The New Orleans Saints continued their downward trajectory on Sunday, falling to one of its cellar counterparts, the Las Vegas Raiders, by a score of 25-10 inside the Caesars Superdome.
The loss for the Saints (5-11) makes for the team’s third in a row while the win for the Raiders (4-12) makes for the team’s second consecutive in what’s otherwise been an underwhelming season.
Here’s a quick recap of the game.
Scoring summary
Trailing 3-0 in the opening stages of the second quarter, the Saints used a little trickery to score their only touchdown of the day. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler tossed the ball to running back Kendre Miller who then threw it back to Rattler before tight end Foster Moreau was found 30 yards downfield in the end zone.
Rattler to Kendre to Rattler to Foster.
TOUCHDOWN‼️
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/ZZBlQVDnW5
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 29, 2024
Las Vegas kicker Daniel Carlson knocked his second field goal of the day through the uprights on the next possession to make it a one-point game. The 7-6 score would be the last lead for New Orleans as life was soon found by the Raiders offense.
With less than a minute remaining before halftime, Las Vegas quarterback Aidan O’Connell connected with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers on a three-yard touchdown to close out a 95-yard drive. The score at intermission was 13-10 in favor of the Raiders as New Orleans kicker Blake Grupe hit a 34-yard field goal as time expired.
The second half was all Las Vegas as Carlson was successful on two more field goals to extend the team’s lead to 19-10 early in the fourth quarter. Midway through the final period, O’Connell provided some insurance when finding wide receiver Tre Tucker from 18 yards out. Although the point after was blocked, it was a little too late as the Raiders went home with a 25-10 win.
What the coach said
New Orleans interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who has proven optimistic despite leading the team to a 3-4 record since the firing of Dennis Allen, was visibly frustrated on Sunday afternoon. During his postgame presser, he pointed out a handful of team stats in which the Saints could have been better, specifically the team’s 11 percent success rate on third downs and lack of time on offense – 22:10 compared to the Raiders’ 37:50.
“Naturally, it’s disappointing,” Rizzi said. “When the guys walk through the door here every day, you still expect them to be professional, accountable, come in with a great attitude, work hard, and give back to the fans. The time of possession and lack of conversion on third downs was what hurt us.”
Numbers never lie
Rattler – who is now 0-5 as a starter – had a decent performance in the first half but could not generate much in the second half. The rookie signal-caller finished 20 of 36 passing for 218 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He added 46 yards on three carries.
O’Connell, on the other sideline, had one of his cleaner performances of the season. The second-year O’Connell, who jumped Mississippi native Gardner Minshew on the depth chart earlier in the year, was 20 of 35 passing for 242 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers.
The biggest play of the day, or at least the most historical one, came in the third quarter when Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers broke the NFL rookie record for most receptions, previously set by Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (105) in 2023. Earlier in the game, Bowers surpassed Mike Ditka for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end and Amari Cooper for most receiving yards by a Raiders rookie. On the year, Bowers has 1,144 yards on 108 catches.
Another catch, another record 📈#BrockForOROY | @brockbowers17 pic.twitter.com/ZY55HVtv3y
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 29, 2024
Brock Bowers. Certified STUD. pic.twitter.com/sEqi6bjwBW
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024
Another number worth noting is 12 – that’s the number of hours before kickoff the Raiders arrived in New Orleans due to flight delays. Even with the short time between landing and playing, Las Vegas did not look fazed.
One of the only positives for New Orleans was defensive end Cameron Jordan, who tallied one sack and two tackles for loss. The first-quarter takedown of O’Connell made for Jordan’s 49th quarterback he’s brought to the ground in 14 years.
Next up
The New Orleans Saints, out of playoff contention, will conclude the 2024 season at Tampa Bay (9-7) next Sunday. A game time has not yet been announced.
