Tag: Update

Terron Armstead injured, questionable to return vs. Panthers

New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead injured his ankle and is questionable to return to play versus the Carolina Panthers.

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The New Orleans Saints offensive line took another hit early against the Carolina Panthers, with left tackle Terron Armstead injured his ankle during the first quarter. Armstead walked off the field slowly under his own power before riding a medical staff cart into the locker room. An announcement from the team updated his status as questionable to return to the game.

In his place, the Saints called up veteran  backup Patrick Omameh, who has spent most of his time in the NFL at left or right guard. The Saints were already starting a backup next to Armstead in Nick Easton, who was filling in for injured starter Andrus Peat. Ironically, Peat is normally the go-to option to replace Armstead, but he’s going to be out about four more weeks after breaking his arm against the Atlanta Falcons.

This injury to Armstead has been one of the few problem areas on offense for the Saints against Carolina. They have otherwise avoided mistakes and converted on tough downs, ending two of their first three drives with touchdown scores (including a 26-yard run by Latavius Murray and a 13-yard pass to Tre’Quan Smith). That third drive ended with a punt, which the Saints were fortunate to recover.

Armstead’s status is officially questionable to return, so he hasn’t been ruled out entirely. Stay tuned for an update to his situation.

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Saints injury report: Marshon Lattimore questionable vs. Panthers

The New Orleans Saints injury report ruled out WR Deonte Harris, but CB Marshon Lattimore is questionable against the Carolina Panthers.

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The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers released their final injury report ahead of Week 12’s kickoff, including game status expectations for several recently-injured players. The Saints will again be without key contributors like wide receiver Deonte Harris, who is battling a hamstring injury.

However, cornerback Marshon Lattimore is questionable to play, having practiced Friday on a limited basis. Hamstring issues can linger and only really improve with rest, so sitting each of them makes sense with New Orleans scheduled to play two games in five days (Sunday with the Panthers, the following Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons). Fullback Zach Line is also ruled out for Sunday after resting during practice all week with a knee injury, but tight end Josh Hill is expected to play after suffering a mild concussion a week ago.

Here’s what we learned on Friday’s injury report:

From the Saints

  • OL Andrus Peat (forearm), Did not participate, Out
  • CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring), Did not participate, Questionable
  • WR Deonte Harris (hamstring), Did not participate, Out
  • FB Zach Line (knee), Did not participate, Out
  • TE Josh Hill (concussion), Full
  • OL Larry Warford (thigh), Full
  • WR Austin Carr (ankle), Did not participate
  • OL Ryan Ramczyk (knee), Full

From the Panthers

  • CB Ross Cockrell (quad), Limited, Questionable
  • DT Gerald McCoy (knee), Full
  • OL Dennis Daley (groin), Full, Questionable
  • S Eric Reid (knee), Full
  • LB Shaq Thompson (ankle), Full
  • LB Brian Burns (wrist), Full, Questionable
  • OL Greg Little (knee), Full

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Second-half Saints schedule sets up for a strong playoff push

The New Orleans Saints strength of schedule is mediocre. The Green Bay Packers have it easy but the San Francisco 49ers are in for a shock.

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The second half of the NFL regular season is upon us, and it couldn’t have started worse for the New Orleans Saints. They air-balled what should have been an easy win over the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday, losing their grip on the second playoff seed in the NFC as the Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers and the top-ranked San Francisco 49ers suffered their first setback of the year to the Seattle Seahawks.

But Saints fans should feel optimistic about their fortunes moving forward, and their team’s chance to recover. New Orleans has just four games against opponents with winning records, including the 49ers (8-1), Panthers twice (5-4), and Indianapolis Colts (5-4), as well as the middling Tennessee Titans (5-5). There’s plenty of time for correction and improvement ahead of them.

According to NFL Research, the Saints’ second half schedule ranks near the middle of the pack, with their remaining opponents sharing a combined record of 33-31-0 (.516). Here’s how they rank among their peers:

Compare that to what other NFC playoff contenders are facing. The San Francisco 49ers are set to play the second-toughest schedule down the stretch, with their future opponents having gone 40-25-1 (.614); their odds of holding onto the top playoff seed in the conference are slim. However, the Green Bay Packers are in good position to maintain their one-game lead on the Saints in playoff seeding, with a relatively weak strength of schedule of 25-30-1 (.455) ahead of them. That’s the ninth-easiest second half schedule in the NFL.

As for the two-team race in the NFC South: the Carolina Panthers are still a few games behind the Saints, but their remaining strength of schedule at 32-32 (.500) is slightly easier to navigate than what New Orleans will see. If Carolina handles its business and the Saints continue to play down to their competition, it’s not impossible to see a path for the Panthers to steal a divisional title in the season’s final weeks. If New Orleans plays like they did last Sunday, they could be in for a rude awakening no matter how favorable their schedule looks on paper.

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Saints lose ground on reeling 49ers in the latest NFL power rankings

The New Orleans Saints fell in the latest NFL power rankings, trailing the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Ravens.

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The New Orleans Saints took a fall in the latest NFL power rankings from Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire, slipping from the No. 3 spot to No. 4 after an ugly home upset to the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time, with the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers suffering their first loss of the year. If the Saints had handled their business, they could have seized the top spot in the NFC. Now, they’re behind both the 49ers and Green Bay Packers, with seven games left to play.

Here’s some of what Farrar wrote about the Saints’ underwhelming day against Atlanta, and what he’s looking for out of them in the coming weeks:

Does this game portend larger issues, or was it an anomaly? The Saints have struggled with slow starts this season, and their offensive line is struggling with ineffectiveness, perhaps exacerbated by injuries. The most disconcerting injury right now, though, is the hamstring strain suffered by top cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Lattimore is week to week at this point, and the Saints next face a Buccaneers offense that knows how to exploit weakened secondaries

The 49ers are still ranked above the Saints in Farrar’s power rankings, but barely. The New England Patriots are sandwiched in between both of them, and the only team to have beaten New England this year — Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens — owns the No. 1 spot. It’s easy to see a path for the Saints to make a late bid for the highest spot in these power rankings, but they need to rebound in a big way after the speedbump they hit on Sunday.

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