The Saints’ promising opening drive finished when Atlanta Falcons linebacker De’Vondre Campbell sacked Drew Brees on third-and-objective.
What at first resembled a transitory slipup ended up establishing the pace for a strangely hopeless day for New Orleans.
Brees was sacked five additional occasions and the Saints lost 26-9, neglecting to score a touchdown at home with Brees under place without precedent for their 14 years with New Orleans.
“I pride myself on getting the ball out,” Brees said. “It was a lack of execution kind of all the way around, so that pretty much summed up the game right there.”
The unexpected outcome finished the Saints’ six-game series of wins and the Falcons six-game slide.
Atlanta about multiplied its past season aggregate of seven sacks in a single game.
Brees had not been sacked multiple occasions since 2015, and six rose to their high with the Saints. New Orleans had permitted 12 sacks through eight games, incorporating five or more games with reinforcement Teddy Birdgwater filling after Brees had thumb medical procedure in mid-September.
Three sacks went ahead third down. Two came after the Saints had first-and-objective. The keep going one was on fourth down.
“We got in a lot of passing situations,” offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk said, noting the Falcons regularly ran stunts that sent edge rushers up the middle. “We were unable to pick up a couple of them and they were getting through.”
With the two groups falling off bye weeks, the Saints lost the energy they had made before the break.
“Pick a situation, and there’s a good chance (the Falcons) won that situation,” Saints mentor Sean Payton said.
Payton singled out third-down changes. The Saints were 3 of 12 on third down, and the Falcons were 6 of 15, however Atlanta likewise got three first downs on punishments when the guard thought it was getting off the field.
A hands-to-the-face approach end Marcus Davenport and a holding approach cornerback Marshon Lattimore delayed a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that put the Falcons ahead 10-3 with 11:09 left in the subsequent quarter.
A hands-to-the-face banner on cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson, playing after Lattimore left with thigh damage, delayed a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive as the Falcons proceeded 20-9 toward the beginning of the final quarter.
“A talented offense like that is going to make you pay for it,” defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said. “It was only a matter of time before they were able to capitalize on those mistakes.”
The Saints got one initially down on their initial three final quarter assets, fixing their destiny and leaving them considering what occurred.
“This isn’t a team we overlooked, It’s a divisional game and they have a lot of talent.”
Ryan Ramczyk said.
It was a harsh day all around for the Saints. On one of their uncommon third-down transformations, recipient Tre’Quan Smith wound up with a busted lip after their cap took off when Falcons cornerback Damontae Kazee bored their.
“By the time I got up, my whole mouth was bleeding,” Smith said.
The extreme catch prompted Wil Lutz’s 28-yard field objective that slice the shortage to 13-9, however the Falcons pulled away from that point.
“We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds, You have to be able to beat the man in front of you. It’s pretty hard to do that when you keep stepping on your own feet.”
Defensive end Cam Jordan said.