By the Numbers: Saints vs Raiders in Week 2

A look inside the numbers of the Saints Monday night loss to the Raiders.

Author:
Brendan Boylan
Publish date:
Sep 22, 2020 12:28 PM EDT

The New Orleans Saints (1-1) fell to the Las Vegas Raiders (2-0) by the score of 34-24 Monday night in the inaugural game at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas scored 24 unanswered points between the 1:44 mark of the second quarter and 7:43 mark of the 4th. New Orleans returns home to host the Green Bay Packers in another primetime matchup on Sunday Night Football.

Below is a dive into the numbers following the Saints Week 2 loss

2 and 4 - Alvin Kamara TD's in 4-Straight Games

If there was a bright spot in Monday night’s loss, it was Alvin Kamara. The three-time Pro-Bowl RB scampered for 79 rushing yards and two scores against the Raiders. His four TDs through two weeks is two-thirds the amount of the TDs he scored in 2019. Since Week 16 v. Tennessee last season, Kamara has racked up 214 rushing yards, 194 receiving yards, and 8 TDs.

9 - Nine Different Saints Caught a Pass

The question heading into Monday night for the Saints was how the offense would flow without All-Pro WR Michael Thomas? Drew Brees’ offense was clicking on all cylinders in the first quarter, jumping out to a 10-0 led. However, following the game's first two drives, the offense went back to being stagnant. The Saints struggled without their safety blanket of Michael Thomas. Brees did spread the ball around by connecting with nine different Saints receivers, including all three active tight ends.

12 - The Raiders Controlled the Football by 12 minutes

The Saints compiled 49 more yards than the Raiders on Monday night, despite being out possessed by over 12 minutes. Las Vegas put together 6 consecutive drive of 8+ plays and scored 24 unanswered points. Raiders QB Derek Carr connected with 11 different targets while Josh Jacobs racked up 88 rushing yards and TE Darren Waller finished with 12 receptions. The Raiders ability to use TEs and RBs in a short passing game allowed long sustained drives to end in points.

129 - New Orleans Committed 10 Penalties for 129 Yards

Through two weeks, the Saints led the NFL in penalty yards. After committing over 100 yards in penalties in Week 1, New Orleans followed up their performance with another 100+ yard day of penalties on Monday. Of the 129 penalty yards, 86 were against the defense. The Saints host the NFL’s top offense through two weeks in Green Bay on Sunday with plenty to shore up during the week.