NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - **Take One: Leaving with a win**
The Saints work week started with their team owner publicly criticizing their poor performances.
The week ended with a 34-27 win over the New York Giants in a game that took many twists and turns. That has to be the biggest takeaway from Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium.
The Saints galvanized and responded with a win after getting publicly called out by the organization’s top person. Though this game almost slipped out of their grasps, the truth is the Saints outplayed the Giants and deserved the victory. That flight to Paris will feel much better at 2-4 than it would have at 1-5.
**Take Two: The winning 19:56**
This game was one of runs, and the Giants struck first with the first ten points of the game and nearly came back with the final 17. But the Saints did just enough with their middle 34 points to earn the win.
It all started at the 1:27 mark of second quarter. Just before the third down snap, John Harbaugh called a timeout which negated a sack on Tyler Shough that would have knocked the Saints out of field goal range. Instead, the Saints threw an incompletion on the next down, and Daniel Carlson was able to hit a 58-yard field goal to get the Saints on the board at, 10-3.
On the ensuing kickoff, Isaiah Stalbird forced a fumble that set up Shough’s fourth down touchdown pass to Bryce Lance with one second left in the quarter to tie things up at halftime.
The Saints got the ball back to start the third quarter and took their first lead when Alvin Kamara scored on a 31-yard touchdown catch and run. Their next drive ended with Shough quarterback sneak for a touchdown. Two drives later, they added a field goal. After that, Shough found Chris Olave in the end zone for 18-yard touchdown pass.
In the midst of the offensive onslaught the defense picked off Jameis Winston three times and forced two punts.
In a span of 19:56, the Saints took a 10-0 deficit and flipped it into a 34-10 lead.
**Take Three: Kellen’s gamble**
When Martin Emerson picked off Winston for the second time at the 10:27 mark of the fourth quarter, the game felt over. Giants fans hit the exits, and Winston hit to the bench.
At that point, Kellen Moore gambled, figured it was safe to put in some backups and it nearly cost him. He pulled Shough and Erik McCoy. Two plays later, Donaldson fumbled the ball away, then J.J. McCarthy entered the game and went wild. He threw for an insane 243 yards in the final 10 minutes of action to put 17 points on the scoreboard and nearly pulled off the improbable comeback. McCarthy simply ran out of time, if he had one more play, things could have gotten even more interesting.
If that scenario played out and the Giants actually pulled out the win, who knows what the discussion around Moore would have been? Fortunately, he won’t have to worry about that as his team escaped with a win.
**Take Four: Right Running back mix**
Of all the things that were encouraging about Sunday’s win, the running game topped the list.
On a day where Shough wasn’t quite as sharp as he’s capable of being, the Saints were dominant on the ground and finished with 175 yards on 38 carries for 4.6 yards per rush. For the first time all year, it felt like the running back rotation was effective and kept the Giants defense off balanced.
Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson all received adequate snaps and made plays. It’s big reason why the Saints are now 2-4.
Kamara even made history by becoming just the sixth player in NFL history to gain 5000 yards rushing and receiving throughout his career.
**Take Five: Other Observations**
* Barion Brown was outstanding returning punts and kicks for the Saints.
* After a rough start with a landing zone penalty and missed field goal, Carlson stepped up nicely to close out his day on a high note.
* Emerson nearly had a hat trick of interceptions, but his third one was ruled incomplete.Had he gotten that final one, the game would not have been quite as dramatic at the end.
* Moore said Kool Aid McKinstry’s second half absence was due to a migraine.
* The Saints now head straight to Paris from New Jersey, with the team and NFL are aware of the civil unrest there. Hopefully there will be no issues once they’re over there. Not just fot the teams but also for the fans. Several Saints fans are making the trip.
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