Another week, another disappointing fourth-quarter finish for the Saints. The Saints’ late two-point try fell short as the Titans held on for a 23-21 victory in Nashville on Sunday. When Saints fans look back on the loss, four things will come to mind: - Two missed extra points by Brian Johnson.
- The false start call on tight end Adam Trautman that pushed the Saints back 5 yards on the two-point try.
- The controversial roughing the passer penalty that wiped out Marcus Williams’ interception just before halftime. The Titans later converted that apparent errant call into a touchdown - more than enough to provide the winning margin.
- The lost fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half by Deonte Harris.
Sean Payton’s patience has to be wearing thin when it comes to Trautman and Johnson. Trautman has had several drops in recent weeks and Johnson has missed three consecutive extra-point attempts. Even though Johnson is 8-of-8 on field goals, those missed extra points are inexcusable at this level. The Saints didn’t really lose much in the NFC South race with the Buccaneers and Falcons both losing games on Sunday, but the loss in Nashville was a setback in the playoff chase. Without players like Alvin Kamara, Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas, the Saints’ margin of error is extremely thin. The Saints can’t combine mistakes with bad breaks and expect to walk off winners. - Patrick Magee | 
