A look back at the Saints and Vikings and what we learned

The New Orleans Saints Week 10 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings was one that some people want to forget. I don’t blame them; it was a tough loss, but I think also think that it might’ve been the team’s biggest learning opportunity.

Minnesota would receive the ball first, and they would end their first drive with three points. New Orleans’ first drive ended in a punt. It wasn’t a three-and-out, but it wouldn’t even end with points. The biggest play by the Saints that drive would be Derek Carr throwing a short pass to tight end Taysom Hill for an 11-yard gain.

The Saints’ defense would get the job done on the next drive for Minnesota, forcing a three-and-out. New Orleans wouldn’t be scoreless for long. The next drive for the Saints would be feature rookies, including the biggest play on that drive which was a deep pass from Carr to rookie wide receiver A.T Perry for a 23-yard gain. It was capped off with a 48-yard field goal sent through the uprights by rookie kicker Blake Grupe. Those three points would be the only points scored by the Saints through the entire first half. Through the first two quarters the score would be 24-3, with Minnesota ahead of New Orleans.

The first touchdown for New Orleans would be on their second drive in the second half, but not without some sacrifices. Derek Carr would be injured halfway through the drive, and backup quarterback Jameis Winston would come in to finish the game. Winston would be able to keep some momentum going and finished the drive off with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave.

Only one more touchdown would be scored by the Saints that game, also off of a Winston touchdown. Rookie wide receiver A.T Perry would notch his first career touchdown pass off of a cross-field throw by Winston.

Side note: look at how happy A.T Perry is afterwords; it was one of my favorite moments of the season.

One big takeaway I got from watching the highlights in this game is that there were lessons to be learned. First and foremost, an improved offensive line is a must for 2024. If it was more reliable, then maybe Carr wouldn’t have gotten injured, and the Saints could've won. This is something that they’ve already made attempts to change, with the shuffle of Trevor Penning to right tackle and rookie Tailese Fuaga taking reps at left tackle. Of course, Ryan Ramczyk could always come back and play, but from what I’ve seen and heard it’s still unclear if he will retire or not.

Secondly, offensive play calling was stale and uninspiring, with the most exciting play of the game coming from a Jameis Winston improv moment. But New Orleans has dealt with that issue, hiring former San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator Klint Kubrick to be their new offensive coordinator after letting Pete Carmichael Jr go. In fact, nearly the entire offensive coaching staff is full of new faces.

Mobile quarterbacks were also an issue for the Saints last season. Every time the defense would line up against one, more often than not would they be on the receiving end of some big blows. This is something where there haven’t been many obvious changes as of yet. Of course, as with every offseason, New Orleans has lost some players - Tonah Kpassagnon, Malcolm Roach, Zack Baun - but they’ve also gained some, signing defensive end Chase Young and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. this past offseason.

This game might’ve ended in a loss, but that doesn’t mean it was useless to the Saints. Every game is a learning experience, and this one could prove to be very useful in the future.