Power Rankings: Saints slide down after first loss of season

Here’s where the New Orleans Saints (2-1) stand after their week three loss to the Green Bay Packers (2-1).

NFL.com: 14 (-4)

“I was struggling to overlook the Saints’ O-line issues prior to Derek Carr suffering a shoulder injury that forced him to leave the Week 3 loss to Green Bay. There’s no hiding those issues now. Carr’s injury was not directly the fault of the Saints’ line, but their offensive troubles start with that group. On Sunday, left tackle Trevor Penning was flagged twice and left guard James Hurst was flagged once. Center Erik McCoy and Hurst also had tough reps in pass protection. The entire unit struggled to generate any movement in the run game. And on top of all that, RG Cesar Ruiz left with a concussion. With Carr week to week, who knows how they’ll block should Jameis Winston start at QB? The Saints suddenly are entering a gut-check phase after their 2-0 start.”

CBS Sports: 13 (-4)

“The injury to Derek Carr is a bad thing but blowing a 17-point lead late still shouldn’t have happened. Carr’s injury bears watching.”

ESPN: 15 (-5)

“Saints coach Dennis Allen admitted after the Packers loss that the offensive line needs to protect better, but the unit might have to protect someone else besides quarterback Derek Carr, who is week-to-week after spraining the AC joint in his right shoulder Sunday. The Saints have allowed 12 sacks this season, and while they’re not all on the offensive line, it’s a problem that needs to be addressed moving forward. — Katherine Terrell”

Bleacher Report: 15 (-5)

“For much of Sunday’s game in Green Bay, the New Orleans Saints appeared to be cruising toward a third straight win to open the season. With star running back Alvin Kamara set to return from suspension next week, all was right with the world.

Then a double dip of disaster struck.

First, quarterback Derek Carr was forced from the game with a shoulder injury after being slammed to the ground. Then the Saints’ 17-point lead evaporated, and, after a missed field goal at the end of regulation, what had appeared to be a relatively easy win was the Saints’ first defeat of the season.

Of course, the bigger concern for New Orleans now is the status of Carr. After being evaluated at a local hospital, Carr is believed to have suffered an AC joint sprain, which makes his status for next week’s NFC South clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers uncertain.

After the game, head coach Dennis Allen expressed confidence in Jameis Winston’s ability to lead the team if necessary.

‘I’m confident in our football team,’ Allen told reporters. ‘We stumbled today, we learned from it, we’ll get better from it and we’ll keep going.’

But the notion of a revenge game against his old team aside, if the Saints were truly confident in Winston, they wouldn’t have signed Carr in the offseason.”

USA Today: 16 (-8)

“Just as RB Alvin Kamara tags in from his three-game suspension, QB Derek Carr is likely tagging out for a bit to nurse his injured wing.”

AVERAGE RANKING: 15