Grupe's Missed Field Goals Contribute to Loss Against Falcons

In a season defined by spiraling losses and identity crises, the New Orleans Saints managed to find a new rock bottom on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. It wasn’t just that they lost 24-10 to a bitter rival, or that they fell to a dismal 2-9 record. It was the way the air was let out of the Caesars Superdome, not by a spectacular failure of the offense or defense, but by the routine failure of the one player whose only job is reliability, Blake Grupe.

Yesterday’s performance wasn’t just a bad day at the office, it was the final indictment of a special teams experiment that has run its course.

Let’s be clear about what happened. Grupe didn’t miss 60-yard prayers into a swirling wind. He missed from 38 yards and 47 yards. In the modern NFL, where kickers are routinely splitting the uprights from 55+, missing twice from inside 50 yards in a dome is inexcusable.

Those six points left on the field were more than just a math problem; they were a momentum killer. In a game where the Saints' offense was struggling to find the end zone and relying on a defensive spark from Justin Reid’s pick-six, the team needed a safety valve. They needed to know that if they stalled at the 25-yard line, they were walking away with three points. Instead, Grupe handed the momentum right back to Kirk Cousins and the Falcons, forcing a struggling Saints team to play chase—a position they are ill-equipped to handle.

The reaction from the front office was swift, and frankly, overdue. By Monday morning, news broke that the Saints are bringing in veteran kickers Justin Tucker and Cade York for tryouts.

Grupe’s defenders might point to his rookie flashes or his decent training camp, but the numbers this season paint a damning picture. Sitting at a 69.2% field goal conversion rate, Grupe is statistically one of the worst kickers in the league. In a season of thin margins, he has become a liability.

The Saints are in a rebuild. They are evaluating who deserves to be part of the future foundation. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough is taking his lumps, and the roster is being churned. But kicker is a unique position; it doesn't require years of development in a system. It requires binary execution: Make it or miss it.

The hard truth is that signing Justin Tucker, Cade York, or anyone else on Tuesday won't fix what happened on Sunday. It won't repair the red-zone offense that failed to score a touchdown. It won't heal the offensive line woes or magically fix the play-calling issues that have plagued the team during this five-game slide.

Hosting kickers in Week 12 of a 2-win season is the administrative equivalent of putting a fresh coat of paint on a car with no engine. Yes, the kicking game is broken. Yes, Grupe is not the answer at the moment, but acting with this level of urgency now, when the season is effectively over, highlights a reactionary culture within the Saints organization that is concerning.

Unfortunately, the Saints are scrambling to plug a leak on a ship that has already been sinking. Looking to the future for a better season in 2026 is the best option at this point.