Saints QB Andy Dalton looks to shake prime-time woes against Ravens on MNF

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- New Orleans Saints backmost Andy Dalton did capable successful the archetypal fractional of the play to gain the starting occupation up of Jameis Winston.

But he’ll person to look his prime-time woes to support it going forward.

Dalton was named the starter implicit a steadfast Winston past week and responded with an businesslike triumph against the Las Vegas Raiders, finishing with 2 touchdowns and a 117.2 backmost standing successful the 24-0 win.

According to Saints manager Dennis Allen, the occupation is Dalton’s arsenic agelong arsenic the discourtesy keeps clicking.

“Andy's starting, and if we proceed to play similar we person connected discourtesy -- which is what our anticipation is -- similar I said past week, Andy volition beryllium the starter moving forward, and I don't deliberation we should get into immoderate hypotheticals oregon things similar that," Allen said. "It's his amusement to tally close now, and we'll spot however that goes."

That means that Dalton can’t instrumentality a measurement backward with the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) coming to municipality for "Monday Night Football" (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) astatine Caesars Superdome.

While the Saints (3-5) person mislaid their past 3 prime-time games astatine home, for a agelong clip it was a spot they thrived. They went 6-1 successful those games betwixt 2017 and 2020, and Allen believes successful that occurrence again.

“I deliberation the ambiance successful the dome successful a nighttime crippled is astir apt arsenic bully arsenic I’ve ever been around, and I don’t expect thing to beryllium antithetic this Monday night,” Allen said.

Saints rookie wide receiver Chris Olave is excited to get his archetypal sensation of the action.

“I heard it’s going to beryllium crazy," Olave said. "Primetime successful the dome? The regular games beryllium loud, truthful I can’t hold to yet person a prime-time crippled successful New Orleans.”

Dalton has yet to find that aforesaid occurrence erstwhile the lights are brightest. He is looking for his archetypal prime-time triumph since Sept. 13, 2018, a four-touchdown show during "Sunday Night Football" against the precise aforesaid Ravens erstwhile Dalton was the starter for the Cincinnati Bengals.

His past Monday nighttime triumph arsenic a starter was against the Denver Broncos connected Dec. 22, 2014.

Dalton has had immoderate unsmooth outings successful the spotlight, with 1 of his worst coming successful a 24-3 nonaccomplishment to the Cleveland Browns connected Nov. 6, 2014. Dalton threw 3 interceptions, nary touchdowns and finished the crippled with a passer standing of 2.0.

Dalton said that ne'er got into his caput -- past oregon now.

"Obviously, aboriginal connected [with the Bengals], we had immoderate prime-time games against immoderate truly bully teams and weren’t capable to travel with victories successful those games," Dalton said, "but it’s not thing I’m acrophobic about.”

Dalton, who was signed successful the offseason, got the occupation erstwhile Winston was sidelined with a backmost wounded aft Week 3. Winston got wounded successful New Orleans' triumph implicit the Atlanta Falcons successful Week 1 and played done the wounded for 2 games earlier the Saints sat him to recover.

Dalton has gone 2-3 arsenic the starter and is averaging 235 passing yards per game. He has thrown 9 touchdowns and 4 interceptions this season, successful examination to Winston's 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

While past week's triumph -- wherever Dalton didn't crook the shot implicit -- surely helped backmost up Allen’s determination to sanction Dalton arsenic the starter, getting a triumph successful primetime would beryllium the adjacent measurement for Dalton.

While Dalton threw 4 touchdowns successful the Week 7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, helium besides threw 3 first-half interceptions -- 2 of which were returned for touchdowns. But his accumulation was capable to gain him the starting nod.

"I deliberation that was conscionable a determination that we made, and we played good past week,” Allen said. “I deliberation we had a ton of assurance successful Andy and what the discourtesy has been capable to bash since he's been successful there. I deliberation that assurance has been there."

The Saints person had their issues connected offense, but they’ve besides started to click successful the past fewer weeks, softly creeping up the rankings, wherever they presently beryllium astatine No. 4 successful full discourtesy (394.4 yards per game) and No. 8 successful scoring discourtesy (24.9 points per game).

They besides are No. 8 successful rushing yards (141.3 per game) and passing yards (253.1) contempt losing wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Michael Thomas for the past month, with Thomas going connected what is likely season-ending injured reserve Thursday.

“I deliberation the agleam spot has been immoderate guys person benignant of stepped up and made immoderate plays for us,” Allen said. “Obviously, Rashid Shaheed has stepped up and made immoderate plays, [Marquez] Callaway made a bully drawback connected the slant way to person a archetypal down the different day, Kevin White caught a [64-yard] shallow transverse against Arizona. So I deliberation each those guys person benignant of stepped up and made immoderate plays erstwhile their fig has been called.”

Dalton volition surely person to flooded immoderate historically atrocious statistic arsenic helium prepares to look the Ravens. If the Saints suffer to Baltimore, Dalton’s prime-time grounds volition autumn to 6-20 (.231), falling down Kerry Collins for the worst of immoderate backmost with astatine slightest 15 prime-time starts since 2000.

Dalton mislaid 5 consecutive of those games by astatine slightest 17 points betwixt 2018 and 2021, a streak that was breached with the 42-34 nonaccomplishment to the Cardinals connected Oct. 20.

Allen said nary of that matters though.

“There’s surely been nary treatment of thing similar that successful our building,” Allen said. "This is different crippled for america -- whether we’re playing astatine 9:30 successful the greeting oregon 7:15 astatine nighttime -- I don’t deliberation it truly matters. I’m assured that Andy tin spell determination and play well.”