Photo by James Meche; Logos via sportslogos.net
After starting the first two weeks of the season on the road and winning their first game last week against the Ravens, the New Orleans Saints played the home opener vs the Las Vegas Raiders.
New Orleans surrendered 19 straight points in the second half to lose 35-27 and fall to 1-2 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Saints received the opening kickoff, but the Raiders got on the board first with a 41-yard Matt Gay field goal on the team’s opening drive. Las Vegas gained 53 yards in 12 plays before taking a 3-point lead midway through the first quarter. After an initial three-and-out, Tyler Shough scrambled 36 yards to set up a two-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson. The PAT was blocked by Thomas Booker IV, but the Saints held their first opening-quarter lead of the season.
Vegas responded with a pair of scoring drives. A field goal on the following possession after the Black and Gold were called for multiple penalties, and then the Raiders took the seven-point lead as Kirk Cousins found Michael Mayer for a three-yard touchdown.
New Orleans tied the game late in the first half with a 10-play, 72-yard drive that finished with a three-yard touchdown catch by Noah Fant with 1:54 remaining. The Raiders used up the rest of the first-half clock to make a 25-yard kick. The Saints went into the half down 16-13.
The Saints forced a Raider three-and-out and went on a 14-0 run within the first 10 minutes of the third quarter. Johnson and Fant each caught their second touchdown of the day to give their team an 11-point lead with 5:46 left in the quarter.
The Raider then scored on back-to-back possessions to take the lead. On both touchdown drives, Vegas elected to go for two and failed to convert each time, leading to the Raiders holding a 28-27 advantage with 9:21 left in the fourth quarter. Shough ruled to have been strip sacked with Maxx Crosby picking up the loose ball inbetween drives.
Shough followed that up by throwing an interception to Hezekiah Masses, who returned the ball to the Saints four-yard line. Brock Bowers caught the touchdown pass on third down to make it an eight-point game with under six and a half minutes to go.
New Orleans couldn’t comeback and lost 35-27, dropping the team’s record to 1-2.
BIG NUMBER: 1,029
You would have to go back to December 3rd, 2023 to find the last time the Saints’ defense allowed a 100-yard game to an opposing tight end. That was when Sam LaPorta had 140 receiving yards against New Orleans; Brock Bowers today had 116 yards and a touchdown.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kirk Cousins
Cousins had another good game, going 22/33 for 248 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints fell 35-27 to the Las Vegas Raiders.
UP NEXT: The New Orleans Saints will play in their lone primetime game on Monday, October 5th, when the Atlanta Falcons come into town. Kickoff from the Caesars Superdome is scheduled for 7:15 PM, and the action can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.
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