"The Saints fielded a makeshift offensive line Monday against the Chiefs, and bad things ensued. The run game never got going. Kansas City's pass rush gave them trouble all night. Derek Carr actually hung tough after a bad early interception but ultimately left the game late with an oblique injury, and New Orleans' offense fell flat again with just 220 total yards. The second-quarter bomb to Rashid Shaheed kept the Saints in the game, but where was Chris Olave? He had one 4-yard catch on the fifth play of the game, and we didn't hear his name again until a brutal illegal-shift penalty in the third quarter that wiped out a first down in Chiefs territory and led to a punt. The Saints really need his field stretching. Meanwhile, the defense held up in the red zone and got the turnover it badly needed, but Dennis Allen's unit just couldn't get off the field most of the night. The sheen has worn off from the blistering start, and the next two at home are big. First up: a Bucs team with extra rest -- and motivation after coughing one up. Then Sean Payton comes back to town in Week 7 for Thursday Night Football. This next week-plus will tell us a lot about whether the Saints can turn this thing back around."

"The Saints exploded in the first two games of the year. Since, they have imploded and now sit below .500."

"A million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the New Orleans Saints scored 91 points over a two-game span and appeared to be a contender in the NFC South.

Oh, wait. That was Week 1 and Week 2 this year.

It might as well have been a million years ago. Since scoring 44 points in a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys, the Saints have scored 14 points in a game just once. Against the two-time defending champions, they scored one touchdown and had all of 220 yards of offense.

And as bad as that all sounds, it could be the least of the team's problems. After taking a shot in the fourth quarter, quarterback Derek Carr limped to the locker room with what is being called an oblique injury.

With a short turnaround coming before a now-crucial game against the rival Buccaneers, the Saints could be looking at rolling out either a limited or backup quarterback.

Davenport put on his Captain Obvious hat to describe the Saints' current predicament.

"If Carr misses any real time, the Saints are cooked," he said. "No one is running away with the NFC South, but New Orleans faces Tampa and the surprising Broncos the next two weeks. Frankly, even with a decent schedule over the next six games before the bye, even if Carr is OK, my confidence level about the Saints is shaky at best right now.

"The New Orleans offense has completely fizzled over the last three weeks. That 91-point outburst the first two weeks of the season appears to have been a fluke. New Orleans is an average team with a so-so quarterback. They are what no team wants to be: mediocre.'"

"The Saints have lost two straight, and now at 2-3, they have issues with Derek Carr banged up some. They face a big division game against Tampa Bay this week."