Saints’ Taliese Fuaga may have perfect excuse for Week 1 struggles that surprised a lot of people
Makes a lot more sense.
Week 1 took a bit of a toll on the New Orleans Saints on both sides of the football field. Safety Julian Blackmon is out for the year due to a labrum injury. He will have surgery soon.
Meanwhile, Taliese Fuaga was banged up and is now dealing with a knee injury, following the loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.
Taliese Fuaga has knee injury
The starting right tackle for New Orleans left briefly during the Saints’ loss to Arizona due to a knee injury. He is considered day to day, according to Kellen Moore. Hopefully, it is not a lingering issue for the tackle who impressed consistently as a rookie a season ago.
“According to Pro Football Focus, Taliese Fuaga allowed four pressures and was responsible for the Saints’ lone sack (Spencer Rattler took the blame for it postgame). I wonder how much his knee was bothering him throughout the game.” — Matthew Paras via Twitter/X
The Saints desperately need Fuaga to get healthy – in a hurry. The line looked notably different when he was struggling, and it wasn’t because of the rookie on the flip-side. Kelvin Banks Jr. had a great first game in the pros.
Rookie Kelvin Banks Jr. impresses in season opener
Banks had a strong first showing for New Orleans, signaling that the organization may have been smart to spend a top fifteen pick on him in this year’s NFL Draft. His Week 1 pressure allowed rate was just 4.3% (2 allowed on 49 snaps). The rookie OT ranked third among rookie OLs in Week 1 in that sector.
Consistency will be key for Banks, as his job won’t get any easier against a dynamic defensive line for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2.
New Orleans’ offense under Kellen Moore needs strong play from both Fuaga and Banks in the long-term in order to find any notable success.
New Orleans Saints News
How to watch the Saints Week 2 game against 49ers with TV info, kickoff time, and viewing options
Every detail you need.
