That Saints Punt Return Was Spectacularly Bad

They will not, it is safe to say, be placing a statue of this punt return outside the Superdome:

De’Vante Harris smashed right into returner Tommylee Lewis, and then hopped up and tried to return the ball himself, despite it not being touched.

“It’s a terrible play,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “[Harris] has got to avoid the contact. There’s two mistakes — runs into the returner and then tries to pick the ball up. It’s bad.”

This happened midway through the first quarter, and the Falcons would score with the short field and then not be forced to punt again until midway through the fourth. That’s what happens in a shootout like Atlanta’s 45-32 win, and especially one where the Saints defense, as injured as it may be, played down to every stereotype it’s earned over the past decade. As good as Devonta Freeman is, it’s as if no one taught these people how to tackle.