Well, Who Dat Nation…
Tony was wrong.
I picked Baltimore.
I told these Saints to prove me wrong.
They did.
And I couldn’t be happier about it.
The New Orleans Saints walked into Baltimore, fell behind again, stared at another fourth-quarter deficit and this time didn’t leave us talking about how close they came.
This time they finished the damn job.
Saints 24. Ravens 17.
We’re 1–1.
And maybe — just maybe — we’re starting to learn something about this football team.
Here We Go Again…
I’m sitting there watching Baltimore go up 7–0.
Then 14–3.
Halftime comes and we’re down 14–6.
I’m thinking, Boys, we’ve seen this movie already.
Last week in Detroit, New Orleans dug itself a 21-point hole and somehow fought all the way back before losing 31–30 in overtime.
I loved the fight.
I hated the ending.
So when Baltimore stretched its lead to 17–9, I wasn’t interested in another story about how these young Saints never quit.
At some point, you’ve got to win one.
And that’s exactly what they did.
Tyler Shough Did It Again
Last week Shough threw for 410 yards and led that crazy comeback in Detroit.
This week?
The numbers weren’t as flashy.
They were better.
27 of 34.
252 yards.
One passing touchdown.
No interceptions.
And when the Saints absolutely had to have a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, Shough didn’t throw it.
He took it himself.
Fourth down. One yard. Game on the line.
Quarterback sneak.
Touchdown.
New Orleans finally had the lead, 23–17, with 1:28 remaining. The extra point made it 24–17.
That’s the difference between last week and this week.
Against Detroit, Shough showed me he could fight back.
Against Baltimore, he showed me he could finish.
And Don’t Forget Olave
Remember what we talked about before the game?
Baltimore knew Chris Olave was the guy they had to stop.
Well…
8 catches.
86 yards.
1 touchdown.
And that touchdown couldn’t have come at a better time.
With New Orleans trailing 17–9 in the fourth quarter, Shough found Olave for a 21-yard touchdown.
Then the Saints went for two.
Travis Etienne Jr. got it.
17–17.
All of a sudden, Baltimore had a football game on its hands.
Again.
Fifteen to Nothing
Here’s my favorite number from this entire game:
15–0.
That’s what New Orleans did to Baltimore in the fourth quarter.
The Saints entered the final quarter down 17–9.
They left Baltimore winners, 24–17.
That’s not garbage-time scoring.
That’s not making a bad final score look respectable.
That’s taking over a football game when it matters most.
And after what happened in Detroit, that means something to me.
Because now we’ve seen this team get punched twice.
They got back up twice.
The difference is that this time, they walked away with the win.
Zero
Here’s another number I love:
0.
That’s how many turnovers the Saints had.
Last week against Detroit, New Orleans turned it over three times.
This week?
Shough didn’t throw an interception.
The Saints didn’t lose a fumble.
Zero turnovers.
Amazing how much easier winning gets when you don’t hand the other team the football.
And Then Blackmon Shut the Door
Of course Baltimore wasn’t going away quietly.
Lamar Jackson got the football back with 1:28 remaining and a chance to tie the game.
And every Saints fan watching knew exactly what we were thinking:
Please don’t do this to us.
Baltimore started moving.
Then, with 20 seconds left, Lamar went deep.
Julian Blackmon picked it off.
Ballgame.
No overtime.
No controversial ending.
No sitting around wondering what might have happened.
Shough took a knee.
Saints win.
Maybe Tony Needs to Keep Picking Against Them
Before the season, I had the Saints losing the first two games.
Detroit?
Tony was right.
Barely.
Baltimore?
Tony was wrong.
Beautifully, wonderfully wrong.
And after watching these first two weeks, I know one thing:
This team has more fight than I gave them credit for.
I’m not ready to start planning a parade down Poydras Street after one win.
We’ve still got problems.
We’ve still got to figure out how to start games better.
We can’t spend every Sunday waiting until the fourth quarter to become the football team we want to be.
But there’s something happening here.
Last week they were down 21–0 and refused to quit.
This week they were down eight in the fourth quarter and didn’t just fight back.
They won.
That’s progress.
So Tony Will Say It
I picked Baltimore.
I was wrong.
The Saints proved me wrong.
And Who Dat Nation, I’ll gladly take that L.
Because the one that matters belongs in the Saints’ win column.
1–1.
Now we’re coming home.
The Las Vegas Raiders are coming to New Orleans next Sunday.
And after what I’ve watched these last two weeks?
Maybe Tony better be a little more careful with that Week 3 prediction.
Then again…
If picking against them is what it takes to get this team going, I might have found my job for the rest of the season.
WHO DAT! ⚜️
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