aren’t a very good football team, but they fight as hard as they can and maximize their own talents. Against a team like the Saints who matches up poorly with them (especially when the offensive line turns in their worst performance of the year) the Lions looked dominant and the Saints watched ANY chance of making the playoffs burn to cinders.

Observations:

• The Saints have the weapons they need to be an elite and dominant offense, what they lack is the offensive line.
• The Saints should shut down Armstead fully now and save him for next year, when there were playoff hopes I understood keeping him active. They aren’t now so it simply makes no sense.
• The defense is definitely an improved unit, but they have 3 MAJOR pieces they need next year. They need a number 2 corner (PJ or otherwise), a legit speed rusher opposite Cam, and a Linebacker with actual speed other than Ellerbe. This game came down to in large part the fact they are hopeless at stopping attacks on the edges.
• The Saints are an ‘almost team’, and they are almost good. But the rebuild needs another off season like this last one, that is abundantly clear.
• Delvin Breaux is out of sorts and is not playing well. We are used to the Saints being NCMF (you know what it stands for) but Breaux has shown trouble with finding the ball this year and he’s clearly not playing up to his abilities. He shows flashes of his former self, but then has awful plays like those he put up today.
• Sheldon Rankins was a REALLY good draft pick.