New Orlean Saints @ Buffalo Bills
Final Score: Bills 31, Saints 19
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp)
What had been expected to be an early blowout between the Bills and Saints turned into a much closer battle than many anticipated. For three quarters, the Saints managed to keep pace before the Bills finally pulled away in the fourth.
Buffalo came out firing, opening the game with back-to-back touchdowns thanks to explosive plays from James Cook and Khalil Shakir. The Bills’ ground attack spearheaded the offensive charge, consistently putting pressure on the Saints’ defense and proving nearly unstoppable. On the other side, New Orleans did its best to answer. Quarterback Spencer Rattler, paired with a determined run game, kept the Saints’ offense alive with strong runs all game long.
Three Up
- Khalil Shakir — Shakir continues to lead the wide receiver room and had one of the best plays of the game.
- James Cook — The Bills’ running back dominated the Saints’ run defense and basically had the whole backfield to himself in the game.
- Kendre Miller — The Saints’ running back may have had one of his best days in the NFL as he played a big role in the offense.
Two Down
- Ray Davis — The backup running back essentially had no role in this game and didn’t touch the ball until the fourth quarter.
- Keon Coleman — Coleman got off to a quick start, as all his catches occurred by the early second quarter of the game, but the volume is missing in his game.
New Orlean Saints
Quarterback
Spencer Rattler : 18/27, 126 Yards, TD | 6 Carries, 49 Yards | 1 Target
Second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler did everything he could to keep the Saints competitive, even if the box score didn’t reflect much in the passing game. Under constant pressure, Rattler rarely had time to settle in the pocket. Instead, he was forced to escape and pick up yards with his legs, or rely on quick dump-offs and screens to avoid drive-killing sacks.
It was a true night-and-day performance. At times, Rattler was the reason drives stalled, taking sacks, missing throws, and struggling with timing. Yet on other possessions, he kept New Orleans alive with sharp, decisive passes, capped by a late touchdown strike to Chris Olave.
Compounding the challenge, Rattler lost his starting center, Carlos Ruiz, before halftime, which further disrupted protection and continuity. While he showed grit and flashes of talent, the inconsistency raises questions: How much longer will the Saints continue to roll with Rattler as their starter if performances like this continue?
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: 15 Carries, 70 Yards | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 2 Yards
Veteran running back Alvin Kamara turned in a decent outing against the Bills’ defense, leading the Saints in carries and finishing with a respectable yardage total. His production was highlighted by three runs of 12 or more yards, but outside of those bursts, his impact was limited. Kamara didn’t look overly explosive or fast, and the consistency just wasn’t there.
What’s more concerning is his diminished role in the passing game. All of his receptions came on screens or dump-offs that gained little yardage — surprising given the Saints were trailing from the first quarter onward. In situations where his receiving ability should’ve been a weapon, Kamara was more of an afterthought.
To complicate things further, his backup Kendre Miller logged 10-plus carries despite trailing. That usage hints at a backfield rotation that could cap Kamara’s ceiling moving forward. Even so, Kamara remains the clear RB1 for New Orleans, though Miller’s increasing involvement is something to keep an eye on.
Kendre Miller : 11 Carries, 65 Yards, TD
Backup running back Kendre Miller had himself an interesting game, flashing the explosiveness. His biggest highlight came on a 17-yard touchdown run the team’s longest nonpenalty play of the night, where his burst and vision were on full display.
What stood out most was how the Saints deployed him. Miller wasn’t limited to a change-of-pace role. He logged carries in the 2-minute drill before halftime and saw touches in the red zone, suggesting growing trust from the coaching staff. His usage in critical situations shows he could be more than just a rotational piece.
Miller has always carried the reputation of being an explosive runner who could be a weapon if given real opportunity. While he’s unlikely to take over Kamara’s role outright, the Saints have historically leaned on a two-back system, and this game is positive for Miller carving out a meaningful share.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Chris Olave: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 20 Yards, TD | 0/1, INT
Star receiver Chris Olave once again led the Saints in targets, but his stat line tells only part of the story. His production could have been stronger if not for a pair of missed opportunities — one on the sideline where he couldn’t secure the ball before going out of bounds, and another on a throw from Rattler behind him as he was breaking away.
Olave’s night also included a bizarre moment when the Saints dialed up a trick play near the goal line. He attempted a pass back to Rattler, but it fluttered short and was picked off by the Bills. Despite that lowlight, Olave redeemed himself late in the third quarter with a crisp route and excellent separation on his touchdown grab, showcasing why he remains the team’s most dangerous weapon.
Most of his production, however, came in the short areas of the field — a reflection of the Saints’ limited passing game under constant pressure. Even so, as long as he stays healthy, Olave is locked in as New Orleans’ WR1.
Rashid Shaheed: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 47 Yards | 2 Carries, 5 Yards
Rashid Shaheed quietly put up the best receiving performance for the Saints in terms of yardage, though most of it came late in the fourth quarter. He sparked the offense with two chunk plays of 15 and 17 yards, reminding everyone of the speed that makes him dangerous in space. He did almost get a touchdown, but it was not an easy ball to bring in.
The Saints made an effort to manufacture touches for him — even giving him a couple of end-arounds — but he struggled to turn those into meaningful gains, often getting bottled up before he could get vertical. The bigger issue is schematic: This version of the Saints’ offense doesn’t cater to Shaheed’s greatest strength as a downfield playmaker. Unlike last year, when he was regularly schemed into explosive opportunities, he’s now seeing most of his work underneath, which could continue to limit his ceiling.
Juwan Johnson: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 28 Yards
Tight end Juwan Johnson’s stat line suggests an underwhelming performance, but context tells the story. Johnson was consistently blanketed in coverage over the middle, as the Bills clearly made it a priority to take away those inside throws and force Rattler to attack deeper — something the young quarterback rarely did.
Even so, Johnson still managed to notch the Saints’ third-longest play of the night with a 17-yard grab, showing his ability to make an impact when given the chance. He’s been a steady target in the Saints’ offense, and this game was more about matchup difficulty than a drop-off in role. Against a defense less focused on clogging the middle, Johnson should be in line for a bounce-back.
Brandin Cooks: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 22 Yards
Veteran receiver Brandin Cooks delivered his usual stat line — three receptions for minimal yardage — and once again played more of a background role in the Saints’ offense. The lone difference this week was he almost secured a shaky throw from Spencer Rattler in the end zone. Cooks remains little more than the Saints’ third receiving option at best.
Jack Stroll: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Buffalo Bills
Quarterback
Josh Allen : 16/22, 209 Yards, 2 TDs, INT | 7 Carries, 45 Yards, TD
For Josh Allen, it was another strong outing that reinforced why he’s among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. He looked comfortable in the pocket for most of the game and connected on several sharp downfield throws, particularly early on to Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir. Allen also continued to be a weapon with his legs, finishing with 45 rushing yards, including a 27-yard burst in the fourth quarter that all but sealed the game for Buffalo.
It wasn’t perfect, though. Allen flirted with turnovers multiple times, nearly throwing three interceptions. One came on an overthrown ball to Coleman that he and the defender got hands on. Another was a poorly placed pass that hit a defender squarely but was dropped. His lone interception came on a savvy defensive play, where Allen failed to recognize the defender rotating into the lane and threw it directly into coverage.
Even with those miscues, Allen once again showcased his dual-threat ability and command of the Bills’ offense. As long as he’s under center, Buffalo remains one of the league’s most dangerous attacks, and Allen himself is firmly cemented as an elite fantasy and real-life quarterback option.
Running Back
James Cook: 22 Carries, 117 Yards, TD | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 18 Yards
Star running back James Cook continues to show why he earned his new contract this offseason. He dominated the Bills’ backfield workload, handling 22 of the 24 touches, with Ray Davis and Ty Johnson only seeing action late in the game once things were already in hand.
Cook looked explosive throughout, forcing missed tackles and consistently gaining yards after contact. While he didn’t break off a massive run, he repeatedly churned out chunk gains in the 7- to 9-yard range, keeping the offense on schedule and wearing down the Saints’ defense. His vision and burst in the open field stood out, and he looked firmly in control as the centerpiece of Buffalo’s ground attack.
Ray Davis: 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Ty Johnson: 1 Carries, 0 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Khalil Shakir: 5 Targets, 5 Receptoions, 69 Yards, TD
Khalil Shakir once again showed why he’s currently the Bills’ most reliable receiver. His day was highlighted by a 43-yard touchdown, but he was consistently involved beyond that. The score itself was a showcase of his playmaking ability: On a simple screen, Shakir broke through two tackles, spun completely around, kept his balance, and accelerated into open space for the touchdown. Its clear that Shakir remains Allen’s favorite target.
Dalton Kincaid: 2 Targets, 1 Receptions, 28 Yards, TD
Dalton Kincaid’s day was salvaged by a late touchdown, where he slipped behind busted coverage and easily beat the defender for the score. Outside of that play, however, it was a relatively quiet outing. With the Bills leading for much of the game and leaning heavily on the run, Kincaid wasn’t called upon to play a major role in the passing attack.
It wasn’t his sharpest performance, but given his steady involvement in the offense throughout the season, this looks more like a down week than a trend. Kincaid should be in line for a bounce back next week as the Bills continue to feature him as one of their key pass-catching weapons.
Keon Coleman: 4 Targets, 3 receptions. 45 Yards
Keon Coleman got off to a hot start, seeing all four of his targets before the 10-minute mark of the second quarter. Coleman consistently created separation, made tough grabs downfield, and even pulled off a nifty sideline catch where he managed to keep both feet in bounds.
Unfortunately, his impact ended there. After that early burst, Coleman disappeared from the stat sheet, as the Saints’ defense adjusted and Buffalo leaned heavily on the ground game in the second half. With the run game thriving, the offense didn’t need Coleman to stretch the field late. It’s a disappointing pattern, as Coleman has yet to show the consistency needed to seize a true WR1 role for the Bills’ future. The flashes are undeniable now it’s about sustaining that production across four quarters.
Joshua Palmer: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 25 Yards
Jackson Hawes: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 15 Yards
Curtis Samuel: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Dawson Knox: 1 Target
Elijah Moore: 1 Carry, 0 Yards