What we learned, what’s trending and final thoughts from the Saints surprising Philly flop

PHILADELPHIA — The New Orleans Saints played their worst 30 minutes of football this season to start their game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and their valiant effort to make up for that in the second half fell short in a 24-21 loss.

The loss snapped a nine-game win streak and prevented the Saints from clinching the NFC South title. Here’s how it happened.

WHAT WE LEARNED

The Saints are not immune to a clunker. Coach Sean Payton should be commended for the way he has gotten his team to focus and lock in and win nine straight games despite a rash of injuries and a couple positive COVID-19 tests to key players, but being able to count on the Saints to do so on a weekly basis makes games like Sunday’s especially jarring. The Eagles, who came into this game a reeling 3-8-1 team starting a rookie quarterback, played a smarter and more physical game than the Saints did Sunday.

TRENDING NOW

This is more about what is no longer trending. The Saints’ usually stout rush defense had its worst day in a long time, giving up 245 total rushing yards and allowing not one, but two individual rushers to gain 100 yards on the ground — snapping a 55-game streak the Saints had put together when combining the regular season and the playoffs. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (17 carries, 107 yards) was a consistent pain for the Saints defense, while Miles Sanders (14 carries, 115 yards) did most of his damage with an 82-yard touchdown run.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Two things can be true here: 1) It is really hard to win an NFL game, even against the teams you’re supposed to beat, but 2) this is a really bad time to lose this particular game. The problem is the stakes are magnified at this stage of the season, and the Saints saw their grip on the NFC’s top seed slip Sunday. They had a path to the finish line and controlled their own destiny for the important No. 1 spot, but are now in a much murkier position with the high-flying Kansas City Chiefs set to visit the Superdome next week. 

Get your Saints gear here: Hats | Jerseys | Sweatshirts | T-shirts | Face Coverings

Disclosure: These are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, NOLA.com may earn a commission on purchases made via clicks on those links.