By John Sigler | Saintswire
What happens when the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year isn’t able to join his offense? Well, we clearly underestimated the loss when New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was ruled out against the Las Vegas Raiders with an ankle injury. The Saints limped to a 34-24 finish, with their final score arriving a day late and a dollar short of making a difference. ...
Despite an admirable game from third-year pro Tre’Quan Smith (who caught 5 of 7 targets to gain 86 yards, filling in for Thomas as the X-receiver), the Saints offense struggled to shift gears and secure off-target passes. Three or four would-be first downs were dropped by receivers. While they were thrown with a less-than-tight spiral by Brees, it’s the sort of sloppiness he’s been able to get away with thanks to Thomas. Without him, lesser talents were unable to step up.
In total, Brees completed 26 of his 38 pass attempts — a respectable 68% — but his 61.4 quarterback rating tells a deeper story. ...
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