What a difference a week makes.
Following a dreadful showing by LSU and a second straight
loss by the Saints last weekend, Monday morning couldn't come soon enough.
This week, both the Tigers and Saints did a complete 180,
righting the ship with road victories and restoring hope among their respective
fan bases.
After an embarrassing season opener, LSU dismantled
Vanderbilt, 41-7, in Nashville. The next day, the Saints overcame a lethargic
start to win a more-convincing-than-the-score-let-on 35-29 affair over the
Detroit Lions.
It was a beautiful sight.
In honor of LSU's defense allowing only a touchdown, here
are seven thoughts on the Tigers' and Saints' bounce back wins:
1.Myles Brennan is showing more than just promise.
Through two career starts, the junior quarterback ranks first in yards (682),
touchdowns (7), and completions (50) among LSU quarterbacks with two or more
starts dating back to 1957. Yes, the Tigers played perennial cellar-dweller
Vanderbilt. And yes, they lost the home opener to Mississippi State, but
Brennan showed improvement in game two, connecting on deep throws and
navigating the pocket under pressure. Better yet, he flashed a mental toughness
to shake off the season opener, stroll into Nashville, and take care of
business against the overmatched Commodores. Another confidence-building
opponent awaits against Missouri this weekend, but the real test looms on the
road at Florida in mid-October.
2.John Emery was finally unleashed. The sophomore
running back rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown, seemingly picking up a first
down every time he touched the ball. Emery has the highest dynamic playmaking
upside of LSU's main trio of running backs, and Saturday night was evidence
that the game is clicking with him in year two as a Tiger.
3.Terrace Marshall is a touchdown machine. The
junior wide receiver hauled in two more scores against Vanderbilt, including a
51-yarder, raising his season total to four touchdowns. Marshall has caught a
touchdown pass in 10 of the 14 games he's started for LSU and has nine
touchdowns in his last five games. If Marshall were to keep his current scoring
pace up, he would have a chance to surpass Ja'Marr Chase's single-season
touchdown reception record of 20, set last season. Marshall's also only nine
touchdown catches away from tying Dwayne Bowe's career touchdown record of 26.
4.Welcome back, Derek Stingley. The all-world
sophomore cornerback returned to anchor the secondary, immediately making an
impact on defense. There's no doubt that the season opener against Mississippi
State would have looked waaay different defensively if Stingley had been
able to suit up. Stingley's playmaking abilities were also on display in the
return game, racking up 92 punt-return yards, including a 48-yarder. It makes
me nervous to watch LSU's best defender fielding punts, especially with so
little depth and experience behind him at cornerback, but his ability to flip
the field instantaneously could be a key difference-maker when the Tigers face
a tougher opponent.
5.Down two scores, the Saints responded
brilliantly to adversity against the Lions, using veteran savvy that comes from
roster continuity and franchise success. New Orleans has faced plenty of
regular-season battles before and has overcome foes far superior to Detroit.
The Saints are shorthanded on both sides of the ball, but on Sunday, with their
backs against the wall, they showed their true resiliency.
6.The supporting cast was excellent. No Michael
Thomas, Jared Cook, Janoris Jenkins, or Marshon Lattimore? No problem. As Alvin
Kamara continued his torrid offensive pace this season, in Detroit, several
teammates stepped up to help the running back shoulder the offensive load.
Emmanuel Sanders caught six passes for 93 yards and several key first downs.
Tre'Quan Smith hauled in two touchdown receptions and recovered a key fumble,
which preserved New Orleans's fifth straight scoring drive. Latavius Murray
bulldozed his way for 64 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Patrick
Robinson filled in at cornerback, snagging an interception in the absence of
both Saints starting cornerbacks. Role-players are often the difference between
winning and losing critical games, and several Saints stepped up big on Sunday.
7.Sunday was an early season must-win game. Monday
Night Football against the Chargers will hold similar weight. A victory means a
winning record, possibly retaking the division lead, and heading into the bye
week panic-free. A loss (to a rookie quarterback, no less) begins digging the
Saints a hole that no one on that team wants to have to climb out of five games
into the season.
Kudos
Shoutouts to other players and teams that caught my eye in the rest of the football world.
·Former LSU star Odell Beckham balled out in
Dallas! The Cleveland Browns wide receiver racked up over 150 yards from
scrimmage and three touchdowns, including
a strike from fellow wide receiver and former LSU teammate Jarvis Landry to
kick off the Cleveland scoring barrage.
·Joe Burrow is officially an NFL-winning
quarterback. The former Heisman Trophy-winner led the Cincinnati
Bengals to a 33-25 win over Jacksonville, becoming the first rookie in NFL
history to throw for 300 or more yards in three consecutive games.
·Woo Pig Sooie! Call the hogs because Arkansas
finally snapped its 20-game SEC game-losing streak by topping Mississippi State
21-14 on the road. The Razorbacks hadn't won a conference game since 2017, but
first-year head coach Sam Pittman had plenty of answers to stymie the same
record-setting offense that embarrassed LSU in Baton Rouge to open the season.
·Arch Manning Watch: The sensational
sophomore Newman quarterback is off to a hot start! Manning, grandson of
Archie, nephew of Peyton and Eli, began his second campaign under center by throwing for
five scores and rushing for a sixth, leading the Greenies to a 41-0 romp
over East Jefferson.
Andrew Alexander is a contributing writer, football fan,
and unofficial President of the Arch Manning Fan Club. Follow him on Twitter at @TheOtherAA
and listen to the Krewe du
Drew podcast.
