3 Takeaways from Saints' Week 14 Loss

On paper, Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles looked like a good matchup for the New Orleans Saints. They had been rolling despite the loss of quarterback Drew Brees, while the floundering Eagles were giving rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts his first NFL start.

Games are not won on paper, though, and Hurts and the Eagles frustrated the Saints. Despite a late comeback attempt, New Orleans wasn't able to overcome Philadelphia and took its third loss of the season.

With the Green Bay Packers' win Sunday, the Saints dropped out of the No. 1 seed in the NFC. This leaves New Orleans with no margin for error over the final three weeks of the regular season—at least if the team hopes to earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage.

There are three takeaways from the Saints' Week 14 loss.

The Saints have a very good defense, one that has allowed them to continue winning without Brees. For the season, it ranks second overall and fifth in points allowed. However, the unit seemed lost against Philadelphia's run-oriented option attack, and it had no answer for Hurts on the ground.

In all, New Orleans surrendered 413 yards of offense, with 246 of that coming on the ground. While the Saints weren't exactly gashed in the passing game, they allowed pass-catchers to get open often enough that their forthcoming matchup should be a concern.

In Week 15, the Saints will face the high-flying Kansas City Chiefs.

"Watching the way the Eagles' skill position players ran freely within the defense in the first half would be a recipe for disaster if Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce can replicate the openings," The Athletic's Larry Holder wrote.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw three interceptions in Week 14 and still delivered the win. The Saints defense will have to play a nearly perfect game to stop him, which is something the unit we saw Sunday doesn't appear capable of doing.

The Saints have survived with Taysom Hill at quarterback up to this point, and he deserves credit for stepping in and executing the offensive game plan. However, he showed Sunday that he isn't ready to be a full-time NFL starter.

Several of Hill's passes were off target, and while he did pass for 291 yards and two scores, he also threw an interception and fumbled away the football once. Hill has a tendency to make mental errors, and there is no room for that with the final playoff push looming.

New Orleans needs more consistency under center, which means getting Brees back into the lineup—though the Saints aren't eager to rush his return.

"Brees will be questionable at best to play next Sunday against Kansas City, and he would not have been able to play against Philadelphia, according to sources," ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote.

While it wouldn't be wise to put Brees back in the lineup before he is healthy, the Saints should hope that they can get him back sooner rather than later.

Heading into Sunday's game, the Saints had logged 36 sacks as a team. However, they failed to get to Hurts behind the line, and they struggled to keep him contained in the pocket. Whether that's a product of poor preparation, bad execution or simply Hurts' mobility, New Orleans will have to be better against Kansas City.

While Mahomes doesn't run as often as Hurts did Sunday, he's still capable of buying time in the picket and chewing up yards on the ground. If the Saints hope to contain him, they are going to have to pressure him—while also stopping him from ripping off runs on the perimeter.

Naturally, New Orleans will also need better quarterback play and some tighter defense in the secondary. However, if the Saints allow Mahomes to have time and space after the snap, they are going to have a tough time matching points on the scoreboard.

And if the Saints cannot get back into the win column in Week 15, they will wave goodbye to their chances of reclaiming the No. 1 seed in the NFC.