00:00:00
Speaker 1: It's Falcons week. Not only is it Falcons week, but Monday night football.
00:00:04
Speaker 2: Will be at the Superdome.
00:00:06
Speaker 1: Not only will Monday night football be at the Superdome, but the Saints are battling the Falcons for first place in the NFC South. Not only are they battling the Falcons for first place in the NFC South, but it's also the 20th.
00:00:17
Speaker 2: Anniversary of the rebirth game at Caesars Superdome. Enough said.
00:00:22
Speaker 1: I'm Stan Barrett. Let's get to it on The Snap brought to you by Rouse's Markets. Once again, welcome to the snap. The Saints coming off their second loss of the season, and they were in control against the Raiders until the fourth quarter when four turnovers doomed any chance.
00:00:40
Speaker 2: They had of coming back to beat Las Vegas after falling behind.
00:00:44
Speaker 1: So this week, instead of talking about a great comeback, we have to find positives in how the Saints built.
00:00:50
Speaker 2: That lead before this game slipped away. Tyler Shook is where we start. He hit his first four-touchdown game for the Saints through for 255 yards.
00:00:59
Speaker 1: He's now second in the NFL with 917 passing yards through three games.
00:01:04
Speaker 2: So it continues to be a special season for Tyler Shuck.
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Speaker 1: And the running game was a bit better.
00:01:11
Speaker 2: Shuck delivered the biggest play on the ground against the Raiders. He had a 36-yard gain to help set up the Saints' first touchdown.
00:01:17
Speaker 1: As a team, the Saints ran for 148 yards, and they averaged 5.3 yards per carry. And the way the running game had stalled earlier in the season, they will take that. Moving forward for the next few weeks, Saints have to depend on Alvin Kamara and Kendra.
00:01:33
Speaker 2: Miller to continue to deliver in the running game.
00:01:36
Speaker 1: Travis HN left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. Kellen Moore says HN will be out for a few weeks. So it'll be up to Kamara and Miller to carry the load up to that point. We will talk with John DeShazer about that in just a minute. On defense, Saints had a tough time covering tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers played his first game after coming back from a knee injury. He caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. He kept finding open spots and Kirk Cousins kept finding him.
00:02:06
Speaker 2: You add in Michael Mayer.
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Speaker 1: And 13 of Cousins' 22 completions in the game went to his two tight ends. That's something to keep in mind against a Falcons team that will be looking to keep tight end Kyle Pitts involved after he's had just two catches for 20 yards so far.
00:02:22
Speaker 2: We got more on Pitts coming up later as well.
00:02:25
Speaker 1: Saints did a good job in the red zone Once again this week, especially in the first half, they held the Raiders to just three field goals in their four red zone trips. So they did give up two touchdowns after halftime in the red zone. And the offense continued its proficiency inside the 20. That's been a bright spot all season so far through three games. The Saints four for four on their red zone trips on Sunday against the Raiders. For more on the Saints, let's hop back in the pocket with John DeShazer, who joins us now on the Snap. All right, so, J.D., I know coaches can emphasize ball security, but is there a way to actually prevent them in the heat of action so that we don't see situations like we saw in that fourth quarter last week?
00:03:07
Speaker 3: Well, there's two ways.
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Speaker 4: I'm sure they're going through drills this week and ball security in terms of, you know, going for the strips and, you know, the interceptions and those kinds of things. You want to make sure the quarterback's clean. But you have those drills built in and practiced each and every week. So, you know, when it happens like that, it certainly is something that is odd.
00:03:24
Speaker 3: That's one way.
00:03:24
Speaker 4: The second way is to just tell the players what the direct impact is. The Saints have played eight and a half quarters and an overtime of clean football, and they're winning those times 81 to 49. In the three and a half quarters where they've committed their seven turnovers, they're losing 34-0 in those quarters. That is as much tangible evidence as you need in terms of ball security. Hold on to the ball, you win the game. You don't hold on to the ball, you put yourself in jeopardy.
00:03:52
Speaker 2: J.D., B. John Robinson had a breakout game against the Packers.
00:03:55
Speaker 1: He changed everything, not just in that game, but also in Atlanta's season. The vibe is totally different now after week three than they were after week two. So how do the Saints keep him from making those explosive plays we saw at Lambeau Field?
00:04:08
Speaker 4: Well, they've had a little bit of experience with it already this season, you hope, when they face Jameer Gibbs with the Lions in game one because they're similar backs.
00:04:17
Speaker 3: I think B.
00:04:17
Speaker 4: John Robinson is actually a better back, but they're similar running backs. So you kind of employ that strategy, and you hope to be able to corral that dude.
00:04:24
Speaker 3: You want to be able to box him in, get helmets to the football.
00:04:28
Speaker 4: You want to crowd him, and you don't want to give him any space to get out because if he can get into a crease, you know he can take it to the house. So he is as dangerous as any running back in the league, and you have to go with the group therapy on him. You've got to send everybody, and hopefully you're able to get him boxed in and get him on the ground.
00:04:46
Speaker 1: The Falcons last year had 57 sacks with James Pierce, and Jalen Walker leading the way, but Pierce is suspended.
00:04:54
Speaker 2: Walker's out for the season with an injury, but the Falcons are still getting pressure as well as anybody in the NFL, and it's coming from the interior.
00:05:02
Speaker 1: We saw what happened last week when Tyler Shook was under pressure in the fourth quarter. How do the Saints prevent pressure from wrecking their game plan offensively?
00:05:11
Speaker 4: Well, that's going to belong to David Edwards and Eric McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, the interior guys. You've got to be able to keep that interior clean if they're getting the pass rush to the pocket from the middle. You've got to be able to keep it clean, and those are the guys responsible for that. We know the Saints had some issues on the edge last week against the Raiders, but really going against their interior should be the strength of this offensive line. So you hope that they're able to hold them out because Tyler Shuck is going to need some time. You want to be able to have time, obviously, create the pocket, and you also want to be able to create those seams to where maybe if he has to, He slipped out for a 36-yard.
00:05:48
Speaker 3: Run last week. He's got the legs.
00:05:50
Speaker 4: He's got the ability to be able to do that also.
00:05:54
Speaker 2: Saints won't have Travis H.N. Jr., so here we go. Alvin Kamara returned to old times with AK leading the way.
00:06:02
Speaker 1: We also expect to see a lot of Kendra Miller. How do the Saints get the running game going?
00:06:08
Speaker 4: Well, they ran it pretty decent last week, including the shuck run, but we saw Travis H.N.
00:06:13
Speaker 3: Have a nice game. We also saw Alvin Kamara have a nice game.
00:06:16
Speaker 2: H.A.
00:06:16
Speaker 4: Is not in this one, as you mentioned. So he goes back to over reliable Alvin. But you also have Kendra Miller. You have Zemir White. So there are some options there. C.J.
00:06:23
Speaker 2: Donaldson.
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Speaker 4: I forgot about him because he's been a really good short yardage running back and he's been really good in pass protection.
00:06:29
Speaker 3: So you have some options there.
00:06:31
Speaker 4: Hopefully you're able to keep it clean for those guys, create some space for those guys, because you don't want the Falcons to live in the offensive backfield and get the guys down before they can even get going. So a little bit of space. It might have to be where you have to loosen them up some with the passing game. and then you can get them on their heels and you can generate that run game. But Alvin Kamara is a guy who we didn't think was going to get a whole lot of usage this season. Well, all of a sudden with Travis H and out, it ramps up the need for Alvin Kamara to be productive ramps up.
00:07:00
Speaker 1: And JD, there's going to be a lot of emotion in the building Monday night. I know these guys weren't around for hurricane Katrina or its aftermath. They weren't around for the rebirth game, but I know the organization is, has done a great job of informing them just how much this means for the fans, for the organization, for.
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Speaker 2: Everybody connected to the Saints. How do they use that to their advantage?
00:07:24
Speaker 3: Well, it's going to be an electric atmosphere anyway.
00:07:27
Speaker 4: It's the first time Monday Night Football has been around here in a couple of seasons.
00:07:30
Speaker 3: And so you have that atmosphere.
00:07:32
Speaker 4: I think these guys grasp the opportunity that's ahead of them. I think they grasp the situation, even though they weren't around in New Orleans. And a lot of these guys were young kids but I think they've been brought up to date in terms of the history of this game. If they need to, they need to watch a documentary or two because they'll understand what the meaning of this game was 20 years ago. It was the most emotional, the most pivotal, the most stirring game that I've ever been a part of. And so hopefully they'll understand what they're playing for and what the circumstances are.
00:08:04
Speaker 3: I understand, again, they're a little bit detached. They're a younger crew.
00:08:07
Speaker 4: They weren't involved in the game specifically, but when you're carrying the pride of a city and you're trying to go through that situation, I think they'll get a pretty good understanding as the week goes along of how pivotal this game is for New Orleans and for the organization.
00:08:24
Speaker 2: Yep.
00:08:25
Speaker 1: That one ended in a win 20 years ago.
00:08:26
Speaker 2: Hopefully it ends in a win again on Monday night. JD, always great to talk to you.
00:08:32
Speaker 3: You too, Sam.
00:08:33
Speaker 2: Okay. Let's talk about the key matchups for Monday night.
00:08:35
Speaker 1: And it begins with B. John Robinson, we talked about him with John just now. 213 scrimmage yards against Green Bay last Thursday night. Now, he's the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, and it's the third time he's been NFC Offensive Player of the Week. And every time it's happened, it's been after a primetime game. Robinson always plays his best under the bright lights. He gets the Monday night spotlight at the Superdome on Monday, so the Saints have to make him a priority. The other key matchup, Here's Chris Olave against the Falcons corners. Atlanta won't have A.J. Terrell, their top cover corner, so that could mean favorable matchups for Olave. Olave tied with Jackson Smith and Jigba for the NFL League with 27 catches, and he's second in receiving yards with 375. Hopefully, he can add to those numbers on Monday night. Also, the Saints offensive line against the Falcons pressure. We talked about it with John. Atlanta doesn't have their edge rushers, James Paris and Jalen Walker, but that pressure has been coming.
00:09:37
Speaker 2: The pressure has been coming from the interior. Jervon Dexter, their defensive tackle, one of the big reasons they've been so successful rushing the quarterback and stopping the run.
00:09:47
Speaker 1: Falcons just gave him a contract extension this week to reward him for his stellar play so far. Let's hope they don't get any return on investment from that contract on Monday night.
00:09:57
Speaker 2: Time now to check on the other side with D.
00:10:00
Speaker 1: Orlando Ledbetter, who covered the Falcons for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 23 years and now covers them every day independently for his own company, BowtieSports.com.
00:10:11
Speaker 2: We call him D. Led. Great to see you, my man.
00:10:15
Speaker 5: Hey, great to see you, Stan. Thanks for having me on the show.
00:10:19
Speaker 1: So Darryl, how has the vibe shifted in Atlanta from where things were after week two to where they are now after week three?
00:10:29
Speaker 5: Yeah, a complete 360 stand.
00:10:32
Speaker 6: They were 0-2 with Cooper Rush at quarterback and.
00:10:36
Speaker 5: Thinking that, oh my gosh, it's going to be a long campaign.
00:10:40
Speaker 6: Going into the Green Bay game. Then coming out of that game, everything's back on the table for the team.
00:10:46
Speaker 5: The offense that they thought they.
00:10:47
Speaker 6: Might have finally showed up, getting Michael Penix back at quarterback, unlocked Drake London and the passing attack. And now they're like, hey, it's a whole new opportunity out here for this team potentially.
00:11:04
Speaker 1: So was it just a matter of getting Penix back in his presence or did his presence allow them to open up the playbook and do different things?
00:11:15
Speaker 5: Well, I think what happened was he came back.
00:11:17
Speaker 6: He was a little rusty through skip some balls out there through interception.
00:11:21
Speaker 5: Early, but Bajon got rolling.
00:11:24
Speaker 6: And so at that point, didn't the Packers had to come up and try to stop the run and that unlocked him some easy passes, some easy throws, some, one-on-ones to Drake London, a touchdown pass to Austin Hooper when they tried to double cover Kyle Pitts.
00:11:42
Speaker 5: So the running game kind of unlocked it.
00:11:44
Speaker 6: He got comfortable and, you know, made some pro-level passes in the passing attack to compliment, you know, one of the best running backs in the league.
00:11:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, Robinson had 213 scrimmage yards.
00:11:58
Speaker 2: In that game. What did they do? Because I thought they would lean on him in weeks one and two. They weren't really able to get him going. What did they do in week three that helped him explode the way he did?
00:12:11
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think they went away from they were trying to run a lot of power early. And, you know, it works some against Pittsburgh. You had a good game there.
00:12:20
Speaker 2: 173.
00:12:21
Speaker 6: But with no passing attack and the third string quarterback turned the ball over, there weren't really much they could do in that second game against Carolina.
00:12:32
Speaker 5: With the four turnovers and so forth.
00:12:34
Speaker 6: But in Green Bay, I thought they went back to more of the outside zone runs, the stretch plays.
00:12:41
Speaker 5: He got some creases on the edge, bounced it outside. We saw some.
00:12:45
Speaker 6: Great cutback runs by him also in that game. I thought they attacked in the way that he had been used previously here in the Green Bay game. So, you know, they're going to try to mix it up depending on who they're playing. If they got to run power, they think that work, they'll do it. If not, they'll go to the outside zone and do that. But the important thing is they know they have to get Bajon Robinson the football.
00:13:15
Speaker 1: Meanwhile, on defense, they don't have James Pierce or Jaylon Walker, but they're still.
00:13:19
Speaker 2: Generating pressure, and it's coming from the interior. How are they doing that?
00:13:25
Speaker 6: Yeah, they just signed Gervon Dexter Sr.
00:13:30
Speaker 5: a 6'6, 316-pound defensive tackle.
00:13:33
Speaker 6: And they got him in a trade right at the cut down from the Bears, and they got 6'6, You know, 6'5, 306 Mason Smith right next to him.
00:13:42
Speaker 5: So that's two big dudes up there in the middle.
00:13:45
Speaker 6: And also Brandon Dorless who had 8.5 sacks can get up in there. And you can't double both of them. So one of them is getting free. And they're able to generate the pressure from the inside out as opposed from the edges.
00:14:03
Speaker 2: D-Land, I know you were there.
00:14:04
Speaker 1: 20 years ago for the rebirth game at the super dome. I know everybody with the Falcons understands what this rivalry means. It's going to be a really charged atmosphere there on Monday night.
00:14:18
Speaker 2: What are they saying about dealing with that?
00:14:21
Speaker 5: They know it.
00:14:22
Speaker 6: They call it a hornet's nest. They know what they're going into. And, uh, you know, they've, uh, uh, know that it's going to be loud. They know it's going to be a rivalry game. They are, uh, getting jacked up as the week progresses. And, you know, they kind of look at it like, hey, we already been to Pittsburgh and Green Bay. But I don't think there's no way to simulate what's going to be going down in New Orleans on this big anniversary on Monday night.
00:14:56
Speaker 5: Monday night football is going to be through the roof. They know it.
00:15:00
Speaker 6: The veterans, nobody's making their first trip there now. So, you know, they're going to want to try to quiet the crowd, but it might be impossible.
00:15:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, it might be impossible. Del, we appreciate you taking the time to join us, my man.
00:15:16
Speaker 1: Okay, let's talk X-Factors now, and we will start with Kyle Pitts. We mentioned him earlier. Falcons gave Pitts a three-year, $ 54 million extension this offseason, and they didn't give him all that money for him to be an afterthought in their offense. But so far, that's what he's been. He has just two catches, 20 yards, and no touchdowns. Now, we're sure that the Falcons saw what Brock Bowers did last week against the Saints defense. And they're looking at this as a great opportunity to get Pitts more involved in their offense. So again, the focus has to be on B. John Robinson when the Falcons have the ball, but the Saints cannot afford to forget about Pitts. And the other X factor has to be the emotion in the building on Monday night. Saints have to use it for motivation and not let it become a source of pressure. Superdome was loud last week, but I still think the fans can get to another level. They are always up.
00:16:10
Speaker 2: For Falcons week and with Steve Gleason and Curtis Deloach in the building and all the good vibes from 20 years ago in the rebirth game, the fans will be ready to go off.
00:16:21
Speaker 1: Saints have to play well enough to give them lots to cheer about and hope that this one ends the way that one ends. Let's take a look at what's happening around the NFL beginning with the NFC South.
00:16:31
Speaker 2: Panthers are on Sunday night football in Charlotte for the first time in 10 years. They take on the Lions.
00:16:37
Speaker 1: Now Detroit has the worst pass defense in the NFL through three games, and the Panthers, with Bryce Young, have the best passing offense in the NFL through three games. But Detroit's offense can score as well, and the Panthers will be missing both of their top corners.
00:16:53
Speaker 2: J.C.
00:16:54
Speaker 1: Horn and Mike Jackson are both out for this game, so expect.
00:16:57
Speaker 2: Lots of points in that matchup. The Panthers come in 1-2, trying to get to. 500 this week. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are at home taking on the Packers.
00:17:07
Speaker 1: The big story there is undrafted rookie free agent Jalen Daniels making his first NFL start in place of Baker Mayfield. Mayfield is out with a dislocated thumb and could miss a few weeks. Buccaneers are 0-3. They desperately need a win to keep their season from spiraling out of control. But the Packers are 1-2, and they're really struggling on offense. They signed three offensive linemen this week to try to help their floundering rushing game. They had just 17 yards against the Falcons last week. They've also had problems protecting Jordan Lowe. Let's talk about another trend that we're seeing across the NFL, and that's tight ends scoring touchdowns. Last Sunday, tight ends accounted for 20 touchdowns across the NFL, and that is the most ever on a single day in NFL history. The Saints were in that number. They got two touchdowns from Juwan Johnson, two from Noah Fant. The Raiders got a touchdown from Michael Mayer and one from Brock Bowers. That adds up to six touchdowns in that game. And that tied the.
00:18:07
Speaker 2: NFL record for the most touchdowns by tight ends in a single game.
00:18:11
Speaker 1: So offensive play callers are using tight ends to create favorable matchups, especially in the red zone. And we're seeing it pay off with touchdowns across the league. As for the final verdict for this week for the Saints. You know, every season has inflection points, and this looks like it's one of them for the Saints. This is a big game against the Saints' biggest rival on the national stage at home.
00:18:36
Speaker 2: A win gets them back to.
00:18:38
Speaker 1: 500, and there's a big difference between 2-2 and 1-3 in the NFL. At 2-2, you have the opportunity to start building a winning season the next week. At 1-3, at least for the next two weeks, you're playing uphill trying to get back to.
00:18:53
Speaker 2: 500.
00:18:54
Speaker 1: So the Saints need to protect Tyler Shook. They need to limit their turnovers, and they need to keep B. John Robinson from wrecking this game so that they can turn a special night at the Superdome into a big win that can help catapult them to big things this season.
00:19:10
Speaker 2: For all of us at NewOrleansaints.com, I'm Stan Verrett. We'll see you next week on The Snap.
Speaker 1: It's Falcons week. Not only is it Falcons week, but Monday night football.
00:00:04
Speaker 2: Will be at the Superdome.
00:00:06
Speaker 1: Not only will Monday night football be at the Superdome, but the Saints are battling the Falcons for first place in the NFC South. Not only are they battling the Falcons for first place in the NFC South, but it's also the 20th.
00:00:17
Speaker 2: Anniversary of the rebirth game at Caesars Superdome. Enough said.
00:00:22
Speaker 1: I'm Stan Barrett. Let's get to it on The Snap brought to you by Rouse's Markets. Once again, welcome to the snap. The Saints coming off their second loss of the season, and they were in control against the Raiders until the fourth quarter when four turnovers doomed any chance.
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Speaker 2: They had of coming back to beat Las Vegas after falling behind.
00:00:44
Speaker 1: So this week, instead of talking about a great comeback, we have to find positives in how the Saints built.
00:00:50
Speaker 2: That lead before this game slipped away. Tyler Shook is where we start. He hit his first four-touchdown game for the Saints through for 255 yards.
00:00:59
Speaker 1: He's now second in the NFL with 917 passing yards through three games.
00:01:04
Speaker 2: So it continues to be a special season for Tyler Shuck.
00:01:08
Speaker 1: And the running game was a bit better.
00:01:11
Speaker 2: Shuck delivered the biggest play on the ground against the Raiders. He had a 36-yard gain to help set up the Saints' first touchdown.
00:01:17
Speaker 1: As a team, the Saints ran for 148 yards, and they averaged 5.3 yards per carry. And the way the running game had stalled earlier in the season, they will take that. Moving forward for the next few weeks, Saints have to depend on Alvin Kamara and Kendra.
00:01:33
Speaker 2: Miller to continue to deliver in the running game.
00:01:36
Speaker 1: Travis HN left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. Kellen Moore says HN will be out for a few weeks. So it'll be up to Kamara and Miller to carry the load up to that point. We will talk with John DeShazer about that in just a minute. On defense, Saints had a tough time covering tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers played his first game after coming back from a knee injury. He caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. He kept finding open spots and Kirk Cousins kept finding him.
00:02:06
Speaker 2: You add in Michael Mayer.
00:02:07
Speaker 1: And 13 of Cousins' 22 completions in the game went to his two tight ends. That's something to keep in mind against a Falcons team that will be looking to keep tight end Kyle Pitts involved after he's had just two catches for 20 yards so far.
00:02:22
Speaker 2: We got more on Pitts coming up later as well.
00:02:25
Speaker 1: Saints did a good job in the red zone Once again this week, especially in the first half, they held the Raiders to just three field goals in their four red zone trips. So they did give up two touchdowns after halftime in the red zone. And the offense continued its proficiency inside the 20. That's been a bright spot all season so far through three games. The Saints four for four on their red zone trips on Sunday against the Raiders. For more on the Saints, let's hop back in the pocket with John DeShazer, who joins us now on the Snap. All right, so, J.D., I know coaches can emphasize ball security, but is there a way to actually prevent them in the heat of action so that we don't see situations like we saw in that fourth quarter last week?
00:03:07
Speaker 3: Well, there's two ways.
00:03:08
Speaker 4: I'm sure they're going through drills this week and ball security in terms of, you know, going for the strips and, you know, the interceptions and those kinds of things. You want to make sure the quarterback's clean. But you have those drills built in and practiced each and every week. So, you know, when it happens like that, it certainly is something that is odd.
00:03:24
Speaker 3: That's one way.
00:03:24
Speaker 4: The second way is to just tell the players what the direct impact is. The Saints have played eight and a half quarters and an overtime of clean football, and they're winning those times 81 to 49. In the three and a half quarters where they've committed their seven turnovers, they're losing 34-0 in those quarters. That is as much tangible evidence as you need in terms of ball security. Hold on to the ball, you win the game. You don't hold on to the ball, you put yourself in jeopardy.
00:03:52
Speaker 2: J.D., B. John Robinson had a breakout game against the Packers.
00:03:55
Speaker 1: He changed everything, not just in that game, but also in Atlanta's season. The vibe is totally different now after week three than they were after week two. So how do the Saints keep him from making those explosive plays we saw at Lambeau Field?
00:04:08
Speaker 4: Well, they've had a little bit of experience with it already this season, you hope, when they face Jameer Gibbs with the Lions in game one because they're similar backs.
00:04:17
Speaker 3: I think B.
00:04:17
Speaker 4: John Robinson is actually a better back, but they're similar running backs. So you kind of employ that strategy, and you hope to be able to corral that dude.
00:04:24
Speaker 3: You want to be able to box him in, get helmets to the football.
00:04:28
Speaker 4: You want to crowd him, and you don't want to give him any space to get out because if he can get into a crease, you know he can take it to the house. So he is as dangerous as any running back in the league, and you have to go with the group therapy on him. You've got to send everybody, and hopefully you're able to get him boxed in and get him on the ground.
00:04:46
Speaker 1: The Falcons last year had 57 sacks with James Pierce, and Jalen Walker leading the way, but Pierce is suspended.
00:04:54
Speaker 2: Walker's out for the season with an injury, but the Falcons are still getting pressure as well as anybody in the NFL, and it's coming from the interior.
00:05:02
Speaker 1: We saw what happened last week when Tyler Shook was under pressure in the fourth quarter. How do the Saints prevent pressure from wrecking their game plan offensively?
00:05:11
Speaker 4: Well, that's going to belong to David Edwards and Eric McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, the interior guys. You've got to be able to keep that interior clean if they're getting the pass rush to the pocket from the middle. You've got to be able to keep it clean, and those are the guys responsible for that. We know the Saints had some issues on the edge last week against the Raiders, but really going against their interior should be the strength of this offensive line. So you hope that they're able to hold them out because Tyler Shuck is going to need some time. You want to be able to have time, obviously, create the pocket, and you also want to be able to create those seams to where maybe if he has to, He slipped out for a 36-yard.
00:05:48
Speaker 3: Run last week. He's got the legs.
00:05:50
Speaker 4: He's got the ability to be able to do that also.
00:05:54
Speaker 2: Saints won't have Travis H.N. Jr., so here we go. Alvin Kamara returned to old times with AK leading the way.
00:06:02
Speaker 1: We also expect to see a lot of Kendra Miller. How do the Saints get the running game going?
00:06:08
Speaker 4: Well, they ran it pretty decent last week, including the shuck run, but we saw Travis H.N.
00:06:13
Speaker 3: Have a nice game. We also saw Alvin Kamara have a nice game.
00:06:16
Speaker 2: H.A.
00:06:16
Speaker 4: Is not in this one, as you mentioned. So he goes back to over reliable Alvin. But you also have Kendra Miller. You have Zemir White. So there are some options there. C.J.
00:06:23
Speaker 2: Donaldson.
00:06:24
Speaker 4: I forgot about him because he's been a really good short yardage running back and he's been really good in pass protection.
00:06:29
Speaker 3: So you have some options there.
00:06:31
Speaker 4: Hopefully you're able to keep it clean for those guys, create some space for those guys, because you don't want the Falcons to live in the offensive backfield and get the guys down before they can even get going. So a little bit of space. It might have to be where you have to loosen them up some with the passing game. and then you can get them on their heels and you can generate that run game. But Alvin Kamara is a guy who we didn't think was going to get a whole lot of usage this season. Well, all of a sudden with Travis H and out, it ramps up the need for Alvin Kamara to be productive ramps up.
00:07:00
Speaker 1: And JD, there's going to be a lot of emotion in the building Monday night. I know these guys weren't around for hurricane Katrina or its aftermath. They weren't around for the rebirth game, but I know the organization is, has done a great job of informing them just how much this means for the fans, for the organization, for.
00:07:19
Speaker 2: Everybody connected to the Saints. How do they use that to their advantage?
00:07:24
Speaker 3: Well, it's going to be an electric atmosphere anyway.
00:07:27
Speaker 4: It's the first time Monday Night Football has been around here in a couple of seasons.
00:07:30
Speaker 3: And so you have that atmosphere.
00:07:32
Speaker 4: I think these guys grasp the opportunity that's ahead of them. I think they grasp the situation, even though they weren't around in New Orleans. And a lot of these guys were young kids but I think they've been brought up to date in terms of the history of this game. If they need to, they need to watch a documentary or two because they'll understand what the meaning of this game was 20 years ago. It was the most emotional, the most pivotal, the most stirring game that I've ever been a part of. And so hopefully they'll understand what they're playing for and what the circumstances are.
00:08:04
Speaker 3: I understand, again, they're a little bit detached. They're a younger crew.
00:08:07
Speaker 4: They weren't involved in the game specifically, but when you're carrying the pride of a city and you're trying to go through that situation, I think they'll get a pretty good understanding as the week goes along of how pivotal this game is for New Orleans and for the organization.
00:08:24
Speaker 2: Yep.
00:08:25
Speaker 1: That one ended in a win 20 years ago.
00:08:26
Speaker 2: Hopefully it ends in a win again on Monday night. JD, always great to talk to you.
00:08:32
Speaker 3: You too, Sam.
00:08:33
Speaker 2: Okay. Let's talk about the key matchups for Monday night.
00:08:35
Speaker 1: And it begins with B. John Robinson, we talked about him with John just now. 213 scrimmage yards against Green Bay last Thursday night. Now, he's the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, and it's the third time he's been NFC Offensive Player of the Week. And every time it's happened, it's been after a primetime game. Robinson always plays his best under the bright lights. He gets the Monday night spotlight at the Superdome on Monday, so the Saints have to make him a priority. The other key matchup, Here's Chris Olave against the Falcons corners. Atlanta won't have A.J. Terrell, their top cover corner, so that could mean favorable matchups for Olave. Olave tied with Jackson Smith and Jigba for the NFL League with 27 catches, and he's second in receiving yards with 375. Hopefully, he can add to those numbers on Monday night. Also, the Saints offensive line against the Falcons pressure. We talked about it with John. Atlanta doesn't have their edge rushers, James Paris and Jalen Walker, but that pressure has been coming.
00:09:37
Speaker 2: The pressure has been coming from the interior. Jervon Dexter, their defensive tackle, one of the big reasons they've been so successful rushing the quarterback and stopping the run.
00:09:47
Speaker 1: Falcons just gave him a contract extension this week to reward him for his stellar play so far. Let's hope they don't get any return on investment from that contract on Monday night.
00:09:57
Speaker 2: Time now to check on the other side with D.
00:10:00
Speaker 1: Orlando Ledbetter, who covered the Falcons for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 23 years and now covers them every day independently for his own company, BowtieSports.com.
00:10:11
Speaker 2: We call him D. Led. Great to see you, my man.
00:10:15
Speaker 5: Hey, great to see you, Stan. Thanks for having me on the show.
00:10:19
Speaker 1: So Darryl, how has the vibe shifted in Atlanta from where things were after week two to where they are now after week three?
00:10:29
Speaker 5: Yeah, a complete 360 stand.
00:10:32
Speaker 6: They were 0-2 with Cooper Rush at quarterback and.
00:10:36
Speaker 5: Thinking that, oh my gosh, it's going to be a long campaign.
00:10:40
Speaker 6: Going into the Green Bay game. Then coming out of that game, everything's back on the table for the team.
00:10:46
Speaker 5: The offense that they thought they.
00:10:47
Speaker 6: Might have finally showed up, getting Michael Penix back at quarterback, unlocked Drake London and the passing attack. And now they're like, hey, it's a whole new opportunity out here for this team potentially.
00:11:04
Speaker 1: So was it just a matter of getting Penix back in his presence or did his presence allow them to open up the playbook and do different things?
00:11:15
Speaker 5: Well, I think what happened was he came back.
00:11:17
Speaker 6: He was a little rusty through skip some balls out there through interception.
00:11:21
Speaker 5: Early, but Bajon got rolling.
00:11:24
Speaker 6: And so at that point, didn't the Packers had to come up and try to stop the run and that unlocked him some easy passes, some easy throws, some, one-on-ones to Drake London, a touchdown pass to Austin Hooper when they tried to double cover Kyle Pitts.
00:11:42
Speaker 5: So the running game kind of unlocked it.
00:11:44
Speaker 6: He got comfortable and, you know, made some pro-level passes in the passing attack to compliment, you know, one of the best running backs in the league.
00:11:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, Robinson had 213 scrimmage yards.
00:11:58
Speaker 2: In that game. What did they do? Because I thought they would lean on him in weeks one and two. They weren't really able to get him going. What did they do in week three that helped him explode the way he did?
00:12:11
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think they went away from they were trying to run a lot of power early. And, you know, it works some against Pittsburgh. You had a good game there.
00:12:20
Speaker 2: 173.
00:12:21
Speaker 6: But with no passing attack and the third string quarterback turned the ball over, there weren't really much they could do in that second game against Carolina.
00:12:32
Speaker 5: With the four turnovers and so forth.
00:12:34
Speaker 6: But in Green Bay, I thought they went back to more of the outside zone runs, the stretch plays.
00:12:41
Speaker 5: He got some creases on the edge, bounced it outside. We saw some.
00:12:45
Speaker 6: Great cutback runs by him also in that game. I thought they attacked in the way that he had been used previously here in the Green Bay game. So, you know, they're going to try to mix it up depending on who they're playing. If they got to run power, they think that work, they'll do it. If not, they'll go to the outside zone and do that. But the important thing is they know they have to get Bajon Robinson the football.
00:13:15
Speaker 1: Meanwhile, on defense, they don't have James Pierce or Jaylon Walker, but they're still.
00:13:19
Speaker 2: Generating pressure, and it's coming from the interior. How are they doing that?
00:13:25
Speaker 6: Yeah, they just signed Gervon Dexter Sr.
00:13:30
Speaker 5: a 6'6, 316-pound defensive tackle.
00:13:33
Speaker 6: And they got him in a trade right at the cut down from the Bears, and they got 6'6, You know, 6'5, 306 Mason Smith right next to him.
00:13:42
Speaker 5: So that's two big dudes up there in the middle.
00:13:45
Speaker 6: And also Brandon Dorless who had 8.5 sacks can get up in there. And you can't double both of them. So one of them is getting free. And they're able to generate the pressure from the inside out as opposed from the edges.
00:14:03
Speaker 2: D-Land, I know you were there.
00:14:04
Speaker 1: 20 years ago for the rebirth game at the super dome. I know everybody with the Falcons understands what this rivalry means. It's going to be a really charged atmosphere there on Monday night.
00:14:18
Speaker 2: What are they saying about dealing with that?
00:14:21
Speaker 5: They know it.
00:14:22
Speaker 6: They call it a hornet's nest. They know what they're going into. And, uh, you know, they've, uh, uh, know that it's going to be loud. They know it's going to be a rivalry game. They are, uh, getting jacked up as the week progresses. And, you know, they kind of look at it like, hey, we already been to Pittsburgh and Green Bay. But I don't think there's no way to simulate what's going to be going down in New Orleans on this big anniversary on Monday night.
00:14:56
Speaker 5: Monday night football is going to be through the roof. They know it.
00:15:00
Speaker 6: The veterans, nobody's making their first trip there now. So, you know, they're going to want to try to quiet the crowd, but it might be impossible.
00:15:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, it might be impossible. Del, we appreciate you taking the time to join us, my man.
00:15:16
Speaker 1: Okay, let's talk X-Factors now, and we will start with Kyle Pitts. We mentioned him earlier. Falcons gave Pitts a three-year, $ 54 million extension this offseason, and they didn't give him all that money for him to be an afterthought in their offense. But so far, that's what he's been. He has just two catches, 20 yards, and no touchdowns. Now, we're sure that the Falcons saw what Brock Bowers did last week against the Saints defense. And they're looking at this as a great opportunity to get Pitts more involved in their offense. So again, the focus has to be on B. John Robinson when the Falcons have the ball, but the Saints cannot afford to forget about Pitts. And the other X factor has to be the emotion in the building on Monday night. Saints have to use it for motivation and not let it become a source of pressure. Superdome was loud last week, but I still think the fans can get to another level. They are always up.
00:16:10
Speaker 2: For Falcons week and with Steve Gleason and Curtis Deloach in the building and all the good vibes from 20 years ago in the rebirth game, the fans will be ready to go off.
00:16:21
Speaker 1: Saints have to play well enough to give them lots to cheer about and hope that this one ends the way that one ends. Let's take a look at what's happening around the NFL beginning with the NFC South.
00:16:31
Speaker 2: Panthers are on Sunday night football in Charlotte for the first time in 10 years. They take on the Lions.
00:16:37
Speaker 1: Now Detroit has the worst pass defense in the NFL through three games, and the Panthers, with Bryce Young, have the best passing offense in the NFL through three games. But Detroit's offense can score as well, and the Panthers will be missing both of their top corners.
00:16:53
Speaker 2: J.C.
00:16:54
Speaker 1: Horn and Mike Jackson are both out for this game, so expect.
00:16:57
Speaker 2: Lots of points in that matchup. The Panthers come in 1-2, trying to get to. 500 this week. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are at home taking on the Packers.
00:17:07
Speaker 1: The big story there is undrafted rookie free agent Jalen Daniels making his first NFL start in place of Baker Mayfield. Mayfield is out with a dislocated thumb and could miss a few weeks. Buccaneers are 0-3. They desperately need a win to keep their season from spiraling out of control. But the Packers are 1-2, and they're really struggling on offense. They signed three offensive linemen this week to try to help their floundering rushing game. They had just 17 yards against the Falcons last week. They've also had problems protecting Jordan Lowe. Let's talk about another trend that we're seeing across the NFL, and that's tight ends scoring touchdowns. Last Sunday, tight ends accounted for 20 touchdowns across the NFL, and that is the most ever on a single day in NFL history. The Saints were in that number. They got two touchdowns from Juwan Johnson, two from Noah Fant. The Raiders got a touchdown from Michael Mayer and one from Brock Bowers. That adds up to six touchdowns in that game. And that tied the.
00:18:07
Speaker 2: NFL record for the most touchdowns by tight ends in a single game.
00:18:11
Speaker 1: So offensive play callers are using tight ends to create favorable matchups, especially in the red zone. And we're seeing it pay off with touchdowns across the league. As for the final verdict for this week for the Saints. You know, every season has inflection points, and this looks like it's one of them for the Saints. This is a big game against the Saints' biggest rival on the national stage at home.
00:18:36
Speaker 2: A win gets them back to.
00:18:38
Speaker 1: 500, and there's a big difference between 2-2 and 1-3 in the NFL. At 2-2, you have the opportunity to start building a winning season the next week. At 1-3, at least for the next two weeks, you're playing uphill trying to get back to.
00:18:53
Speaker 2: 500.
00:18:54
Speaker 1: So the Saints need to protect Tyler Shook. They need to limit their turnovers, and they need to keep B. John Robinson from wrecking this game so that they can turn a special night at the Superdome into a big win that can help catapult them to big things this season.
00:19:10
Speaker 2: For all of us at NewOrleansaints.com, I'm Stan Verrett. We'll see you next week on The Snap.
