For AMPS Magazine, the New Orleans Saints’ Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders was one of those games that leaves fans talking long after the final whistle. The Saints returned home to the Caesars Superdome looking to make a statement in their home opener, and for much of the afternoon, New Orleans looked like a team capable of doing exactly that. But football is a four-quarter game, and the final quarter turned a promising Saints performance into a frustrating 35–27 loss. New Orleans now sits at 1–2, while Las Vegas improved to 3–0. The Saints actually outgained the Raiders 381 yards to 340 and converted 60 percent of their third-down opportunities, but four turnovers proved too costly to overcome.
From the AMPS Magazine point of view, there was plenty to like about the way the Saints moved the football. Quarterback Tyler Shough put together one of the most productive games of his young NFL career, completing 29 of 42 passes for 250-plus yards and throwing a career-high four touchdown passes. He also showed his athletic ability with a career-long 36-yard run in the first quarter. What makes his performance especially interesting is that all four of his touchdown passes went to tight ends, showing that the Saints have multiple ways to attack a defense in the red zone.
The tight-end production was one of the biggest highlights of the afternoon. Juwan Johnson caught eight passes and scored twice, while Noah Fant added four receptions and two touchdowns of his own. The Saints entered the season having recorded only four touchdown receptions by tight ends during the entire previous season, yet the team produced four in this one game against Las Vegas. That is something New Orleans can build on moving forward. It also gives Shough another group of reliable targets when defenses attempt to take away Chris Olave.
Speaking of Olave, the Saints’ young star continued to show why he is such an important part of this offense. Olave finished with nine catches for 107 yards, reaching another career milestone by becoming the 10th Saint to surpass 4,000 receiving yards. He also moved into ninth place in franchise history for receptions and fifth place for 100-yard receiving games. For AMPS Magazine, these numbers tell an important story: even when the offense is being challenged, New Orleans has a legitimate playmaker capable of changing the game.
The running game also showed signs of improvement. Travis Etienne Jr. carried the ball 13 times for 57 yards, while Alvin Kamara added 36 yards on nine carries. Head coach Kellen Moore said he felt the Saints ran the ball better and believed there were positive elements on film to build upon. The Saints need that balance because a productive running game can take pressure off Shough and make the passing attack even more dangerous. But then came the fourth quarter, and that is where the game changed. New Orleans had opportunities to close the game out, but turnovers gave Las Vegas the openings it needed. Shough lost a fumble, threw an interception, and the Saints later lost another fumble when Johnson was unable to maintain possession late in the game. The Raiders turned those mistakes into points and scored 19 unanswered points during the final stretch.
The most discussed play came when Shough was hit while attempting to throw and the officials ruled the play a fumble. The call was automatically reviewed and upheld. According to NFL Vice President of Instant Replay Mark Butterworth, the ruling was confirmed because Shough lost control of the ball before his hand was moving forward with control. Whatever fans may think about the ruling, the larger lesson for New Orleans is the one Shough himself emphasized after the game: the quarterback has to find a way to get the ball out of danger in those situations.
Defensively, there were positives as well. Chase Young recorded two sacks, while Khristian Boyd registered his first career sack and added two tackles for loss. Kaden Elliss led the Saints with nine tackles, and the defense also created a special-teams turnover when Anfernee Jennings forced a fumble that Jordan Howden recovered. The problem was consistency late in the game, particularly against Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. In his first game of the season, Bowers caught 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, making several critical plays.
So what does AMPS Magazine believe the Saints need to take into Week 4? First, protect the football. That has to be the headline. New Orleans moved the ball, created scoring opportunities and had enough offensive production to win the game. Four turnovers, however, put too much pressure on every other part of the team. Coach Moore acknowledged that the turnovers came at critical moments and said the Saints had opportunities but failed to finish.
Second, the Saints have to learn how to finish. New Orleans held a 27–16 advantage in the third quarter, but the Raiders responded and eventually took control. Justin Reid summed it up after the game when he said the Saints had a two-score lead and needed to run away with the game, but did not produce enough offensively or get enough defensive stops. That is the kind of experience a young team must learn from quickly.
Third, the Saints need to continue developing the chemistry between Shough and his weapons. There were plenty of encouraging signs. Shough distributed the ball, the tight ends were productive, Olave surpassed 100 yards, and the running game produced some physical plays. Shough also spoke about the importance of tempo, communication and continuing to use different personnel combinations.
And now comes Week 4: the Atlanta Falcons come to the Caesars Superdome for Monday Night Football on October 5. The Saints will have an opportunity to put the Raiders game behind them in front of their home crowd.
For AMPS Magazine, the message going into Week 4 is simple: don't throw away the good because of the bad. The Saints showed they can move the football. They showed they have explosive weapons. They showed they can create pressure defensively. What they must show next is the ability to put all three phases together for 60 minutes.
This loss hurts because New Orleans had the game in its hands. But Week 3 also provided valuable information. Tyler Shough has shown he can make big plays. Chris Olave continues to establish himself among the franchise's productive receivers. The tight ends have become a major part of the offense, and the defense has playmakers capable of creating momentum-changing plays.
Now the Saints have to turn those positives into consistency. As Shough said after the game, there is a long season ahead and plenty to learn from the film. For the Black and Gold, Week 4 is another opportunity—not to dwell on what happened against Las Vegas, but to prove that the lessons learned from that loss can make the team better when the next fourth quarter arrives.