Tag: Lucas Patrick

Saints injury report: Starting offensive line coming into focus vs. Giants

The New Orleans Saints could have their starting offensive line together for the first time since Week 3 against the New York Giants. More on Thursday’s injury report:

There weren’t many changes for the New Orleans Saints on Thursday’s updated injury report, but the news we did get was mostly positive ahead of Sunday’s game with the New York Giants. The Saints announced that right guard Cesar Ruiz (concussion) returned to practice on a limited basis after sitting out on Wednesday, and he would bring a big boost to an offensive line already dealing with several high-profile injuries.

If Ruiz is able to go along with left guard Lucas Patrick (calf) and center Erik McCoy (groin), each of whom also practiced limited reps, the Saints would have their starting five together again for the first time since Week 3.

Of course it wasn’t all good news. Rookie wide receiver Bub Means (ankle), still on injured reserve, did not participate in Thursday’s practice after seeing limited snaps to start the week. Whether he’s experienced a setback or was held out of an abundance of caution remains to be seen.

As for the Giants? They added three players to their already-heavy injury report, most notably rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers (groin). His status is worth monitoring in the days ahead. For now, here’s the full Thursday injury report from both teams:

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Saints center Lucas Patrick questionable to return vs. Panthers with calf injury

New Orleans Saints starting center Lucas Patrick is questionable to return against the Carolina Panthers with a calf injury.

New Orleans Saints starting center Lucas Patrick is questionable to return to Sunday’s matchup against the Carolina Panthers with a calf injury. He was seen limping on his way to the locker room.

Patrick is a notable piece of the Saints’ protection up front, entering this game with the most pass-blocking snaps without a pressure allowed in Week 8, according to Pro Football Focus.

The injury bug has bitten the Saints in almost more facets that can be counted so far this season, and it has come within some critical position groups like quarterback and the offensive line.

There are plenty of other reasons outside of this that the Saints have had issues on that side of the ball after opening up the season with an electric offensive effort when they totaled 91 points through the first two games of the year, but this hasn’t helped at all.

And a potential additional loss within the O-line like this one certainly doesn’t bode well in a close matchup like this one.

The Saints currently trail the Panthers, 17-16 at the start of the fourth quarter in Charlotte.

Update: Patrick was later ruled out.

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Saints vs. Chargers may come down to this pivotal stat

With a pair of offensive linemen hopefully returning, the Saints’ ability to open up running lanes should improve. It has to if they’re going to end this losing streak.

One of the biggest flaws of the New Orleans Saints this season has been the struggles in the offensive line.

The Saints are middle of the pack in run blocking this year, currently possessing 16th best run block win rate. Both teams are going to prioritize the run offensively. The Los Angeles Chargers are really good at stopping the run.

Joey Bosa is dealing with an injury, but at best the Saints will still have to deal with Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree. As a team, the Chargers have the 8th best run stop win rate.

Lucas Patrick and Cesar Ruiz may return from injury this week for the Saints. That should help matters. Alvin Kamara started the season on fire, but injuries have made it difficult for Kamara to find running lanes.

Running the football is the identity of this team, and they’ve been unable to do it in recent games. It’s a big reason the offense has stalled out. This week they’re going against one of the best rush defenses in the league.

If trends continue, the Chargers will dominate the trenches which will greatly limit the Saints’ chances of victory.

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Saints Pro Bowl center recovering on schedule after injury

Erik McCoy remains on schedule in his recovery from groin surgery, and the New Orleans Saints may have a target date for his return:

The expectation is New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy will be back from injured reserve no later than Week 13 versus the Los Angeles Rams and possibly earlier, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. This is right on schedule for what was predicted.

The Saints offense entered an immediate spiral when McCoy went down with a groin injury against the Philadelphia Eagles. That game was a disaster for the offensive line, and it never got better. Injuries to Lucas Patrick and Cesar Ruiz only made matters worse.

New Orleans may be targeting a Week 12 return because they have a bye week prior to facing the Rams. It would essentially give McCoy two weeks of time to ramp up for the game.

That would be 10 weeks after the initial injury against the Eagles, but it would be only 8 games missed when factoring in the bye week. McCoy’s initial recovery time was 6 to 8 weeks. The bye week gives him extra cushion, but it would be right on schedule with earlier expectations.

It’s important to note McCoy remaining on schedule is a good sign he hasn’t suffered any setbacks.

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Saints starting third center in three weeks vs. Chiefs

In the last three weeks, the Saints have started Erik McCoy, Shane Lemieux and now Lucas Patrick at center:

Lucas Patrick was the New Orleans Saints’ starting center in Week 5 against t he Kansas City Chiefs. Through the first month of the season, Patrick has started every game at left guard.

This is Patrick’s first time starting at center but not his first time lining up at the position for the Saints. He filled in for Erik McCoy after McCoy injured his groin against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Saints opted to move him back to left guard the next week against the Atlanta Falcons. Shane Lemieux was signed to the active roster from the practice squad to start at center. Unfortunately, Lemieux suffered an injury that landed him next to McCoy on injured reserve.

Because of this injury, the Saints have turned back to Patrick. Nick Saldiveri will replace Patrick at left guard. Saldiveri is making the first start of his career. Landon Young is filling in for Cesar Ruiz for the second week in a row.

The Saints offensive line has been a mixture of shuffling parts on the interior due to injuries. Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning have started every game this season, on the bright side.

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Saints could start their third center in as many weeks vs. Chiefs

Injuries to Erik McCoy, Lucas Patrick, and Shane Lemieux mean the Saints may have to start their third center in as many weeks against the Chiefs:

It wasn’t too long ago that the New Orleans Saints offensive line was winning some confidence from their fans. They had gotten off to a hot start and Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy looked like their best player up front. Then he suffered a groin injury that sent him into surgery, and now he’s looking at a month or more of recovery on injured reserve.

Next man up. That was Lucas Patrick, who filled in for McCoy against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Saints brought up Shane Lemieux from their practice squad for the next game, but he suffered an ankle injury and won’t play on Monday night versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Next man up again, right? That would be Patrick. But he missed the last two days of practice  with a groin injury of his own and is questionable to play at all.

At some point you run out of options and get to the end of the line. That’s why the Saints signed Connor McGovern off the New York Jets practice squad, and he has a real shot at starting in Kansas City. With McCoy and Lemieux out of action and Patrick questionable, McGovern would probably be that next man up.

At least he has experience. McGovern has snapped the ball himself 4,925 times and mostly played in similar offenses to Klint Kubiak’s system. He could be a capable replacement at the pivot even if he was only in New Orleans a few days before flying out to Kansas City. Still, it’s concerning that Derek Carr would have to take the snap from another new set of hands. Especially with five-time All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones watching and waiting to charge at him.

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Updated Saints injury report adds yet another DNP on the offensive line

The updated Saints injury report added yet another DNP on the offensive line. They’re going to have a tough time against the Chiefs if these injuries persist:

The New Orleans Saints’ Friday injury report only made matters worse for the already banged up offensive line, as guard/center Lucas Patrick (groin) was added to the list of non-participants today. The potential loss of Patrick for Monday nights’ game in Kansas City, would likely mean that the entirety of the interior starters would be out next week. Already down Erik McCoy (hernia) and likely down Cesar Ruiz (knee) and Shane Lemieux (ankle), it could be an incredibly scary sight going up against All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones in this game. Klint Kubiak and the offensive staff will almost definitely have to pull some tricks out of the hat to cover these blows.

Some other notables were that kicker Blake Grupe (right hip) was back in the lineup after not practicing Thursday as well as tight end Juwan Johnson (forearm) and running back Kendre Miller (hamstring) who were back as full participants after being limited. Tackle Taliese Fuaga (back) added knee to his back injury but was still limited once again. The other notable was that receiver A.T. Perry disappeared from the list, who we found was waived earlier today by the team.

Other than that, it was more of the same with a handful of guys status in doubt. Willie Gay (hand), Taysom Hill (rib) and Payton Turner (knee) were the other non-participants on Friday. It doesn’t look like Willie Gay will be up this week after checking out his recent Instagram post but Hill and Turner could possibly make their way to active status with an extra rest day this week. Dennis Allen said earlier in the week that Taysom does in fact have broken ribs similar to what running back Alvin Kamara was dealing with last week. This could leave the potential for Hill possibly making an effort to get out there on Monday depending on the severity. Only difference is that Hill did sustain the same injury on the opposite side of his body just two weeks ago. Although there’s a chance it is probably safe for the team to be cautious on Hill as it seems they’re a bit of a different team with him available.

Here is the full list of injuries after Friday’s practice:

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Saints’ next three games will be a challenge for the interior offensive line

The Saints will face Grady Jarrett, Chris Jones and Vita Vea over the next three weeks, and they’ll have to do it without Erik McCoy:

The New Orleans Saints will be without Erik McCoy for 6 to 8 weeks. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, the impact of his absence was overly evident.

The triumvirate of Lucas Patrick, Oli Udoh and Cesar Ruiz struggled against the Eagles. The next three games will feature repeated challenges for the group. Grady Jarrett will be on the other side this week for the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans travels to face the Kansas City Chiefs and Chris Jones in prime time after that. Vita Vea is dealing with an injury but could be available in time for the next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Former Saints offensive lineman James Hurst explained the trickle-down effect of McCoy’s injury. His role includes leading and directing the rest of the unit, not just blocking the man in front of him. The responsibility comes with a week’s worth of preparation that’s difficult to supplant mid-game.

The Saints will be down their best offensive lineman and leader of the unit just in time for the most challenging stretch of defenders for the interior offensive line. The Saints must look to find McCoy’s replacement quickly.

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6 options for Saints to help replace Erik McCoy after injury

Here are six options for the New Orleans Saints to try and replace center Erik McCoy after his injury sustained in Week 3

The Erik McCoy injury which he sustained against the Philadelphia Eagles is expected to hold him out for 6 to 8 weeks, which puts the New Orleans Saints in quite a predicament. They now have to figure out who is going to start at center for the foreseeable future to try and keep the team on track until McCoy returns, which would be anywhere from Week 10 to Week 13. The options they have are few and far between on the roster, but there are a few, and there are also some notable ones in free agency or even a trade candidate if it comes to that.

Here are six options for the Saints to try and replace Erik McCoy:

Let’s get some of the on-roster options out of the way first, as they tend to be the most likely choice when an injury occurs. Lucas Patrick was the initial replacement for McCoy in Week 3, as Oli Udoh came in at guard due to the Saints having a lack of center options on the roster at the time. Patrick has been exceptional at guard through the first few weeks, but he did not look great at center no doubt. Keep in mind, he was asked to revert to his former position after primarily being a guard option throughout the offseason. After only a few snaps he had to change positions and mindset, which is difficult as center is a completely different stance. He may take the first start just to see if he can adjust in Week 4, or they may use him at guard and find another option.

Shane Lemieux is the other center option for the Saints actively on the roster, as the assumption would be that Cesar Ruiz will remain at guard. Lemieux got some run time at center during preseason, and while he did not look exceptional, he may be the go-to guy if they want to keep someone around from in-house. He has some NFL level experience and has had times where he looked serviceable, the real question would be if he can perform at that position well enough for a longer period of time.

Mason Cole is probably the best option outside the roster currently, as he has starting NFL experience, and started an entire season for 2023 and 2022. In 2023 he played 1069 snaps, only giving up two sacks and only had 4 penalties. His biggest issue was pressures, allowing 37 in 2023, however he only gave up 21 in 2022. While he was not perfect in his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was a decent starter, and at this point there are very few remaining free agents at the center spot who are not retired, injured, or lower quality than Cole at this current juncture. He would be a good veteran presence to fill in for McCoy until he gets back, and then good depth for the remainder of the season.

Another free agent option also played for the Steelers in that time period, that being J.C. Hassenauer. He most recently got playing time with them in 2022, and then signed with the New York Giants before tearing his tricep. Most recently he signed with the Washington Commanders in August, however was released prior to the season starting. 2021 was his best season, as he played 277 snaps, gave up no sacks, and had no penalties. He has not been a full-time starter throughout his career, more of a spot-starter, with only 7 games as a starter compared to his 45 games played. He could be an intriguing player to look at though, just to see if he has juice left in the tank.

If the Saints want to look for one of their former players while not having to give up anything in return, they could look to bring back center Will Clapp, who is currently on the Buffalo Bills practice squad. The Bills already have two centers so he is unlikely to get the call up to the active roster in the near future, and the Saints already have knowledge of how he plays. He spent four seasons with the Saints from 2018-2021, playing in 34 games and starting 7. Most recently he was with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he started 11 games, played 702 snaps, and only had one penalty and one sack allowed. He could be one to watch for with the Saints, as the New Orleans native could look to return home if given the opportunity.

The primary trade option for the Saints so far would be Ben Cleveland, who was a third round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. At 6-foot-6 and 360 pounds, he absolutely has the size to hold down the interior, and he had been training at center alongside Tyler Linderbaum throughout the offseason despite being a guard previously. Recently head coach John Harbaugh made it clear that the Ravens will not be starting him soon, and had some criticism of him even which does not bode well. This has led to trade speculation surrounding Cleveland, and he could be an option for the Saints at center, or even at guard with whomever they prefer at center. 2021 was his largest snap count, as he had 367 total, and in that time he had two penalties and no sacks allowed. He could be an intriguing one for the Saints to keep an eye on as a trade candidate in the coming days.

James Hurst on why Erik McCoy is almost impossible to replace mid-game

Losing Erik McCoy early against the Eagles was almost a worst-case scenario. Former Saints offensive lineman James Hurst explains why:

The New Orleans Saints lost Erik McCoy shortly into their game with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the impact of his absence was felt early and often. His injury forced Lucas Patrick to move from left guard to center, with Olisaemeka Udoh stepping in. The entirety of the interior offensive line struggled, including right guard Cesar Ruiz. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter proved too much for them to handle.

But the ramifications of McCoy’s absence went beyond those battles at the point of attack. Former Saints offensive lineman and current WDSU analyst James Hurst explained why this was the case. Hurst was a member of the team just last year, so he saw McCoy’s abilities first hand. And he says the Saints’ struggles go deeper than McCoy’s skills.

McCoy’s position is as important as his talent. Hurst relayed the importance of a quality center: “It’s really tough to lose a center in the middle of the game. He does so much with identifying the defense, communicating with the quarterback, setting the blocking schemes for the offensive line and tight ends.”

Losing McCoy in the midst of a game amplifies the impact because the player who fills in hasn’t gone through any of the week’s preparation. He’ll naturally be behind on much that contributes to the success of the offensive line. Patrick being a guard means he didn’t even get many second-team reps doing this.

So many other players are dependent on the center (both guards next to him, the quarterback receiving the snap, and everyone else he’s protecting in the backfield), which is why the position impacts the entire offensive line. This gives hope that some of the issues can be smoothed over with practice reps.

It’s like Hurst said at the end of his explanation, though. He added, “(McCoy is) a very, very good football player on top of that.” Those talents are just hard to replace. Hopefully McCoy can get back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

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