The positive, negative, and ugly aspects of the Saints’ victory over the Colts

New Orleans get back on track with win over Indy.

The Positive: Offense

Despite their awful season, the New Orleans Saints offense turned in one of their best games this past Sunday. It’s encouraging to see that the Saints were able to capitalize on the fact that the Indianapolis Colts defense is among the worst in the league. With 19 of 27 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns, Derek Carr had a strong performance. Taysom Hill led the team in rushing yards. It goes without saying that this game shouldn’t alter perspectives on the offense’s current state or future management strategies, but it is encouraging to occasionally witness a play like this.

The Negative: Mistakes leading to touchdowns

The Saints allowed the first touchdown of the game after the Colts attempted a punt and the team called a horrible illegal formation penalty. Early in the second quarter, the Colts were set up for an easy touchdown drive by a sack fumble that occurred on a third down. The Saints have lost games due to mistakes like this all season, and Sunday was no different.

The Ugly: Penalties

Against the Colts, the Saints ran 73 yards and 8 penalties. The worst of which was the illegal formation on a Colts punt that was previously mentioned and resulted in a touchdown. A facemask changed what would have been a third and eight into a first and goal, which the Colts would score on. A second pass interference, this time for fifteen yards, would help the Colts on a touchdown drive. A first-quarter 28-yard pass interference also set up the Colts for a field goal. Although the Saints were fortunate not to lose the game due to these penalties, these problems still need to be resolved because the team is now tied for first place in the division.