The game against the Los Angeles Rams was always going to be a tough test for the New Orleans Saints, but the key was to stay in the game and play hard. Ultimately, they lost 34-10, and the game featured numerous issues that put them behind early.
Here are three Saints who underwhelmed in the Week 9 loss.
RB Alvin Kamara
A player like Alvin Kamara being on this list should never happen, but it has. The Saints’ rushing struggles have been well-documented, and they were once again evident in this game against the Rams. What made it worse was that RB Devin Neal actually had a good game — when the New Orleans gave him the ball — and Kamara fumbled on the Saints’ first drive of the second half. It might be time for the Saints to start using Neal as the lead rusher, at least to see if he can develop into that type of player for the future.
The DBs
The pass defense was downright awful at times against Los Angeles. Stafford and the Rams’ dynamic pass catchers were picking apart the Saints’ zone defense, which was made even easier by the cornerbacks’ ongoing struggles in coverage. It was nearly impossible to single out one Saints DB, as each had an underwhelming to poor performance.
The problems were not limited to pass defense; the DBs also struggled with tackling. While there were some good plays, there were far too many instances where the Rams gained yards after the catch that could have been prevented with better tackling. This has been an issue for the past two years, and there appears to be little chance of it being resolved.
G Cesar Ruiz
With all the offensive issues the Saints faced in this game, Cesar Ruiz’s struggles may have made things even worse. There were multiple instances where the veteran offensive lineman was beaten immediately — generally unacceptable, especially with a rookie QB making his first career start. Ruiz has been the subject of numerous trade rumors this season, and there is a real chance this could have been his final game with the Saints.