The New Orleans Saints look like a team without a purpose or a destination. They won the first two games of the season emphatically, and have since lost five straight. During this painful losing streak, it’s apparent that the defense has quit, with missed tackles coming left and right, the run defense becoming non-existent, and there being no pass rush to speak of. On top of that, injuries have devastated the roster from top to bottom in a way that you don’t often see. Now, they have to take on the Los Angeles Chargers, a team reeling from their own disappointing loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Health Is Improving For The New Orleans Saints
Let’s start with the obvious, injuries. The Saints are surprisingly healthier here than they were in each of the past five games. As of right now, only three players (besides the ones that are on Injured Reserve) are expected to be ruled out. Those three are Derek Carr, Nick Saldiveri, and Cedrick Wilson. Other than that, the team is anticipating the return of Cesar Ruiz, Lucas Patrick, Pete Werner, Chris Olave, and Taysom Hill. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that these are all hugely talented players making their return to the field this week. New Orleans, and Spencer Rattler in particular, should have a much better chance in this matchup compared to the last two. At least something is looking up for the Saints.
The Run Game Is Crucial
Aside from that though, there is one thing that worries me about this matchup. Since Jim Harbaugh has taken over as the head coach of the Chargers, it feels clear that he wants to be a run-first team dependent on a strong offensive line. What is the area that the Saints have struggled in the most? Well, that would be the defensive line. My fear is that the Chargers will start this game off with a purpose to run the ball effectively and create passing lanes off play action. If that succeeds early on, the defense will grow tired, and the Chargers will dominate time of possession en route to a win. From what I’ve seen the last two weeks, the Saints can’t stop the run. They have allowed over 400 rushing yards in just those last two games, and those were teams that weren’t even focused on the run game much. Now, with a run-heavy approach coming around, this could be a disastrous matchup.
Rattler Could Thrive
The area that I am most excited about for this matchup is on the other end. I believe that with Hill, Ruiz, Olave, and Patrick all making a return to the field, Rattler will thrive. The hope is that the team doesn’t find themselves in a hole early on, and that should allow him to find his way a bit better so we can see what he’s made of with a complement of weapons. Plus, Taysom hasn’t played much this season, and when he’s on the field, this offense scored unbelievably efficiently. Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak seems to love what Taysom brings, and when he’s out there, opposing defenses have too much to think about. All of these guys coming back make a difference, and we saw Kyler Murray and the Cardinals take advantage of the Chargers’ defense at times throughout their game against them last week. I believe that the Saints will find ways to put up points, it’s just going to be a matter of whether or not the defense can limit the run game.
Overall, this is going to be the most critical matchup of the season. If the Saints lose this game, then it feels like head coach Dennis Allen has to be dismissed from his role. There just isn’t any other excuse at this point, six consecutive losses are unacceptable, and it doesn’t matter who your opponents are. As a fan, six losses in a row means something needs to change, and fast. It would also mean that this team is likely going nowhere near the postseason. A win puts them right behind the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers again, though we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. This is a massive test.