Saints, Dennis Allen reverted to 2023 form vs Eagles

A Philadelphia stop gave the Eagles the football back, and the turnover on downs turned into a long touchdown run for Saquon Barkley.

If New Orleans had instead chosen to kick a field goal and gone up 6-0, perhaps the momentum of the game would've stuck with the home team. Instead, Philadelphia parlayed the defensive stop into the go-ahead score. 

To the Saints' credit, Derek Carr and the offense fought back. A field goal followed on the ensuing Saints drive and with two minutes to go, Carr found Chris Olave for a score that gave New Orleans a 12-7 lead.

Unfortunately, the Saints' defense buckled at the worst possible time, allowing the Eagles to gain 61 yards on a third-and-16 drag route to tight end Dallas Goedert.

After Philadelphia converted a touchdown and two-point conversion, Carr threw the game-ending interception into double coverage, sealing a win for the Eagles.

One pedestrian performance by the Saints offense doesn't automatically discredit the excellent work OC Klint Kubiak did in Weeks 1 and 2, but it does put New Orleans' early success into doubt. 

Similarly, Allen's decision-making in crucial moments (which was constantly scrutinized throughout 2023) was put to the test for the first time in 2024. The result was a mind-boggling fourth-down call that completely changed the course of a game in which points were at a premium. 

New Orleans' defense deserves its flowers for holding a potent Philly offense to just 15 points, but it gave up the two biggest plays of the game in pivotal moments. Barkley's big run and Goedert's third-down reception were the only times Philadelphia's offense showed the ability to gain yardage in chunks, but those two plays were all the Eagles needed to win their second game of the season. 

There are still plenty of positives for the Saints to take away from the first three games of 2024, and this year's team is much improved from last year. However, if Allen wants to prove that New Orleans truly is a different beast this time around, decision-making and the offense's consistency must be the first items he looks to improve on.

The Saints will get a chance at redemption in Week 4, traveling to Atlanta to take on the rival Falcons. (1 p.m. ET, FOX)