Overreactions to Panthers domination of Saints in Week 2

Overreactions to the New Orleans Saints ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers

It is going to be hard to narrow down the overreactions to the New Orleans Saints week two loss. The entire team was dominated in every facet of the game. The Saints were pushed around on both sides of the ball. This just looked like a tired team. Sean Payton and the Saints do not like to make excuses. This team not being able to practice at home, having multiple injuries, and still trying to acclimate new players contributed to this loss.

Jameis Winston One Year Deal a Good Thing

What have you done for me lately? After a great debut last week, Jameis Winston’s play is sure to bring scrutiny. The leash for Winston is likely to be tested if this kind of play continues another couple of weeks while the Saints get players back. Usually teams want to sign quarterbacks for long term deals but Winston only got a one year contract. This could end up being good for the Saints if this is the Jameis Winston that will be on the field going forward. Not having to commit to how Winston plays from here could be a good thing.

Sam Darnold for the Hall of Fame

Stop me if you have heard this one. The Saints allowed another average quarterback to look like a Hall of Famer in the week two loss. Those around the team and fans likely have nightmares from the past experiences. Seeing Sam Darnold carve up this Saints defense likely brought up some of those awful memories from years past. Carolina took advantage of an inexperienced and hurt Saints defense, but this seems to happen to the Saints often. Bad memories of Robert Griffin and Jalen Hurts came to mind seeing Darnold have a career day. If there were a stat for this kind of game, it is easy to think that the Saints would have the most one-game Hall of Fame players.

Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images

Salary Cap a Reason for Loss

The Saints are an incredibly thin team. At the top end, the Saints have enough talent to compete with any team in the NFL. The issue is past those guys. Outside of Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, no one on this offense scares opponents. Marshon Lattimore, Kwon Alexander, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson anchor the defense. When one or more these guys miss time, it is incredibly noticeable. The defensive line and secondary took several depth hits this offseason due to the Saints inability to sign depth to vital positions. When the injuries and suspensions take away some of these top end talents, the Saints just do not have the depth to stay afloat. That was more evident than ever in week two’s bullying by the Carolina Panthers. This is where the Saints manipulation of the salary cap haunts the team.

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