New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks
Final Score: Seahawks 44, Saints 13
Writer: Eric Romoff (X | @FantasyNav)
The afternoon block of games kicked off with the Seahawks looking to win their first home game since Week 12 of last season, hosting a winless Saints team that has been more competitive than their 0-2 record might indicate. This one felt like it was over just as quickly as it started, with the Saints turning the ball over on downs on their opening drive and looking to dig out of a 21-0 hole by quarter’s end. A game like this can make it difficult to draw too many conclusions from, as it isn’t likely that either team will be in another spot like this all season. Well, maybe the Saints will be on the wrong side of blow-outs a time or two this year.
Three Up
- Tory Horton – The rookie receiver out of Colorado State immediately made his presence felt with a punt return touchdown before scoring a 14-yard touchdown of the receiving variety in the 2nd.
- Juwan Johnson – Despite just 218 passing yards for the Saints, Johnson managed to catch 6 passes for 51 yards and is on track for another top-10 finish this week.
- Kenneth Walker III – The absence of Zach Charbonnet created an opportunity for Walker to grab hold of the Seattle backfield, and he took a step in that direction with a 16/38/2 outing.
Three Down
- Cooper Kupp – Kupp was in a 3-way tie for the lead in snaps among Seahawks receivers, but converted that to just 2 catches for 31 yards this week.
- Zach Charbonnet – While it is said that players “don’t lose their job to injury,” Charbonnet’s absence from this game leaves Kenneth Walker with back-to-back impressive games and a bigger hill to climb if he wants to take hold of this backfield.
- Rasheed Shahid – There was hope that the Saints’ vertical specialist could reclaim his form from 2024, but through 3 games Shahid is struggling to break 75% snap-share and is mostly on the sideline when the Saints are in 2-receiver sets.
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Spencer Rattler: 28/39, 218 Yards, TD, INT | 2 Carries, 10 Yards
Despite the world crumbling around him, Spencer Rattler looked poised and generally capable for a 3rd-straight week. Rattler continued to work the intermediate part of the field, in hopes of letting his playmakers create yards after the catch, and finished the day with just 5.6 yards per completion. There were several brutal sequences where penalties or drops took would-be big plays off the board, but on the whole, it appears that Rattler will be the game-manager type in his 2nd season. He did throw a beauty of a touchdown pass to Jack Stoll late in the game and threw his first interception of the season to avoid a turnover on downs.
Tyler Shough: 0/2, 0 Yards
It was the NFL debut for the rookie 2nd-rounder, but it was too small a sample to draw any meaningful conclusions from. He was not on the same page with his receiver on his first attempt, and the second was a throw-away as the pressure came bearing down
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: 18 Carries, 42 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Another week where Kamara dominates opportunity share out of the Saints’ backfield, but this week it didn’t translate to meaningful on-field production. The game script would seem to dictate a heavier involvement as a pass catcher, but his 2 targets underscore a disturbing trend about Kamara’s role in the passing game.
Kendre Miller: 7 Carries, 29 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards
Kendre Miller‘s character arc continues to inspire me. Miller was all but left for dead by the Saints organization and seemed to have a permanent spot in the doghouse of the prior coaching staff. Now he has worked his way into being the clear backup to a high-volume running back.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Chris Olave: 14 Targets, 10 Receptions, 57 Yards
While he doesn’t carry the upside that was once assigned to him, Chris Olave has shown an ability to make the best of a bad situation in New Orleans. This was another week that saw Olave dominate target share for Saints, 34.1% to be exact, but it’s hard to project his yardage to push much further beyond this total on a week-over-week basis.
Rashid Shaheed: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 42 Yards
The most “of note” item from this game for Shaheed was another notch in the “why isn’t he playing more?” column. He settled in right at 75% snap-share and again was off the field in many of the Saints’ 2-receiver formations. He did show a bit of his downfield ability with a nice 15-yard catch, but that being the most noteworthy play tells you all you need to know about Shaheed this season.
Juwan Johnson: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 51 Yards
Juwan Johnson is clearly pushing Alvin Kamara to be the second look in the Saints’ passing progression, and it appears it’s starting to take root. Eight more targets this week puts Johnson among the leaders at his position this year, and this feels like one of his more consistent streaks of production in recent memory. Johnson’s run-after-catch ability was on display with an impressive catch and run for 21 yards in the 2nd quarter.
Brandin Cooks: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards
Jack Stoll: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 21 Yards, TD
Kevin Austin Jr.: 1 Target
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: 14/18, 218 Yards, 2 TDs
Another small sample that hinders our ability to draw significant conclusions. Darnold did a good job of hanging in the pocket, trusting his line, and going through his progressions in the face of pressure. There were no ghosts to be seen, and letting the plays develop allowed him to distribute he ball to multiple receivers, instead of just peppering Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Drew Lock: 2/3, 15 Yards | 1 Carry, -1 Yards
Drew Lock was tapped to spell Darnold with the game out of reach and looked a lot like the version of himself that has teams interested in his services as a backup. Lock was able to come in and execute on the offense and showed that he’s worthy of that title should Seattle ever need it for an extended period.
Jalen Milroe: 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Running Back
Kenneth Walker III: 16 Carries, 38 Yards, 2 TDs | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Kenneth Walker III had the backfield all to himself following a rebound game in Week 2. He performed somewhat similarly from a fantasy perspective, but this time did his damage on the back of 2 touchdowns. Walker’s 2.3 yards per carry is a pretty alarming signal and might just keep the door open for Zach Charbonnet to reclaim a significant role after returning from injury.
George Holani: 10 Carries, 27 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards
The pre-season darling got his chance at regular-season action and operated as the clear backup behind Walker. Unfortunately, he likely did little to catch the attention of his coaching staff, and today’s turnover isn’t helping his case. The late fumble is obviously disappointing and might stifle his ability to claw his way into the rotation over the course of the season.
Jacardia Wright: 5 Carries, 20 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 96 Yards, TD
All those people concerned that Jaxon Smith-Njigba can’t sustain his insane target volume over the course of a season are sighing in relief following this game. Given the low number of passes overall (21), JSN’s target share is still quite high this week, but it’s the ability to make big plays and find the end zone that showcases the variety of ways he can contribute.
Tory Horton: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 32 Yards, TD | Punt Return TD
Tory Horton stayed hot in Week 3 and found a multitude of ways to score in this game. His 95-yard punt return in the 1st quarter set the tone for a dominant Seahawks performance, and his 14-yard receiving touchdown all but sealed the Saints’ fate. Horton flashed his ability to separate and his skill as a route-runner this week, both things that will help him earn more playing time and more targets as the season carries on.
Cooper Kupp: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 31 Yards
The Seahawks didn’t need to throw the ball much to win this game, leaving very little for Cooper Kupp and the rest of Seattle’s receivers behind JSN.
AJ Barner: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 23 Yards
Eric Saubert: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Dareke Young: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Elijah Arroyo: 1 Target