The New Orleans Saints have reverted back to their old ways. They're sloppy on both sides of the football. Tackles seem like too much to ask for on defense. On offense, they're making major mistakes after a couple of positive plays.
In every sense of the word, the team looks out of sorts. The plethora of injuries has hindered them, no doubt. At the same time, they clean play and accountability that Darren Rizzi has respected from this Saints team is not showing up against the Green Bay Packers.
Late in the second quarter, Rizzi made a massive mistake himself, too.
Saints' Rizzi mismanages clock
With just under 45 seconds left, Kevin Austin Jr. made a sideline catch on a nice throw from Spencer Rattler. Unfortunately, he fumbled the ball out of bounds without recovering it. With that, the clock continued to run once it was spotted for the next play.
Apparently, Rizzi did not notice that very quickly. Time dwindled all the way down to fifteen seconds remaining in the first half. Then, New Orleans used their second timeout to stop the clock.
It was a blunder that the broadcast noticed as it happened, but Rizzi was noticeably frustrated with the officials and/or his fellow staff because he wasn't alerted of the running clock.
This primetime blunder by the interim is a tough look, in what's been an overall positive stint for him as the head coach since Dennis Allen was fired.
New Orleans will conduct a full head coaching search and interview process once the regular season concludes.
Rizzi will most likely be an option, but it remains to be seen if he will make enough of an impact to garner the full-time position as the head coach of the future for the Saints.
