Jeff Duncan: 3 things we learned from the Saints’ deflating loss to the Falcons

The New Orleans Saints lost to the Atlanta Falcons 24-15 on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Here’s what we learned from the game:

The Saints offense has been haunted by inefficient play in the opponents’ red zone all season, and they reared their head again against the Falcons.

The Saints failed to score a touchdown on all five of their trips inside the Falcons’ 20-yard line. Three of those drives ended in field

goals. Two others ended in turnovers.

Derek Carr threw a Pick 6 on the Saints’ second series, a 92-yard game-changing interception and return by Jessie Bates.

Bates thwarted another potential scoring drive late in the third quarter when he forced a fumble from Taysom Hill at the Falcons’ 8.

Four offensive penalties and a sack also contributed to the red zone problems.

The Saints entered the game ranked 23rd in the NFL in red zone offense with a 48.6 % percent scoring rate.

Carr entered the game with a 45 % completion rate (19 for 42) in the red zone, third worst among NFL starters.

The Saints have been relatively healthy this season, but the injuries are starting to pile up at key positions and they hit hard in this game.

Receivers Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave left the game with injuries in the second and third quarters, respectively. Shaheed was

sidelined by a hamstring injury. Olave suffered a concussion. Those injuries, coupled with Michael Thomas’ knee injury from two

weeks ago, forced the Saints to finish the game with three active receivers: Lynn Bowden Jr., A.T. Perry and Keith Kirkwood.

Olave did his best to carry the load early on. He had seven passes for 114 yards in the first half.

In addition, center Erik McCoy (shoulder), Ryan Ramczyk and tight end Juwan Johnson left the game with injuries. Ramczyk and

Johnson eventually returned to action.

The Saints squandered a golden chance to seize control of the division with the loss. A win would have given them a commanding two-

game lead over the Falcons and Bucs in the division, as Tampa Bay lost in Indianapolis. Instead, the Saints now find themselves tied

with Atlanta for first at 5-6.

It’s going to be a wild finish with three teams within one game of each other in the standings with six games to play the rest of the way.

If the Saints fail to win the division, they’ll undoubtedly look back at this one.

Jeff Duncan: 3 ‘key’ things we learned from the Saints’ deflating loss…