A lot can be said about the New Orleans Saints' loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week. It was another missed opportunity to right the ship and salvage a season that some would say was already lost. It was a miss from a great effort from Cameron Jordan and the defense, which posted a rare shutout in the first half. It was something of a disaster, with star playmakers like Taysom Hill sidelined with season-ending injuries. And there were elements of encouragement as backup wide receivers like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kevin Austin Jr. and Dante Pettis came through in crucial moments.
But Jordan only needed one six-letter word to describe the mood in the locker room after the players walked off the court after suffering a 21-14 loss after nearly three quarters.
“Sour” . “We let one get away. We don’t have enough time to let anyone escape.”
He's not wrong. The Saints are barely hanging on as the NFC playoff picture is painted without them. They are 4-8 and even playing in a weak division won't be enough to qualify them for the playoff tournament in January. They cannot afford to lose any more ground.
Jordan, in particular, is someone who is running out of time. The longest-tenured player in New Orleans faces the decision to retire this offseason with just one year left on his contract; His workload was reduced at times as the team tried to bring younger players into the lineup to find a spark. These next five games could be his last five games in a Saints uniform.
So it's frustrating to miss the opportunity to beat a team that has given him so much trouble over the years. For the stakes to be as high as they are? Doubly so. Things might have been different if the offense had been able to finish more drives early with points, or if the protection had held out a half-second longer on its last play from scrimmage – like Juwan, Derek Carr could have found an open man in the end zone Johnson stepped into a hole in the Rams' coverage.
But that's a whole lot of words to achieve the same result Jordan achieved in just one. The Saints have no time to harbor regrets or vent frustrations. Now all they can do is focus on their next game and get to work.