The New Orleans Saints lost a shootout to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, falling by a score of 48-46 and losing their grip of a first-round bye in the process.
But perhaps the Saints would have been better off had tight end Jared Cook not gotten injured.
Cook, who logged a couple of catches for 64 yards—both touchdowns—in the first quarter ended up taking a shot to the head in the second period, resulting in a concussion that forced him out of the game.
Afterward, quarterback Drew Brees said he felt Cook's absence was certainly a factor for the remainder of the contest.
“That’s definitely a factor,” Brees said, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “You know, he had two catches for from 68 yards and two touchdowns today. He was impactful. Would have been nice to have him, obviously felt like he would have had opportunities. He would’ve been able to complement everything that we were doing.”
It was actually 64 yards, but who's counting?
Anyway, while having Cook on the field certainly would have helped, that obviously isn't the primary reason New Orleans lost this game.
The Saints gave up 48 points to a 49ers club that is not necessarily known for its offense, and at home, no less.
Perhaps Brees and New Orleans should be a bit more worried about the effort that their defense put forth in this contest.
Of course, the Saints are still a robust 10-3 on the year, but the Green Bay Packers leapfrogged them in the standings, and now, New Orleans needs some help to earn a first-round bye.
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