The New Orleans Saints could not hold on to their second-half lead as they fell to the Cincinnati Bengals, 30-26, at home in Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season. The Saints absorbed their fourth loss of the season and fell to third place in the NFC South. Here we'll look at some takeaways from the Saints' loss in Week 6.

Everything that could go wrong for the New Orleans Saints pretty much did. Murphy's Law took full effect, especially in the fourth quarter. The Saints made too many mistakes, and the Bengals were all but too happy to take full advantage.

Of course, it's quite frustrating — for fans, players, and staff alike. The Saints bet everything on this being their year to make a splash. They wanted to establish that they were larger than Sean Payton and to compete in one of the toughest divisions. Instead, they're tripping over themselves to provide opponents with opportunities to win games. They would be 1-5 right now if the Atlanta Falcons had not let them steal one in Week 1.

There are 11 games left to play. A fast turnaround against the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night provides them with a mini-bye to return to New Orleans. That's a chance to relax, recuperate, and head into November armed for bear. Hopefully, it will turn out that way.

Here are our four takeaways from the New Orleans Saints' Week 6 loss vs. the Bengals.

4. Tyrann Mathieu underperforms again

It hurts to say it, but Tyrann Mathieu has been a flop so far this season. The Super Bowl champion, three-time Al-Pro, and three-time Pro Bowler just hasn't lived up to expectations. His tackling numbers are okay, after six games, he still has no sacks and just one INT. He also has just one pass defensed so far. In this game, he had 3 tackles and nothing else.

We're not sure if something is up with him or if it's how he's being utilized. However, it is clear that something needs to change for the rest of the season. There hasn't been anything about his performance that has helped the team win. For sure, Mathieu is still a highly skilled football player so we're hopeful he and the team will be able to figure things out.

3. Demario Davis came to play

In contrast to Mathieu, Saints LB Demario Davis was the finest player on defense in this game. He finished with two sacks and a tackle for loss. That's on top of nine total tackles. He was called for roughing the passer after making contact with Burrow's helmet, but he was the best thing going for the Saints defense. While the rest of the squad failed in coverage and tackles, Davis did his best to keep New Orleans in the game.

Overall, Davis is second on the team in total sacks, sack yards, and tackles for loss. He has been one of the defense's main anchors this season, and his play will remain crucial for their fortunes moving forward.

2. Rashid Shaheed was a bright spot

Saints WR Rashid Shaheed debuted in this game, and he was actually not bad. He was just promoted to the active squad to help the kick return unit, and he did so pretty well. Shaheed had a 20-yard kick return and also put up an eye-popping 44-yard touchdown run.

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JC Latham (Alabama), Chris Braswell (Alabama not Jaguars), Cornelieus Johnson (Michigan) in action behind a New Orleans Saints logo with a 2024 NFL Draft background.

Dylan Bruton ·

Unfortunately, the Saints didn't use him much outside of those two instances. Still, his services to the special teams should not be overlooked. Even simply keeping the ball is already a win for New Orleans. Now that Deonte Harty is out with an injury, Shaheed will have a defined role if he can prolong those returns and find other ways to contribute on offense. Aside from that, he may play himself into a larger role in the future.

1. So Andy Dalton was not good and might be on his way out

Before the game, some experts said that Seants QB Andy Dalton might earn a starting spot in New Orleans with another strong performance. A 53.1 percent completion rate doesn't exactly qualify as that. In this game, Dalton also had numerous difficulties getting plays off the ground. He also had four halted red zone drives and some wonky throws. A strong performance this was surely not.

Having said that, it would be surprising to see starting quarterback Jameis Winston return from the next bye week. Still, it is pretty obvious that the Saints should return to him once he is healed and ready to play. Dalton had a perfect opportunity this week to lead the club down the field and to a win on a two-minute drive, but he couldn't pull it off. Despite everything else, that would have gone a great swing in his favor. However, there isn't a clear edge one way or the other at quarterback right now. The guy with the higher ceiling is certainly Winston, and he is hands down the better option.