The New Orleans Saints fell to the Washington Redskins by a score of 40 to 32, thanks to a barrage of penalties, loose defense, and spectacular play by Washington QB Robert Griffin III. Griffin III threw for an impressive 320 yards on 19 of 26 passing, posting the fourth best rookie debut for a quarterback in NFL history. The Redskin running game amassed 153 yards, keeping the Saints’ offense off of the field.
The Saints’ defense failed to generate any resemblance of a pass rush, only registering one sack and giving Griffin III plenty of time to throw. The offense, which can usually be counted upon to keep the team in any game, was pedestrian at best. Drew Brees looked very ordinary, passing for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns, but only connecting on 46% of his passes and throwing 2 interceptions. The Saints‘ running game was non-existent, as the team played behind for a majority of the game.
Penalties absolutely hampered the Saints‘ attempts at getting anything started offensively. Twelve penalties costed the team 107 yards and any momentum. New Orleans spent most of the game starting drives in 1st and 20 situations. A few of the penalties called (specifically a pass interference call against Roman Harper) and some non-calls frustrated fans for the entire afternoon.
The Saints must rebound quickly, as they will face the Carolina Panthers on the road next week. Hopefully, the team can rebound after today’s embarrassing performance.
