How do you keep a team with a worse record, playing in your house, and featuring a bunch of no-name wide receivers in a game? You give them free yards. On Sunday in their 27-25 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints had 10 penalties for 74 yards, the second-most this season, after the 11 penalties that the team was whistled for on September 19 in a loss to the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte in week 2 of the season. But that is not all: We often focus only on the yardage of the penalties (for instance a 5-yard penalty for a false start, or a 10-yard penalty for holding), and forget the actual yardage gains nullified by said penalties.
5 Numbers You Need to Know: Rough Day at the Office
