Saints Implode With Four Straight Turnovers in Loss to Raiders

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The Las Vegas Raiders scored 19 unanswered points in the second half, capitalizing on four consecutive fourth-quarter turnovers by New Orleans, to pull off a 35-27 comeback victory over the Saints to spoil the team's home opener at the Caesars Superdome.

Despite taking a 27-16 third-quarter lead behind four touchdown passes from quarterback Tyler Shough, New Orleans imploded late. The Saints' final four possessions ended in two strip-sacks, an interception and a game-sealing lost fumble by tight end Juwan Johnson with 1:02 remaining, leading directly to 13 points for Las Vegas.

Shough finished 29 for 42 for 255 yards with four touchdowns and one interception, along with a 36-yard rush. Johnson and fellow tight end Noah Fant each caught two touchdown passes, while wide receiver Chris Olave led New Orleans with nine catches for 107 yards.

For Las Vegas, quarterback Kirk Cousins was an efficient 22 of 33 for 248 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers. Tight end Brock Bowers dominated the New Orleans defense with 10 receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown.

The Saints will look to bounce back when they host division rival Atlanta on Monday Night Football.

First Half

After the Saints opened the game with a quick three-and-out, Cousins went to work, dicing up New Orleans' defense for 55 yards.

However, a costly holding penalty on second down inside the red zone and a Chase Young sack forced Vegas to take three points on fourth down. Kicker Matt Gay gave the Raiders an early 3-0 lead with 7:38 left in the first quarter.

The Saints eventually took the lead on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Shough to Johnson, capping a 13-play, 79-yard scoring drive. Other highlights of the drive were a 36-yard run from Shough on the fourth play, followed by two key third-down conversions on passes of 11 and 12 yards to Devaughn Vele and Chris Olave.

However, Daniel Carlson's extra-point attempt was blocked, keeping the score 6-3.

The Raiders had another well-executed drive similar to the last, but it was stalled by a costly false start and a clutch pass breakup by Kool-Aid McKinstry on a pass intended for Brock Bowers in the end zone. That led to the Raiders kicking another field goal, this one from 38 yards out by Gay, to tie the game.

The Raiders got the ball back, and this time they found the end zone as Cousins hit tight end Michael Mayer for a 3-yard touchdown pass.

However, that play was preceded by a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty. Saints linebacker Danny Stutsman hit Cousins as he released the ball, resulting in an incomplete pass, but officials ruled he drove the quarterback to the ground too hard.

Nonetheless, the Raiders took a 13-6 lead.

New Orleans responded with a touchdown drive of its own, capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass from Shough to Fant to tie the game at 13. Shough went 5 for 6 for 59 yards on the drive.

The Raiders drove all the way to the New Orleans 7-yard line, but the Saints' defense held them out of the end zone, forcing Vegas to kick a 25-yard field goal and take a 16-13 lead into halftime.

Second Half

The Saints have been a second-half team all year, and that showed once again as they scored touchdowns on their first two offensive possessions.

After forcing Las Vegas to go three-and-out, the Saints put together a 12-play, 87-yard touchdown drive to retake the lead, 20-16, with 6:40 left in the quarter. Shough completed all eight of his passes for 64 yards on the drive, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown pass to Johnson, their second scoring connection of the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, Raiders returner Dylan Laube fumbled, and Saints defensive back Jordan Howden recovered at the Las Vegas 32-yard line. Two plays later, Shough found Fant in the flat for a 16-yard touchdown on a play-action pass.

With the Saints' crowd echoing "Who Dat" chants throughout the dome, the Raiders desperately needed a response.

They got it on a 36-yard touchdown run by Mike Washington, the Raiders' longest run of the game.

And that is where the game turned.

The Saints' offense, which had been efficient for most of the game, had four straight turnovers on its last four possessions as 73,000 fans in attendance see why the Raiders’ defense led the NFL in sacks and were in the top three in turnovers forced.

On the ensuing drive, Raiders edge rusher Malcolm Koonce strip-sacked Shough and Maxx Crosby recovered.

The Raiders then drove 57 yards for a go-ahead scoring drive that was finished off by a Cousins touchdown pass to Courtney White from 4 yards out. The 2-point conversion failed.

Then, Shough had his only costly mistake of the game when he threw a pass intended for Bryce Lance directly into the hands of Raiders cornerback Hezekiah Masses, who proceeded to return the ball inside the 5-yard line before he fumbled, but it was recovered again by Las Vegas.

A few plays later, Cousins found Bowers for a 4-yard touchdown pass, Cousins' third and final touchdown pass of the game, to make it a 35-27 game with 6:22 left to go in the game.

The Saints had two more opportunities to potentially tie the game, but Shough getting strip-sacked by Las Vegas safety Jeremy Chinn and Johnson fumbling the ball on the next possession with 1:02 left in the game sealed the victory.

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