Week 3 Saints Snap Counts and Observations

A closer look at Week 3's Saints snap counts with some observations from their big road win against the Patriots.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Sep 27, 2021 9:40 AM EDT

The Saints put together a pretty strong game on Sunday, and the end result was a nice 28-13 win over the Patriots on the road. It wasn't pretty, and it certainly was nerve-racking at times, but New Orleans was able to control the clock and put on a stellar defensive effort to get the win. They also won the turnover battle, which was a strong point of emphasis for Sean Payton going into this one. Here's a closer look at the snap counts with some observations from the game.

Offense

Andrus Peat, Calvin Throckmorton, Cesar Ruiz, Ryan Ramczyk - 62 (100%)
The Saints offense finished with 252 total yards of offense and 19 first downs. They went 6-of-13 on 3rd Down, and the offensive line did better overall, but still has a ways to go. Jameis Winston was sacked three times on the day, but not all of those were on the line. The team ended up rushing for 142 yards on the ground, and it was all part of what Sean Payton said they were going to do on Wednesday.
Jameis Winston - 59 (95%)
Winston finished 13-of-21 (61.9%) for 128 yards and 2 touchdown passes. He had a 110.8 rating, and seemed a little more comfortable from last week. The one desperation throw he made that connected with Marquez Callaway for a touchdown was 'all God' according to Winston, as he didn't know there was a flag on the play. It worked on Sunday, and the Saints were fortunate to get a score off of it.
James Hurst - 55 (89%)
Hurst came in at left tackle in relief for Terron Armstead, who left with an elbow injury. We'll have to see what happens with Armstead, as Hurst could start next Sunday against the Giants.
Alvin Kamara - 52 (84%)
Kamara finished with 89 yards rushing on 24 carries, which included a long of 11. He added 3 catches for 29 yards on 4 targets in the passing game, including the first score of the game. When things click for Kamara, they do it in a big way. The Patriots were pretty stiff to start against the run, but the Saints wore them down and were able to rattle off more success.
Adam Trautman - 51 (82%)
Only one target for Trautman, and like we mentioned last week, he's simply been a non-factor in the passing game for the Saints. Perhaps it will get better, but Trautman was strong in blocking on the day.
Marquez Callaway - 38 (61%)
This was a breakout game for Callaway after having an uneventful start to the season. He finished with 4 catches for 41 yards on 5 targets and had an outstanding grab for a touchdown late in the first half. While the stats didn't set things on fire, it was good to see him perform well.
Taysom Hill - 33 (53%)
Hill was used a lot more in this game due, and it paid off. He had 6 rushes for 32 yards, and was key on the team's final touchdown drive. We spoke with him after the game, and he was extremely humble about what happened at training camp in the quarterback competition, and ultimately wants to do what it takes to help the team win.
Garrett Griffin - 30 (48%)
Griffin played a lot more in this game as a blocker, and it could have been due to Armstead going out. Regardless, the Saints got to run the ball and did so effectively.
Kenny Stills - 29 (47%)
Stills' re-debut with the team saw him fairly active, but he caught just a single pass for 17 yards on 3 targets. However, it was a big hookup. We'll see if Stills gets more involved, but we also need to find out if Tre'Quan Smith will be returning soon.
Deonte Harris - 19 (31%)
Harris was the team's second leading receiver with 3 catches for 31 yards on 3 targets. He was essentially neutralized after having a strong punt return in the first quarter. Teams shouldn't kick to him if they can help it, and the Patriots were smart enough to realize it.
Chris Hogan - 16 (26%)
Hogan was only targeted once on the day, and it should have been a 3rd Down hookup. Those plays are unfortunate, but thankfully it didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things.
Ty Montgomery, Tony Jones Jr. - 13 (21%)
Jones Jr. finished with 2 rushes for 12 yards and caught both of his targets for 10 yards. This was clearly the Alvin Kamara show, and it ended up working in a big way.
Juwan Johnson, Terron Armstead - 8 (13%)
The lack of usage on Juwan Johnson has been a bit troubling, but there was a play Winston had him for a deep gain. It looked like Johnson slowed up on the route. As for Armstead, his arm was in a heavy wrap and sling when he left the stadium. He got injured due to friendly fire, and he definitely seemed irritated about it. We'll have to see what happens.
Alex Armah - 7 (11%)
Landon Young - 3 (5%)
Young's snaps were in jumbo sets as the extra offensive lineman after Hurst had to go in at left tackle.

Defense

Paulson Adebo, Malcolm Jenkins, Marshon Lattimore, Demario Davis, Marcus Williams - 72 (100%)
Malcolm Jenkins was very complimentary of Paulson Adebo and the start to this season. He said he's as settled of a rookie as he's ever seen. Of course, it wasn't perfect on the day, but Adebo has looked strong and continues to grow. As for Jenkins, he got a big pick-6 to start the second half, and he joked after the game that it was a lot easier than the last time he got one in Gillette Stadium not having to go as far. Having Marshon Lattimore back was a true boost to the defense, and I noticed in pregame that he didn't have any trouble catching balls despite having the cast on. Oh by the way, he led the team with 10 tackles (8 solo, 2 assisted) and had an interception at the end of the game. Demario Davis may have been the team's best defensive player on the day, and he continues to be so overlooked and underrated, but he keeps giving it for all 60 minutes of a game. The Patriots tried the deep ball a few times, but the Saints had good coverage on all of the attempts.
Cam Jordan - 65 (90%)
Jordan quietly had a good game, leading the defense with 3 QB hits. He had 3 total tackles (all solo), with a tackle for loss and pass defense. One of the plays he made that didn't show on a stat sheet was him getting his hands up to force a Mac Jones throw in a different direction that allowed the defense to make a play.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson - 62 (86%)
Lightning in a bottle returned to action, which also helped the defense out in a big way. He finished with 5 total tackles (4 solo, 1 assisted), had a sack on Jones, QB hit, 2 tackles for loss, and a pass defense. There was a slight scare later in the game, but he returned quickly after being looked at on the sideline.
Tanoh Kpassagnon - 43 (60%)
Kpassagnon has been one of the team's best additions of the offseason that no one is talking about. His impact was felt in the season opener, and he had a huge sack on Jones for a 14-yard loss. We touched on the team's pass rush being a strong suit going into this season, and he's one of those players that is putting in the work.
Pete Werner - 35 (49%)
Werner got a lot of the work over Zack Baun in this game, and it was a good showing from the rookie. The Saints will eventually get Kwon Alexander back, but Werner definitely made a strong impact when his number was called.
Kaden Elliss - 34 (47%)
Elliss had the pressure and QB hit on Jones that led to the P.J. Williams interception. The Saints only allowed 49 rushing yards, and the longs allowed were 12 (Mac Jones), 7 (Damien Harris), and 6 (James White).
Payton Turner - 32 (44%)
Turner had little impact in this game like he did last week against the Panthers, as he didn't register anything on the stat sheet.
P.J. Williams - 30 (42%)
Williams was used a lot more in this game, and he ended up having an interception after being in good position.
Carl Granderson, Malcolm Roach - 28 (39%)
Granderson ended up having 2 QB hits on the day, but didn't register a tackle. Neither did Roach.
Christian Ringo - 24 (33%)
Shy Tuttle - 20 (28%)
Montravius Adams - 19 (26%)
Zack Baun - 7 (10%)
J.T. Gray - 3 (4%)
Bradley Roby - 2 (3%)
The way Paulson Adebo is playing, there's really no reason to have Roby in there. It's never a good thing to have a bunch of depth at the corner position, but it's very encouraging to have the rookie come along so quickly.

Special Teams (Top Reps)

Kaden Elliss, Zack Baun, J.T. Gray, Andrew Dowell - 23
Dowell came up with a huge blocked punt, and this special teams unit is really making big differences in the game. Of course, the two missed field goals from Aldrick Rosas were the sore spot here. Let's see if Wil Lutz can't get back this week.
Dwayne Washington, Ty Montgomery - 20
Jeff Heath - 15