The New Orleans Saints are coming to Buffalo for Week 4, and there are some weaknesses the Bills can attack. There are a lot of weaknesses, actually. The 0-3 Saints are hardly a seaworthy ship, as if their 44-13 dismantlement by the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday didn't prove that.
Buffalo, meanwhile, is coming off 10 days of rest. They went 3-0 on Thursday Night Football in Week 3, having outlasted the Miami Dolphins despite their depleted defense. At first glance, this matchup certainly seems like a case of a hammer meeting an anvil; Perhaps something decidedly less sturdy than an anvil.
Hammer meets egg, perhaps. But first, a game of football must be played. Here's are the New Orleans Saints weaknesses that the Buffalo Bills should attack.
Saints weaknesses that Bills must attack in Week 4
Pass blocking consistency
Spencer Rattler has one of the shortest pocket times in the NFL at only 2.1 seconds, per FantasyPros. Pocket time is calculated by the average time from snap until the QB either throws the ball, or is pressured. It's a tricky metric, but it does tell us some things.
Rattler has only been blitzed 15 times, an average amount, not enough to massively impact his pocket time. Though he does have one of the quicker releases in the NFL, the true source of this statistic is pass blocking error. Rushing only four men, defenses have been very successful in getting to the quarterback.
Luckily for New Orleans, Rattler gets rid of the ball well enough; he has only 6 sacks on the season, despite the line's failings. Buffalo forcing the play to happen quickly has knock-on effects which can only benefit them. Their 2025 NFL Draft class of fresh defensive linemen should relish this opportunity.
Letting offense develop
The first weakness was the root issue. This second one is related. The New Orleans Saints feature a lethargic passing offense that is as exciting as oatmeal. Cheap oatmeal. No toppings. With Spencer Rattler having to get rid of the ball quickly, the Saints air yards/pass attempt has dropped to a pitiful 3.7 yards.
That in turn brings down their average yards per pass to only 5.4, 3rd-worst among healthy NFL starters. The Saints have still thrown for an average number of yards, owed to their sheer volume passing in play-from behind situations. There have been many.
Their flaws are the Bills gain; Buffalo can play close to the line of scrimmage, letting their safeties drop down and opening all sorts of creative blitzes and simulated blitz packages. The versatility of the Bills back seven should make for quick pressures, or at least force Rattler to hold the ball long enough for the regular pass rushers to get home. In conventional pass rush and coverage scenarios, the Saints simply don't get to plan slow-developing plays.
Discipline
The Buffalo Bills have been one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL, with the league's fewest penalties, per teamrankings.com. Their 4.7 penalties per game is a great mark, but the same can't be said for New Orleans. The Saints hold the league's worst penalty rate, a whopping 10.3 per game. That's 31 penalties to the Bills 14, over double.
By simply letting the Saints play their game, Buffalo has an inherent advantage. The rigid nature of the Bills and their consistency in coaching and scheme is oft overlooked, but a major factor. Franchises that go through coaching turmoil, roster turnover, and so on always face issues like this, and New Orleans is no exception.