Week 1 Saints Snap Counts and Observations

Things couldn't have started better for the Saints this season, as they completely shocked the football world by thrashing the Packers.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Sep 13, 2021 9:57 AM EDT

The Saints shocked the football world on Sunday afternoon after thrashing the Packers 38-3. Jacksonville played gracious hosts for the displaced Saints, as 35,242 were in attendance to see the Jameis Winston era start with a bang. While fans will undoubtedly ride this high to start the season, the players enforce a normal 24-hour rule and move on to the Panthers.

Here's a look at Week 1's snap counts and some observations from Sunday.

Offense

Andrus Peat, Cesar Ruiz, Ryan Ramczyk, Terron Armstead - 62 (100%)
The Saints offensive line handled the loss of Erik McCoy really well, as Cesar Ruiz shifted over the center and Calvin Throckmorton went to right guard. They didn't allow a sack on Jameis Winston, as he was hit three times on the day. Finishing with 322 total yards of offense (171 rushing, 151 passing) and controlling the clock for 34:36, they had a solid outing.
Jameis Winston - 60 (97%)
Winston had five touchdown passes on the day, and the best part to appreciate is that he had four of them before he even cracked 100 yards passing. He finished 14-of-20 for 148 yards (130.8 rating), and added 6 rushes for 37 yards.
Calvin Throckmorton - 57 (92%)
Throckmorton did a great job filling in at right guard. The Saints depth at offensive line definitely took a hit and wasn't as strong as it has been in recent years, but he and Landon Young were good pieces to have.
Marquez Callaway - 52 (84%)
Callaway started strong with a 14-yard reception, but was really quiet in his debut as No. 1 wide receiver. He saw just two targets on the day, including one shot to the end zone that wasn't there.
Adam Trautman - 51 (82%)
Trautman was the most targeted Saints receiver on the day (6), as he hauled in 3 catches for 18 yards. The chemistry will get a little better here, but it was a struggle for him on Sunday.
Alvin Kamara - 45 (73%)
Kamara had 83 rushing yards on 20 carries, which included a long of 14. He wasn't much of a factor in the receiving department, but caught 3 receptions (4 targets) for 8 yards and a score.
Deonte Harris - 27 (44%)
Harris caught both of his targets for 72 yards and a score, which included the big 55-yard hookup from Winston. This is a great sign for New Orleans going forward, and his ability will make the team even more lethal when they get Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith back.
Tony Jones Jr., Taysom Hill - 22 (35%)
Tony Jones Jr. showed everyone why the Saints moved on from Latavius Murray. It was everything that we had seen from him in training camp and the preseason. He finished with 11 carries for 50 yards, with a long of 9. He also had a single target that was caught for 3 yards. Hill wasn't a big factor on the stat sheet, but did complete his lone pass for 3 yards and ran twice for a yard. One of those carries was for a first down on a fullback dive play. Trevor Siemian was the second quarterback for this game, and Hill was on special teams, running routes, and doing a little bit of everything, especially in short yardage and goal line situations.
Lil'Jordan Humphrey - 18 (29%)
Garrett Griffin - 17 (27%)
Ty Montgomery, James Hurst - 16 (26%)
Montgomery caught his lone target for 5 yards, but also made a good special teams play by downing a punt inside the 5-yard-line.
Chris Hogan - 14 (23%)
Hogan caught his lone target, which was a touchdown of 10 yards.
Juwan Johnson - 12 (19%)
Juwan Johnson got the first touchdown of his career, and decided to get another in the process. He was key on a 4th Down conversion on a perfectly executed tight end screen. He finished with 3 catches for 21 yards.
Erik McCoy - 5 (8%)
McCoy exited the game early with a lower leg injury. He was noticeably limping while leaving the field, but did so under his own power. This will be one to keep an eye on. He's been excellent for the Saints.

Defense

Paulson Adebo - 57 (100%)
Adebo had 3 tackles (2 solo, 1 assisted), an interception and a pass defense in his rookie debut. His pick ended any hopes the Packers had for getting into the end zone.
Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Williams - 48 (84%)
Williams only had one tackle, but came up big with a pick and pass defense. He said after the game that the team was focusing on stopping the big plays the Packers had last season, and it showed.
Demario Davis - 42 (74%)
Davis finished with 4 total tackles (2 solo, 2 combined). Believe it or not, it was Zack Baun who led the way in the tackling department with 5 solo tackles.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson - 40 (70%)
Marshon Lattimore - 36 (63%)
Lattimore had a pass defense to go along with 3 total tackles (2 solo, 1 assisted). He got hurt, but returned early in the third quarter. He's had quite the whirlwind experience, as he signed a 5-year extension with the Saints and is also having surgery on his thumb. He'll be week-to-week.
Kwon Alexander - 34 (60%)
It's still incredible seeing Alexander out on the field doing what he's doing several months removed from a torn Achilles. He made his presence felt early on the first Packers drive.
Cam Jordan - 33 (58%)
Malcolm Roach - 31 (54%)
Carl Granderson - 30 (53%)
Tanoh Kpassagnon - 29 (51%)
Kpassagnon had one of the better games for the Saints, finishing with a sack, forced fumble, 2 QB hits, and 2 solo tackles. New Orleans rotated him inside some, and he's certainly someone who will get better as the season progresses.
Marcus Davenport - 26 (46%)
Davenport had an active game. He did leave the field with an undisclosed injury in the second half, but made his presence felt from the very start. He had 3 total tackles (2 solo, 1 assisted) with 2 of them being tackles for loss, a sack for an 11-yard loss, and a quarterback hit.
Christian Ringo - 24 (42%)
Kaden Elliss, Zack Baun - 23 (40%)
Shy Tuttle - 22 (39%)
P.J. Williams, Albert Huggins - 21 (37%)
Desmond Trufant - 12 (21%)
Andrew Dowell - 11 (19%)
Jeff Heath - 9 (16%)
J.T. Gray - 7 (12%)