NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Decades have passed since New Orleans Saints home games were associated with vast expanses of empty seats in a gloomy Superdome, interspersed with humiliated fans wearing brown paper bags over their heads.
At the rate things are going, those days could return sooner than later.
Not only have the Saints lost five straight, but their past two setbacks have come by more than 20 points, each at home.
“I’ve been here eight years and I’ve never seen the dome clear out like that,” running back Alvin Kamara said after a 33-10 loss to former coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. “I can’t blame them. If I was a fan, I would leave too. Just being honest. It’s just people fed up.”
Coach Dennis Allen said Friday there are “a multitude of reasons” why his team, which looked so promising after lopsided victories in Weeks 1 and 2, has fallen off precipitously since.
Injuries have ravaged the starting lineup since Week 3, particularly on offense.
“It’s extremely frustrating because I just feel like the first two weeks of the season, man, we were a really good football team,” Allen said. “And then each and every week as it’s gone by ... it’s not just the number of injuries, it’s the injuries and who they’re to.”
Three offensive captains — quarterback Derek Carr (oblique), center Erik McCoy (groin) and dynamic tight end Taysom Hill (ribs) — are among those sidelined. Right guard Cesar Ruiz (knee) also hasn't played since Week 3. New Orleans' top two receivers — Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed — also were out against Denver, leaving rookie fill-in starting QB Spencer Rattler to run a patchwork unit.
The missing players are “key cogs in our operation,” Allen said. “That’s tough to deal with.”
As for Kamara's comments, Allen said he understood.
“He’s being honest. I think we all are being honest. We haven’t put a good football product out on the field for the past couple of weeks. That has to improve,” Allen said. “I think everybody has the same frustrations.”
Allen's message to the team coming off the loss was to take the extra few days off before their next game to try to be as mentally and physically fresh as possible when they reconvene at team headquarters next week.
Because they played on Monday night in Week 5, and Thursday night in Week 7, their past three losses have come during an 11-day span when their roster depth was challenged significantly.
But if the losses keep piling up, the current Saints roster and staff will become increasingly susceptible to fracturing, Kamara said, as he summarized some of the hard realities of professional sports.
“Everybody’s jobs are on the line,” Kamara said. “That’s affecting people’s families. There’s things bigger than football that are affected by football.”
New Orleans' defense continued to show a knack for holding opponents to field goals when they moved deep into Saints territory. Of the six Denver drives that produced points, four ended with field goals.
The offense has struggled to sustain drives in recent weeks. Injuries haven't helped, with reserves playing across the interior offensive line, at QB and receiver.
Cedric Wilson wound up being the Saints' most productive receiver against Denver, making six catches for 57 yards and New Orleans' lone touchdown.
Rattler was unable to engineer a touchdown drive and the Saints managed just one field goal while he ran the offense. He took six sacks and fumbled twice, with one turnover returned for a 52-yard touchdown. After his second lost fumble, Rattler limped off with a hip injury and was replaced by Jake Haener, who led New Orleans' lone TD drive.
When asked who might start New Orleans' next game if Carr isn't ready to return, Allen was noncommittal. He did, however, compliment the way Rattler performed when his blocking held up.
“His challenges came when the protection broke down and we weren’t able to give him an opportunity to get the ball out,” Allen said. “He’s got to learn to do a better job of protecting the ball in those situations.”
Cornerback Paulson Adebo's broken right femur, which was surgically repaired overnight, will sideline him the rest of the season. Shaheed is likely done for the season after having surgery to repair a meniscus injury. Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) left Thursday night's game, but Allen said that injury did not appear serious. Reserve guard Nick Saldiveri suffered a shoulder injury.
The Saints hope Olave will clear the concussion protocol by next week, but nothing's certain for a player who has had three concussions in three seasons. Carr and Hill also are expected back in the coming weeks. Allen said it wasn't yet clear if Carr would play in New Orleans' next game, but if not, he should be ready by Week 9 at Carolina.
18 — The number of consecutive seasons the Saints have gone without a losing streak longer than five games. They last lost six in a row in 2005 while displaced to San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina. They finished 3-13 that year under coach Jim Haslett. He was fired after that season — the last time Saints general manager Mickey Loomis fired a head coach.
The Saints visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 27.
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