One of the most entertaining games of Week 6 was a 34-27 New Orleans Saints victory over the New York Giants. Yet another slow start saw the Saints fall behind by a 10-0 score. They then slowly took control through the second quarter and had a dominant third quarter to take a 34-10 lead early in the fourth. After that, however, New Orleans had to hold on for dear life as the Giants roared from behind to pull within a touchdown with the ball in the red zone on the final play.
New Orleans improved to 2-4 with the victory. They now head to France for a clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7. Before that though, let's look back at the good, bad, and ugly in reverse order from Sunday's thriller.
The Ugly: Kellen Moore and Brandon Staley
New Orleans had a 34-10 lead and had just intercepted their third pass of the game to regain possession with 10:22 to play. Kellen Moore inserted Spencer Rattler and the second team offensive line along with reserve wideouts at that stage. Undrafted rookie CJ Donaldson then fumbled and the Giants scored 17 unanswered points on the next three possessions. Even though Moore put Shough and the 1st team back in immediately, he called nothing offensively to sustain a drive and stop the momentum swing. Conversely, Brandon Staley got noticeably passive on defense as McCarthy was ripping Saints coverage apart.
Yet again, Moore's offense came into this game with little imagination or perceived preparation for the Giants. As a result, the Saints fell into an all too familiar 10-0 hole. Staley's defense probably played their best outing of the year, at least through three quarters. While the infuriatingly slow starts continue to plague this team, sitting the starters then doing nothing to stop New York momentum may have been a final straw for Gayle Benson if New Orleans wasn't able to hold on for the win.
The Bad: Asim Richards
New Orleans has a problem at left tackle. Yes, Richards is a backup -- in for an injured Kelvin Banks Jr. But he's been a clear weak link on a line that's struggled as a whole. Opponents have focused their pass rush packages on Richards, with Kellen Moore often leaving the tackle on an island. That in itself is a big coaching issue and one of the many problems with this staff. However, Richards also needs to hold up better. On Sunday, he was responsible for back-to-back holding penalties in the first quarter and was a protection liability throughout the game.
The Good: Isaiah Stalbird
Stalbird was responsible the game's first major shift in momentum through special teams. After Daniel Carlson nailed a 58-yard field goal to put the Saints on the board, Stalbird's thunderous hit on the ensuing kickoff caused a fumble that allowed the Saints to tie the game at 10-10 going into halftime. Earlier, before the midway point of the first quarter, Stalbird's hustle and speed allowed him to down a beautifully placed punt by Ryan Wright down to the Giants 7. New York would end up putting together a 93-yard drive for a touchdown, but Stalbird did his job for the defense. Isaiah Stalbird makes plays every week on special teams. Why he doesn't get defensive snaps, none yet this season, is another frustrating story.
The Good: Martin Emerson Jr. and Quincy Riley
New York opened Sunday's game with two quick passes to star wideout Malik Nabors in hopes of taking advantage of usually soft New Orleans coverage. Riley was more than ready for both, cutting Nabors down for a 2-yard loss on the first and in position to do the same on the second. Up until a botched breakup on a fourth quarter deep pass to Charlie Jones for 49 yards, Riley surrendered very few significant plays on the day. He was responsible for a defensive backfield effort that allowed no catches to a Giants wide receiver other than Malik Nabors until late into the third quarter. Most of those completions to Nabors were also away from Riley.
Emerson got increased reps when Kool-Aid McKinstry suddenly became unavailable. Predictably, he was targeted often by Jameis Winston and later by J.J. McCarthy. Emerson responded with 2 interceptions and nearly a third while breaking up a 2-point conversion and another throw in the end zone. In all, Emerson broke up 4 throws on the day. It was a good effort through three quarters by the entire Saints defense, headed by a secondary that had 3 interceptions and a front seven that recorded 5 sacks and held the Giants to 84 rushing yards. The stars of the defense on this day were cornerbacks Quincy Riley and Martin Emerson Jr.
The Good: Offensive Line and Running Game
New Orleans offensive linemen have received a ton of criticism this season. Most all of it has been very deserved. Against the Giants, the line put together their best outing of the season. Pass protection (Richards) was still sketchy at best, but the guards and center held up very well against Giants defensive tackles and interior blitzes. It was in the running game where the Saints finally flexed some muscle in the trenches.
New Orleans ran for 175 yards against the Giants, easily their best output of the year. Saints running backs Kendre Miller (70), Donaldson (39), and Alvin Kamara (34) accounted for 143 of that yardage as New Orleans bullied their way to 109 rushing yards and a 4.4 average in the second half. Left guard David Edwards and center Erik McCoy were impressive inside, while Taliese Fuaga played his best overall game of the year at right tackle. Perhaps most impressive was rookie fourth round pick Jeremiah Wright. When starting right guard Cesar Ruiz (knee) was knocked out for the game at the end of the first half, Wright stepped in for his most significant NFL action to date. Most of the Saints second half rushing success came behind Wright, McCoy, and Edwards. Hopefully, this marked a turnaround going forward for a New Orleans offense and line for a team desperately searching for balance.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: The good, bad, and ugly from Saints vs. Giants thriller