Tag: Saints

Hot take: Saints wide receiver will end his scoring drought in revenge game

Marquez Valdes-Scantling enters MNF against his former team. Is he in line for a big game?

Last week, Chase Young had the opportunity to play against the team that drafted him, the Washington Commanders. The defensive end answered the call and put up his highest sacks total as a Saint. It’s Marquez Valdez-Scantling’s turn on Monday Night Football. Can he put up a similar performance to Young against his first team?

Valdes-Scantling had just two catches for 25 yards when the Kansas City Chiefs played at Lambeau Field last year. The New Orleans Saints deploy Valdes-Scantling in a much more prominent role than he was used in Kansas City, however.

Alvin Kamara’s groin injury takes Valdes-Scantling from being the Saints lead receiver to the top receiving threat at any position. The receiver has crossed 50 receiving yards in all but one game, and has been a consistent deep threat.

Valdes-Scantling has four catches of over 35 yards and three catches over 40 yards. Not only has he pulled in many deep balls. He’s also had a knack for the end zone. Three of those 35-plus yard catches went for touchdowns.

Here’s a bold prediction for you: the Marquez Valdes-Scantling Revenge Game will feature a 50-yard touchdown, ending his two week scoring drought.

Sacking Jordan Love must be a major key for the Saints defense

Sacking Jordan Love is critical for the Saints, but the Packers QB has been one of the least-sacked quarterbacks since becoming a starter:

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LeFleur praised Jordan Love for being, “one of the best I’ve ever been around at avoiding sacks and negative plays.” As the New Orleans Saints visit the Packers for Monday Night Football, the Saints must do what most have failed to do, take down Love consistently.

If New Orleans can get a few sacks on Love, it would help to take away the run game on that set of downs. Love and his band of wide receivers are extremely talented, but Josh Jacobs is the biggest threat to the Saints defense.

The Saints have the sixth-worst rushing defense in the NFL, and they allow the second-most yards per carry. If the Saints can bring down Love, the Packers could elect to pass to make up for lost yardage. The Saints must then capitalize on forcing Green Bay to be temporarily one-dimensional.

Bringing down the Packers quarterback is no easy task. LeFleur’s assertion on Love is backed up by numbers. In 12 games this season, Love has only been sacked 11 times. In his first year as a starter, he had the fifth-best sack to dropback percentage. He’s tough to bring down.

The Saints’ strides as a pass rush unit under Brian Young has been praised. Chase Young has 3.5 of his 5.5 sacks and Cameron Jordan recorded all three of his sacks since the change at defensive line coach. Bryan Bresee has seen an uptick in production, too. As they go against one of the most difficult quarterbacks to sack, those improvements will be put to the test.

New Orleans has recorded no fewer than two sacks in their last five games. They’ll need to do at least that on Monday to corral a dangerous offense. It’s easier said than done, but it may be the key for the Saints defense.

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Packers Wire staff predictions: Week 16 vs. Saints

Predictions from the Packers Wire staff on the Packers’ Week 16 showdown with the Saints.

The Green Bay Packers didn’t get any help on Sunday, but a win over the New Orleans Saints on “Monday Night Football” from Lambeau Field will still clinch a playoff spot in the deep NFC field.

Can Matt LaFleur’s team take care of business at home against a 5-9 team that is eliminated from playoff contention and missing several key contributors?

Here’s how the staff at Packers Wire believes the Week 16 showdown with the Saints will go down:

Zach Kruse: Packers 24, Saints 10 (8-6)

The Saints can’t be overlooked, not after they won three of their first four games under Darren Rizzi and then gave the Commanders a big scare late last Sunday. But when you play someone matters so much, and the Saints are going to be severely shorthanded on Monday. Derek Carr is out. So is Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Taysom Hill, Rashid Shaheed and Paulson Adebo. The Packers defense could dominate against a patched-together offense led by rookie quarterback Spencer Ratter, who has been sacked 10 times on just 140 dropbacks and is 0-3 as a starter. Add in the potential for the Packers run game to go wild, and this game should never be in doubt. While it’s possible the streak of 30-point games continues, I’m not betting on it. The Packers still win by two touchdowns in a mostly stress-free victory at home.

 

Brandon Carwile: Packers 31, Saints 13 (11-3)

This is not only a game the Packers should win but one they should dominate. At 5-9, the playoffs are a pipe dream for a Saints team with basically nothing to play for and without three of their top offensive players: Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Derek Carr. Moving the ball will likely be a challenge for rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, especially without Kamara there to hand or dump the ball off to. New Orleans’ defense also doesn’t match up particularly well against Green Bay. They enter Week 16 with the 27th-ranked run defense about to face the fourth-ranked rushing offense. I could easily see Josh Jacobs leading the charge in a monstrous day for the Packers’ offense.

Brennen Rupp: Packers 27, Saints 10 (13-1)

The Saints are without their starting QB. They’ll get without their best offensive playmaker in Alvin Kamara. They have been without the services of Chris Olave for most of the season. They’ll be without the legend that is Taysom Hill. Last year around this time the Packers dismantled a short-handed Minnesota Vikings team in prime time. This feels like another game where Jordan Love and the offense will do whatever they want, whenever they want and the Saints won’t have the horses to keep up. Give me the Packers winning comfortably at home.

Writer Prediction Score Record
Zach Kruse Win 24-10 8-6
Brandon Carwile Win 31-13 11-3
Brennen Rupp Win 27-10 13-1

 

Marshon Lattimore exits Commanders game with a familiar injury

Hamstring injuries plagued Marshon Lattimore in New Orleans, and they continue to be an issue with the Commanders:

Marshon Lattimore can’t seem to escape hamstring injuries this season. The former New Orleans Saints cornerback missed the Saints’ second game of the season versus the Dallas Cowboys due to a hamstring injury.

That was only a one game absence. Lattimore missed his last game in a Saints uniform due to a hamstring injury before being traded to the Washington Commanders. The cornerback missed his first four games as a Commander.

Lattimore returned to action against his former team last week. In his second game as a Commander, however, the cornerback had to exit due to another hamstring injury.

Washington was in the midst of a pivotal game versus the Philadelphia Eagles. On an individual level, Lattimore was tasked with matching up against A.J. Brown.

Hamstring injuries have a knack for being difficult to shake at times. This is an unfortunate break for a highly talented cornerback. The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter. Despite Lattimore’s absence, the Commanders were able to pull out a close win and clinch a playoff berth.

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Spencer Rattler’s ball security will be tested vs. NFL’s best ballhawk

Spencer Rattler’s decision-making and ball security will be tested by the NFL’s best ballhawk on Monday night:

Spencer Rattler is stepping into his fourth start as the New Orleans Saints quarterback. It’s his first start since Week 8, and as long as Derek Carr remains out, Rattler will be the Saints’ starting quarterback. That stretch begins against the Green Bay Packers.

In last week’s contest, Rattler relieved Jake Haener and put on an improved performance. One of the rookie’s most glaring problems in his first stint was his issues protecting the football. He threw two interceptions in his first three games and fumble three times, too. As the Saints close out the season, Rattler must ensure he protects the football and avoids putting it in dangerous spots.

Rattler’s decision making will be put to the test this week, as Xavier McKinney is on the other side of the field. The Packers safety has seven interceptions, the most in the league.

McKinney’s presence should remain on Rattler’s mind. Rattler is going to take shots down the field, and McKinney is going to be waiting for the opportunity to get his hands on the ball.

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Falcons blow out Giants, eliminating Saints from playoff contention

The New Orleans Saints no longer have any possible route to the playoffs after the Falcons defeated the Giants. But that doesn’t mean they have nothing to play for:

The New Orleans Saints started the season on a hot streak. Dennis Allen’s decision to add Klint Kubiak felt like the missing piece for the Saints’ success. But fast forward to Week 16 and New Orleans has been eliminated from the playoff picture.

The Saints needed the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose, followed by New Orleans winning against the Green Bay Packers.

Instead, the Falcons demolished the New York Giants with a 34-7 win in Michael Penix Jr.’s debut, and in turn, eliminated the Saints from playoff contention. The outcome of the Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys game is now irrelevant. The NFC South is officially a two-team race.

This is the fourth consecutive year the Saints have missed the playoffs. New Orleans has still yet to make the playoffs since Drew Brees retired. Instead, the Saints have been a bad team in a bad division.

With the playoffs officially off the table, what do the Saints have to play for? Darren Rizzi is still building his case to be the team’s head coach in 2025. A win against the Packers would be the best victory by this team in a couple of years and would certainly bolster Rizzi’s resume. Young players on the roster with a lot to prove like Spencer Rattler, Kendre Miller, Bryan Bresee and Kool-Aid McKinstry want a win on Monday night, too.

Don’t expect the Saints to quit and go home just because the playoffs are out of reach, but the last few years of results haven’t lined up with what general manager Mickey Loomis sold fans and ownership when he hired Allen. This team needs bigger changes.

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Packers vs. Saints: 5 things to watch and a prediction for Week 16

Five things to watch and a prediction for the Packers’ Week 16 showdown with the Saints.

The Green Bay Packers will attempt to clinch a playoff spot when the short-handed New Orleans Saints come to Lambeau Field for a showdown on “Monday Night Football” in Week 16. With a win, the Packers are officially in the NFC playoff field.

Can the Packers improve to 11-4 while winning a fifth game in six tries since the bye?

Here are five things to watch and a prediction for Week 16:

Another Josh Jacobs game?

The Saints can be stingy defending the pass, but all the stats suggest the Packers could find a major advantage when they run the football on Monday night. Expect another heavy dose of Josh Jacobs, who has handled at least 20 touches in four of the last five games. This is a game where the Packers need to set the tone early and use the run game to take the sting out of a talented pass-rushing front.

Can Love extend streak to 6 games?

Packers quarterback Jordan Love has a passer rating of 100.0 or better in five straight games. Can he run the streak to six games against a defense allowing a passer rating of 83.0 overall this season? Love doesn’t have to set the world on fire on Monday night, but another efficient performance — especially off play-action and creating explosive plays down the field — would be a good sign as the postseason approaches. The Packers are proving tough to beat when Love doesn’t turn the ball over, and he hasn’t thrown an interception since Nov. 17.

Encore for Cooper?

The Packers won’t have Quay Walker, who is battling an ankle injury, so rookie Edgerrin Cooper — who won NFC Defensive Player of the Week last week — will once again be in the spotlight. Can the rookie build on his impressive return to the field against the Saints on Monday night? Sending Cooper on blitzes could be one way for Jeff Hafley to create havoc against a rookie quarterback. And you can bet the Saints are building the offensive plan around getting the ball out of Spencer Rattler’s hands quick. Cooper could have a chance to fly around the field sideline to sideline on Monday night.

Return of Jaire?

His status is still TBD, but Jaire Alexander (knee) practiced in full all week and could be set to return after missing most of the last six games (he played only 10 snaps in Chicago). Getting him back with three weeks to go could provide a nice ramp up period before the postseason. If Alexander can’t go, Monday night would provide another opportunity for Carrington Valentine and Eric Stokes to build on an encouraging performance in Seattle. Expect the rotation between Valentine and Stokes to continue even if Alexander is back as one of the primary perimeter starters.

Test for the offensive tackles

The Saints have a pair of edge rushers with 50 or more pressures in Carl Granderson and Chase Young, providing a nice challenge for Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom — one of the best pass-blocking tackle duos in football. It’s hard to imagine the Saints winning this game without the defensive front dominating, and Darren Rizzi’s team might need a pressure-forced turnover or two to threaten the upset. If Walker and Tom play well on Monday, the Packers could cruise.

Prediction: Packers 24, Saints 10 (8-6)

The Saints can’t be overlooked, not after they won three of their first four games under Darren Rizzi and then gave the Commanders a big scare late last Sunday. But when you play someone matters so much, and the Saints are going to be severely shorthanded on Monday. Derek Carr is out. So is Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Taysom Hill, Rashid Shaheed and Paulson Adebo. The Packers defense could dominate against a patched-together offense led by rookie quarterback Spencer Ratter, who has been sacked 10 times on just 140 dropbacks and is 0-3 as a starter. Add in the potential for the Packers run game to go wild, and this game should never be in doubt. While it’s possible the streak of 30-point games continues, I’m not betting on it. The Packers still win by two touchdowns in a mostly stress-free victory at home.

Packers’ big-play ability set to test Saints secondary’s vulnerability

The Packers have the most passing plays to gain 40 or more yards, and the Saints are one of the worst teams at stopping them. That’s a mismatch:

Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry have shown some positive things at cornerback since the New Orleans Saints traded away Marshon Lattimore. There have been lapses in technique occasionally too, however. The one thing the Saints secondary has objectively struggled with is stopping big plays. That will be challenged against the Green Bay Packers.

New Orleans has allowed the third-most passing plays of over 40 yards this season. Because of that, they’ve also allowed the fifth most yards. On Monday Night Football, they have to line up across from the passing attack with the most gains of 40-plus yards this season.

Green Bay has two wide receivers (Christian Watson and Jayden Reed) with receptions that gained more than 60 yards. Romeo Doubs has a 39-yard reception and Dontayvion Wicks caught a 36-yard pass earlier this season, too. Essentially, the Packers have four receivers who can stretch the field and a young quarterback who isn’t afraid to lean on them.

It’s not just about air yards when thinking about explosive plays. New Orleans has struggled with corralling receivers at the catch point as well, which has led to too many yards gained after the catch. When it comes to the Green Bay receiving corps, they have the ability to stretch the field and make a play with the ball in their hands. The Saints’ young duo must be on top of their game.

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Saints QB coach takes unique step to prepare for Monday’s frigid weather

It’s hard to prepare for Wisconsin weather in New Orleans, but QB coach Andrew Janocko took a unique approach inspired by “Cool Runnings”

The New Orleans Saints play in sunny Louisiana, and the Green Bay Packers play in frigid Wisconsin. The differences in climate make it difficult to simulate the weather the Saints are about to endure when they play the Packers on Monday night, so quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko has had to get creative.

Current forecasts have the weather at 25 degrees on Monday night at Lambeau Field, with a possibility for snow. Meanwhile, it is over 40 degrees in New Orleans. So what were the Saints to do?

A lot has been made of the improvements to the team cafeteria this summer (as part of construction on the facilities that moved training camp to California), but the Saints probably didn’t think they’d be practicing in the walk-in freezers. To attempt to prepare for the Wisconsin weather, Janocko had Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener run through plays in the cafeteria freezer, set at a frosty 10 degrees.

“Hopefully it’s not 10 degrees (at Lambeau Field), but we’ll be ready,” Rattler said this week.

Janocko got the innovative idea from Cool Runnings, the classic 1993 film about the Jamaican Olympics bobsled team. While he opted to put the quarterbacks in the freezer instead of an ice cream truck, Janocko said the reactions to the innovative move were positive: “(The) guys thought it was hilarious. The cafeteria workers think I’m out of my mind.”

For a team that rarely experiences this type of weather, this was a creative way to give the quarterbacks a chance to feel a semblance of the weather they’re about to walk into.

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Saints planning for ‘a committee approach’ with Alvin Kamara on the mend

The New Orleans Saints are planning to use ‘a committee approach’ with Alvin Kamara on the mend, but expect a lot of Kendre Miller:

The New Orleans Saints are going into Week 16 without their top two rushing options. Taysom Hill is out for the season, and Alvin Kamara will miss at least this week with a groin injury.

So, how will the Saints approach the run game against the Green Bay Packers? Darren Rizzi told reporters this week to expect a “committee approach.”

New addition Clyde Edwards-Helaire wasn’t mentioned, and he will probably need more than a few days to pick up the playbook. For now he’s on the practice squad.

Kendre Miller leading the team in carries feels like the most likely scenario on Monday, but you’ll see Jamaal Williams and Jordan Mims as well.

“Between Kendre, Jamaal and Jordan Mims, you’ll see all of those guys, at some point, in the offensive backfield,” Rizzi added.

Miller has been Kamara’s running mate and second in the pecking order since returning from injury. His quick ascension over Williams would make one believe the young rusher will be the leader in the committee approach.

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