The New Orleans Saints concluded their 2021 season on a high note with a solid 30-20 win over division rival Atlanta Falcons. With a strong start, Sean Payton and his men easily built a significant lead and never looked back as they went on to secure the Week 18 victory.
Unfortunately, the Saints weren't in full control of their destiny as they needed the San Francisco 49ers to lose to the Los Angeles Rams on top of winning this game in order to get into the postseason. Since that scenario didn't come to fruition, New Orleans eventually found themselves missing a seat in the playoffs with a 9-8 record.
Despite their unfortunate fate, they have no one else to blame as they failed to win a handful of games that they could've easily ran away with. Still, getting a victory on the final game of the regular season to end the season on a winning note remains to be a good consolation prize for a team that has narrowly missed the playoffs like the Saints.
With that said, here are three takeaways from New Orleans' Week 18 dub over Atlanta:
3. The Saints have yet to resolve their quarterback woes.
Against the Falcons, the team got off to a great start as starting quarterback Taysom Hill was having an efficient outing in the pocket. Unfortunately, he went down with a foot injury and never got to return back to the game. Hill finished the tilt with 107 yards on 7-of-9 passes completed to go with a touchdown.
Backup QB Trevor Siemian then filled in the spot and had a respectable outing for the Saints as he compiled 71 yards on 9-of-15 attempts along with two TDs. It has been that kind of story for the Saints this season as they already went through a series of quarterback changes in 2021, especially after QB1 Jameis Winston went down with a season-ending torn ACL injury.
Surely, the team will have to fix their quarterback room in the upcoming offseason and make sure that they have enough depth and talent that can take over the playmaking duties whenever unforeseen situations arise moving forward.
2. New Orleans' defense dominated Atlanta all throughout the game.
The Saints' defense has always been considered as one of the league's best and they have shown their dominance once again in Week 18 against the Falcons. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and his men made life harder for opposing QB Matt Ryan who was only held to 216 passing yards on 20-of-31 passes completed and a touchdown.
They also sacked the veteran thrice and forced him to throw an interception on top of getting hit for a total of seven times in the game. Due to the stifling defense by the Saints, Ryan didn't get to gain significant rhythm to properly orchestrate their offense on the field which made it harder for the Falcons to put up points across the board.
Marcus Davenport, Cam Jordan, David Onyemata, and Paulson Adebo were all catalysts of the Saints' defense in Week 18 and helped the team end the season on a high note.
1. Alvin Kamara does it again.
In what was a rollercoaster season for the New Orleans Saints, star running back Alvin Kamara has emerged as one of the most consistent producers of this team on offense. Throughout their campaign, the five-time Pro Bowler has served as a dual-threat on the field who contributed both as a rusher and a receiver for the Saints.
Kamara made a statement on Sunday against the Falcons as he notched 146 rushing yards on 30 carries to go with 16 receiving yards on two receptions. Though he didn't get to score a touchdown, the 26-year-old still opened up opportunities for his teammates by constantly attracting defenders and being a potent threat on the field.
Despite missing some of his teammates, Kamara has proved that he can always be relied upon and will always show up for the team on any given occasion. A healthy Saints team could've been a sight to see in the postseason but it seems like it wasn't meant to be and they would just have to try harder again next season. Hopefully, luck will be on their side as they aim to get back to the postseason in 2022.
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