Point difference makes history, injuries pile up, Kendre Miller arrives

The worst thing about the New Orleans Saints’ 2-2 start is what lies ahead. They needed the cushion of a 4-0 or 3-1 start to better cope with the upcoming phase over water. But now things could quickly get out of hand after the last two weeks of narrow and heartbreaking defeats against beatable teams – 15-12 against Philadelphia (2-2) at home and 26-24 against Atlanta (2-2).

The loss to the Falcons was particularly unpleasant as the Saints gift-wrapped two touchdowns with a muffed punt that was recovered in the end zone and a tipped pick six. New Orleans became the first NFL team since 1983 to score 24 or more points and hold its opponent to no offensive touchdowns and losses, and that team included the Saints.

But the Saints have outdone themselves and their sad-sack history this time, as they have the largest point differential in history at 127-70 after four games without a winning record. Second, injuries are piling up as the schedule tightens and the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) are at home for a Monday Night Football game. Then the Saints host Tampa Bay (3:1). Help may be on the way, however, as the team is considering turning on running back Kendre Miller to provide a blow to the overworked and injured Alvin Kamara.

According to Pro Football Reference, since the NFL’s founding in 1920, no team in league history has outscored its opponents by more than 57 points while not going 4-0 or 3-1. Of the 184 teams in NFL history that have outscored their opponents by 55 or more points in four games, more than half were 4-0 and the rest were 3-1.

Neither was 2-2…until the Aints, also known as the New Orleans Saints, on Sunday. The franchise from a drinking town with football problems went 20 years without a winning season from 1967 to 1986 – the longest winning streak in NFL history. Now the Saints are making more history.

Only the 1981 Buffalo Bills came close to what the Saints accomplished. This season, the Bills outscored their first four opponents by 54 points and were 2-2. They finished 10-6 and made the playoffs.

“We just couldn’t get it done,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “Against Philadelphia, we ran into each other (on an Eagles touchdown).”

And against Atlanta, the Saints made the plays…for Atlanta.

“You can’t give a team 14 points,” Allen said.

Saints coach Dennis Allen spent much of last week discussing injuries as he missed starting center Erik McCoy (groin) for several weeks, as well as starting right guard Cesar Ruiz (knee) and starting middle linebacker Demario Davis (hamstring). ) for the Falcons game.

There’s more this week, but he has a new strategy.

“We had a number of guys with bumps, bruises, you name it,” a frustrated Allen said. “We will continue to evaluate these guys. So I’m not really going to talk much about injuries today. We have to release an injury report on Thursday (instead of Wednesday with Monday night’s game at Kansas). City). So this will be the next time we have a lot of information about injuries.

So outside linebacker Willie Gay Jr. essentially self-reported via his Instagram an update on his left hand injury, which he sustained in the Falcons game when he left and didn’t return.

This is Gay with a sling on his left arm coming out of a medical facility. Updates on his condition will follow later this week, as will the other players mentioned above, Allen said.

Taysom Hill returned to action against Atlanta after suffering what Allen called a “chest” injury in Week 2 in Dallas. Allen later said Hill suffered a lung contusion located in his chest. And Hill looked new early, gaining 24 yards on six carries and scoring two touchdowns. His 2-yard TD run in the first quarter tied the game at 7-7 after Atlanta scored on a fumbled punt return. His 5-yard TD run in the second quarter gave New Orleans a 14-7 lead.

But when Hill blocked another play in the second quarter, he injured himself again and left the game for good. He injured the ribs on the other side of his injured lung, Allen clarified.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara leads the NFL in combined rushing and receiving yards with 536-362 rushing on 80 carries (4.5 yard average) with five touchdowns and 174 receiving yards on 17 catches (10th). .2 yard average) and a touchdown.

Against Atlanta, playing with bruised ribs and a hip pointer, he rushed 19 times for 77 yards and a 1-yard TD to give the Saints a 24-23 lead with 60 seconds left. He also caught seven passes for 42 yards.

The problem is that there was little relief for 29-year-old Kamara. Jamaal Williams has rushed just 23 times for 87 yards, while the oft-injured Taysom Hill has rushed for 77 yards on 14 carries. A reinforcement could be on the way in Kendre Miller, a 2023 third-round pick from TCU who has been on injured reserve since Aug. 27 with a hamstring injury.

A new NFL rule allows players placed on IR to be reactivated after five weeks instead of being lost for the season.

“He’s made significant progress,” Allen said on WWL Radio Monday night. “It’s something we’re thinking about. We have not yet made a final decision on this. Probably not until Wednesday or Thursday. But he is close to returning to training.”

Miller showed promise in the season finale last season, when he gained 73 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown and caught a 6-yard pass in a 48-17 win over the Falcons. He gained 156 yards on 41 carries in eight games that season.