Saints blow 4th Quarter lead to drop opener to Raiders

Week 1 brings all sorts of surprises, and it was no different for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints gave up 22-point 4th Quarter points to ultimately lose 35-34 in their opening contest. The story ended up being much of the same we’ve seen over the past several seasons.

The offense looked stellar, as Drew Brees threw for 423 yards on 28 completions and 4 touchdowns. Willie Snead led all receivers with 172 yards on 9 receptions (plus a score), and Brandin Cooks had 6 grabs for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns.

However, the defense got carved up in the final quarter after a strong start. The definitive turning point was a huge 75-yard touchdown run by rookie Jalen Richard. It also didn’t help that the Saints lost cornerback Delvin Breaux to a left leg injury. Unfortunately, the Saints couldn’t get after quarterback Derek Carr, and the Raiders quarterback made them pay the price.

The Saints travel to take on the New York Giants in Week 2, and look to overcome some horrible odds. The only season the Saints have lost their season opener and made the playoffs was back in 2011. For a club that was expecting change and to come out swinging, Week 1 was fairly disappointing.