What is the status of Travis Hunter and when is he set to return?
Travis got dinged up in practice, and we definitely felt his absence against the Saints. Any time you’re missing a player of his caliber, it changes things offensively. He’s one of those guys that defenses have to account for on every snap, and without him out there, we had to adjust. But the good news is, he’s progressing well, and we fully expect to have him back next week.
He’s a beast—there’s no other way to put it. The way he impacts the game as a playmaker is something special, and having him back will give our offense another dynamic weapon. He’s been locked in mentally, staying engaged with the team, and we know he’s eager to get back on the field. When he does, expect him to pick up right where he left off—making big plays and giving opposing secondaries headaches.
What were some of the contributing factors to the loss this week?
There were a few key factors that led to this loss, and at the end of the day, we didn’t execute at the level we needed to in order to win a tough divisional matchup. First and foremost, we missed opportunities—whether it was on offense, defense, or special teams, there were moments in this game where we could have taken control, and we didn’t. We had our chances late, but we didn’t capitalize the way we needed to in crunch time. Against a team like the Saints, those missed chances will come back to haunt you.
Another big issue was not having Travis Hunter on the field. He’s a guy that commands attention from defenses, and his absence forced us to adjust in ways we weren’t fully able to exploit. That said, we still moved the ball well at times, but the Saints’ defense made key plays when it mattered most. Turnovers and situational football also played a role—when you’re going up against a team that thrives off momentum, you can’t afford to give them extra possessions or come up short on key drives.
Defensively, we had stretches where we played well, but we let them establish their ground game, and that set the tone for them. Ollie Gordon was able to get chunks of yardage, and when the Saints can lean on their run game, it makes life easier for them. We needed to put them in more third-and-long situations and make their quarterback beat us consistently. Instead, we allowed them to stay ahead of the chains too often.
At the end of the day, this was a winnable game, and that’s the most frustrating part. We know we’re capable of competing with and beating teams like the Saints, but we have to be sharper in those defining moments. We’ll take the lessons from this one, clean up what we need to, and make sure we’re better prepared moving forward.
The offense in general is having a bit of a slow start, but it’s early and there’s still a lot of talent on that side of the ball. So is your thought process that it’ll work itself out and the points will come or do you feel like you need to change something, fix something?
It’s early in the season, and while we’re not putting up the kind of numbers we know we’re capable of, we’re not hitting the panic button. There’s a lot of talent on this side of the ball, and sometimes it just takes a little time for things to fully click. We’ve got a rookie quarterback in LaNorris Sellers who is still finding his rhythm, a young group of playmakers, and we’re working through some injuries. The flashes are there—we’ve moved the ball well at times, we’ve put together some really strong drives, but we need to do a better job of finishing.
That being said, we’re always looking at ways to improve. We’re not just going to sit back and wait for things to fix themselves—we’re making adjustments. Whether that means tweaking the play-calling, getting certain guys more involved, or tightening up execution in critical moments, we’ll do whatever it takes to get this offense firing on all cylinders. We’re still learning what works best for this group, and the good news is, the talent is there. It’s about consistency, execution, and making sure we’re putting ourselves in the best position to succeed. We believe the points will come, but we’re not just waiting for it—we’re actively working to make it happen.
