What We Saw: Week 3

Catch our recap of every game from Week 3

Drew DeLuca
What We Saw A Year Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Saints @ Packers
Colts @ Ravens
Titans @ Browns
Falcons @ Lions
Chargers @ Vikings
Broncos @ Dolphins
Patriots @ Jets
Bills @ Commanders
Texans @ Jaguars
Panthers @ Seahawks
Cowboys @ Cardinals
Bears @ Chiefs
Steelers @ Raiders

Saints @ Packers

Final Score: Packers 18, Saints 17

Writer: Drew DeLuca (@DrewDeLaware on Twitter)

 

The first half featured multiple missed opportunities from two offenses that couldn’t get much going. The story for the Green Bay Packers was one of penalties and poor execution. The Packers drew seven flags for 60 yards and didn’t take a single trip into the red zone. A failed flea-flicker on the opening drive was a rather aggressive playcall on 4th-and-2 at midfield. It gave the New Orleans Saints great field position, which they parlayed into their first first-half touchdown of the 2023 regular season. That turned out to be the only offensive touchdown scored by either team in the first half.

Jordan Love finished the half with a meager line of 7/16 for 74 yards, and while a few scrambles helped move the ball, a parade of penalties pinned him into a plethora of difficult third-and-long situations. Derek Carr didn’t light it up in the first half, either. That didn’t matter, though, as the Saints took a 17-0 lead into the locker room at halftime, thanks in part to a special teams touchdown (more on that later).

Love’s first attempt of the second half resulted in his first interception of the season, and it didn’t get much better on the next drive, when he completed only one of three passes for six yards, resulting in a three-and-out. Meanwhile, Carr left the game after hitting the ground hard during a sack by Rashan Gary. Initial fears centered on a possible concussion, but Carr ended up sustaining a shoulder injury that doesn’t appear to be a long-term ailment. Going forward, the Saints need to do a better job of protecting their quarterback, plain and simple.

Jameis Winston entered the game, and he simply wasn’t ready for the moment. He didn’t look anywhere near as collected as his final line of 10/16 for 101 yards might indicate. The rest of the team followed suit: two pass interference penalties totaling 67 yards breathed new life into a Packers offense on life support. After converting a 3rd-and-10 on a dart to Jayden Reed, Love called his own number on a zone read option, scored his first career rushing touchdown to make it a one possession game, and found Samori Toure in the end zone for two additional points. Love then continued his late game heroics with this absolute dime to Reed:

 

After stalled drive after stalled drive by the Saints, Winston found Chris Olave for a couple of clutch catches to bring the Saints into field goal range. The Saints were forced to burn their second timeout to prevent a costly delay of game penalty. On the subsequent 3rd-and-8, Winston threw short of the first down marker, finding Michael Thomas underneath for a minimal gain. Rookie kicker Blake Grupe pushed the game-winning field goal wide to the right after what appeared to be a perfect snap and hold.  After flatlining for three quarters, the Packers pulled off an improbable come-from-behind win by compiling 139 yards and 18 points in the fourth quarter alone.

This was an incredibly impressive feat when we remember that the Packers went into this one without starting running back Aaron Jones, starting left tackle David Bakhtiari, starting left guard Elgton Jenkins, starting wide receiver Christian Watson, and starting cornerback Jaire Alexander.

 

Three Up

  • Luke Musgrave caught six of eight targets for 49 yards. One of the two misses was an overthrown long-distance target that would’ve doubled his yardage total and placed him among the top scoring tight ends of the week. His heavy utilization and frequent targets are encouraging.
  • Romeo Doubs saw 12 targets, more than any pass catcher on either side. He ended up with only five receptions, but most were clutch, including the game-winning touchdown.
  • Fourth Quarter Jordan Love. Dr. Jekyll was masterful when it mattered most.

 

Three Down

  • First, Second, and Third Quarter Jordan Love. Mr. Hyde couldn’t get out of his own way.
  • Both New Orleans Saints quarterbacks. Neither Derek Carr nor Jameis Winston was able to capitalize on a defense missing star cornerback Jaire Alexander. It’s inexcusable for a team with a receiving corps of Olave, Thomas, and Rashid Shaheed to walk away from this one with only 17 points.

 

New Orleans Saints

 

Quarterback

 

Derek Carr: 13/18, 103 Yards, TD 

After overthrowing a well-covered Keith Kirkwood in the back of the end zone on 2nd down, Carr shook off the poor decision and found the ageless Jimmy Graham for a touchdown on the very next play. Carr wasn’t at his sharpest, but with the Saints leading 17-0 at the half, this was a non-issue.  Nevertheless, he took a few too many sacks today, and it definitely felt like he wasn’t getting enough protection on obvious passing downs. One of those hits early in the third quarter resulted in an impromptu trip to the locker room, a jaunt from which he never returned.

Notes

  • Carr didn’t turn the ball over, but he was sacked three times.
  • He found Olave for first downs on multiple occasions when it was time to move the sticks.
  • Carr offers very little in the run game, and was predictably unable to escape collapsing pockets and generate positive yards on the ground when plays broke down.
  • He connected with Tony Jones, Jr. four times in the first half; interestingly, the running back wasn’t targeted at all by Jameis Winston once Carr left the game.

Missed Opportunities

  • Carr was unable to establish a rapport with Michael Thomas. His first throw in particular was thrown embarrasingly behind the former All Pro receiver.
  • A deep ball downfield to Rashid Shaheed was underthrown, and the receiver ended up having to play defensive back on a jumpball in order to prevent an interception.

 

Jameis Winston: 10/16, 101 Yards 

Winston connected with Juwan Johnson on his first pass of the game for a gain of five yards, and the Saints looked to be moving the chains before the drive sputtered and ended in a punt. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the offense was still unable to find a groove, and Winston became the second Saints quarterback sacked by Rashan Gary in this game.

 

 

Notes

  • Winston’s stat line looks better than his actual play. He seemed lost in the offense on multiple occasions.
  • Unlike Carr, Winston and Michael Thomas were on the same page.
  • Like Carr, he looked Olave’s way, usually successfully, at key points in order to keep drives alive.

Missed Opportunities

  • An awful throw out of bounds on 3rd and 3 with 5:31 left in the fourth quarter gave the Packers the football. Winston looked lost and didn’t seem to know where his receivers were; at least one was open underneath.

 

Running Back

 

Tony Jones Jr.: 8 Carries, 31 Yards | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 21 Yards

Jones was the starter in the backfield and was featured early and often. He took the first handoff of the game and was targeted four times in the first two quarters, hauling in all four passes for 21 yards. Only Olave saw more passes from Carr in the first half. Jones hustled to the edge on 1st-and-10 and picked up 19 yards in what was the longest rush by either team in the first half. Strangely, he became a non-factor in the second half.

 

Kendre Miller: 9 Carries, 34 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 0 Yards

 

Kendre Miller, fresh off an injury of his own, received his first real game action thanks to the recent placement of Jamaal Williams on the Injured Reserve list. Miller entered in the Saints’ second series of the game, handling the first two touches before exiting in favor of Jones on third down. He had a great seven or eight yard run called back due to penalty that would’ve made his stat line more reflective of the burst he showed with the football in hand. Unfortunately, based on observed utilization, the team doesn’t appear to trust him much in passing situations.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Chris Olave: 11 Targets, 8 Receptions, 104 Yards

Both Carr and Winston looked his way to move the chains on several occasions. He had a terrific, one-handed, over-the-shoulder catch down the near sideline with about 30 seconds remaining in the half set up a 1st-and-goal situation for the Saints that ended in a field goal.

 

 

Late in the game, Olave’s 28-yard reception brought the Saints across the 50-yard line. A few plays later, his critical first down grab had the Saints knocking on the door of a game-winning field goal attempt that fatefully sailed wide. Earlier, a touchdown pass went right through his hands in the near front corner of the end zone with less than 10 seconds remaining in the half. It didn’t seem like a huge problem at the time, as the Saints settled for a field goal and went into the locker room with a 17-point lead. In retrospect, those four lost points were crushing.

 

Michael Thomas: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 50 Yards

Thomas was targeted only twice in the first half and was unable to haul in either. His first target was on a slant route, but Carr’s pass was thrown well behind him. In the end, his pedestrian stat line was nearly a carbon copy from last week’s (9-7-55-0). It appears we can give up the dream of Thomas ever returning to form; it’s clear that Olave is the new alpha. However, it was clear that Winston favored Thomas more than Carr did.

 

Rashid Shaheed: 2 Targets, 0 Receptions, 0 Yards

Shaheed had a great Week 1 on the offensive side of the ball, then quieted down in Week 2. He was once again a ghost on offense, but made his mark in this one with a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown, the first by the Saints in three years.

 


The only pass thrown Shaheed’s way in the first half was a high-value target deep downfield that was underthrown. Shaheed had no chance on it and was forced to knock it down to prevent an interception. The Saints really need to find a way to get the ball in this kid’s hands in the open field, where he can use his speed and shiftiness to rack up yards after the catch.

 

Taysom Hill: 4 Carries, 12 Yards | 1 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards

With about 10 and half minutes left in the game, Hill lined up at quarterback and took a designed draw down the near sideline for 15 yards, but it was called back due to penalty. That would’ve been his biggest contribution of the day. Another penalty on 2nd and 4 in the second half took the ball out of his hands entirely. It just wasn’t meant to be for Hill today.

Jimmy Graham: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 8 Yards, TD

Juwan Johnson: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards

Keith Kirkwood: 1 Target

 

Green Bay Packers

 

Quarterback

 

Jordan Love: 22/44, 259 yards, TD, INT | 9 carries, 39 yards, TD

As alluded to above, today’s Love Story was actually Jekyll & Hyde. Love was barely better than abysmal in the first half, although there were a few bright spots: a great sideline toss deep downfield to Romeo Doubs put the Packers in field goal range, a scoring opportunity the coaching staff squandered. Love’s impressive scramble and tiptoe act down the sideline

Notes

  • At the half, Love’s line was 7/16 for 74 yards, 0 TD, and 1 sack. He ran three times and gained 12 yards. This was a far cry from how he started the first two games of the season.
  • Two pass interference penalties on New Orleans appeared to give Love and the offense a much-needed jolt. It almost seemed like a different quarterback entered the game, one who channeled the spirits of great Green Bay quarterbacks of the past.
  • Threw a great ball to Jayden Reed on a key 30-yard pass down the near side of the field, which brought the Packers intp the red zone.
  • The go-ahead touchdown to Romeo Doubs was perfectly placed away from the defender in a location where only Doubs had a shot at hauling it in.

Missed Opportunities

  • Pretty much the entire first half.
  • He failed to look off the safety during his first pass of the second half. Lonnie Johnson was playing deep and caught an overthown ball intended for Romeo Doubs. It almost looked like Johnson was fielding a punt.
  • Down 17-0, he missed Patrick Taylor on a key 4th-and-2 inside the red zone. That conversion would’ve given the Packers a fresh set of downs and a chance to make a game out of this mess. Luckily, he was gifted plenty of additional opportunities and later capitalized.

 

Running Back

 

AJ Dillon: 11 carries, 33 yards

At first, it looked like Dillon was primed to have the kind of game we’ve been waiting for. He had a few tough, impressive runs in the first quarter. However, once it became apparent that Jordan Love didn’t have it, Dillon found it harder and harder to gain chunks of yards on the ground; he became a non-factor by the third quarter. However, he converted a key 3rd-and-1 on a drive with about five minutes remaining the game to give the Packers a fresh set of downs and hope for a comeback victory.

 

Patrick Taylor: 3 carries, 6 yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 23 Yards

Taylor’s two key first down receptions moved the chains in the 3rd quarter. He and Love took advantage of a Saints defense that was dropping back to prevent big plays downfield. Taylor also took the Packers’ last two handoffs of the 3rd quarter, but didn’t do much with them.

 

Emmanuel Wilson: 2 carries, 6 yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Romeo Doubs: 12 targets, 5 receptions, 73 yards, TD

Doubs was targeted more than any other pass catcher in this game. Even though he was unable to bring in most of them, his contributions to the Packers on this day were invaluable. No catch was more important than the go-ahead touchdown he reeled in with 2:56 remaining (see above). It’s clear that Love trusts Doubs, so it will be interesting to see what kind of role he carves out once Christian Watson returns from a nagging hamstring injury.

 

Jayden Reed: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 63 yards

 

Reed was used mostly in the punt return game early. He had a key 31 yard reception in the fourth quarter that helped the Packers reach field goal range, resulting in their first points of the game. Unfortunately, he had a touchdown knocked away by Alontae Taylor just two plays later, so those points came in the form of an Anders Carlson field goal. Taylor was everywhere today, incidentally, recording a sack and at least five passes defended through three quarters and change.

Reed stretched out for a huge 30-yard grab down the near side of the field with under five minutes remaining, bringing the Packers into the red zone and offering the opportunity to somehow take the lead in a game that seemed out of reach in the third quarter.

 


Dontayvion Wicks: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 45 yards

Wicks was far from an afterthought, but was unable to crack 10 fantasy points without Christian Watson and Aaron Jones in a come-from-behind game script. The emergence of rookie tight end Luke Musgrave clearly pushes Wicks down the pecking order. Expect Wicks to continue serving as a fourth or fifth option at best going forward.

 

Luke Musgrave: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 49 yards

Rookie tight ends aren’t supposed to matter, but no one told this to Musgrave, who received more targets and receptions in this game than his two previous contests combined. Love *just missed* connecting with Musgrave on a 50-plus yard bomb down the middle. The Oregon State product found the seam, blazed a trail through coverage, and had nothing but green between him and the end zone. This kid is legit.

 

 

Samori Toure: 3 targets, 0 receptions, 2 Point Conversion

Malik Heath: 2 targets, 0 receptions

Series Navigation
Introduction
Saints @ Packers
Colts @ Ravens
Titans @ Browns
Falcons @ Lions
Chargers @ Vikings
Broncos @ Dolphins
Patriots @ Jets
Bills @ Commanders
Texans @ Jaguars
Panthers @ Seahawks
Cowboys @ Cardinals
Bears @ Chiefs
Steelers @ Raiders

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