Let’s learn more about the Giants’ Week 14 opponent
The New Orleans Saints are not a team annually on the New York Giants’ schedule, and thus not a team consistently on our radar. The Giants, though, host the Saints this weekend. So, we turn to SB Nation’s Canal Street Chronicles for our ‘5 questions’ segment. Nic Jennings is our huckleberry.
Ed: The Saints are 4-8 and fired head coach Dennis Allen midseason. How did this go sideways for New Orleans?
Nic: When you open the season with two 40+ point blowouts, expectations tend to rise. However, the combination of Dennis Allen’s atrocious leadership and accountability—evidenced by his 26-53 overall record as a head coach (18-25 in New Orleans)—and the aspiration-crushing wave of injuries that plagued the black and gold caused the Saints to completely collapse.
It all started when the heart and soul of the offense went down with a significant injury. Star center Erik McCoy, one of the league’s best at his position, suffered a groin injury three snaps into Week 3’s matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles that required sports hernia surgery and resulted in a lengthy stay on IR. Everything runs through McCoy up front, whether handing out assignments, leading the way on screens, or simply being an elite pass protector and run blocker, so losing him was demoralizing for Klint Kubiak, Derek Carr, and the rest of the offense. The offensive line also lost starting RG Cesar Ruiz during that matchup to a knee injury that kept him out four games. Additionally, versatile TE/FB Taysom Hill, a focal point of Kubiak’s scheme who’s now out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, had dealt with a bruised lung and fractured ribs early in the year. Weeks later, Carr himself would be sidelined for three games with an oblique issue. And to make matters worse, the Saints lost speedy WR Rashid Shaheed for the season with a torn meniscus and star WR Chris Olave indefinitely with a concussion.
This doesn’t even account for starters like Alvin Kamara, Tyrann Mathieu, Demario Davis, and Lucas Patrick playing through injuries, as well as key defensive players such as Marshon Lattimore (traded), Willie Gay, Pete Werner, Will Harris, and Paulson Adebo (out for the year) missing significant time due to their own respective injuries, along with a plethora of other players who have been sidelined or ruled out for the season. To say the least, it’s been a devastating turn of events for New Orleans.
Ed: How much does losing Taysom Hill impact the Saints’ offense?
Nic: ‘The Swiss Army Knife’ is truly a one-of-a-kind player who will be impossible for New Orleans to replace.
Taysom is statistically one of the most effective ball carriers in the NFL, finishing his eighth professional campaign with 278 rushing yards (7.1 yards per carry) and 6 rushing touchdowns on just 39 attempts, earning an 89.9 rushing grade from Pro Football Focus. He also caught 23 of the 31 passes thrown his way for 187 receiving yards (8.1 yards per catch and 6 yards after the catch per reception). Hill embraced a completely new fullback role under Kubiak and improved his blocking immensely while also turning back the clock and contributing on special teams as a return man and gunner.
This is a gut-wrenching injury for both parties, as Hill’s age makes it unlikely he will be able to return to his do-it-all role after recovering from his fifth serious career knee injury—at least not to the level he was producing before. For New Orleans, they won’t just be losing a TE; they’ll be losing a handful of other positions as well. The 34-year-old means so much to the Saints organization and will almost certainly end up in the team’s Ring of Honor when all is said and done.
Ed: If you could take one player off the Giants’ roster and put him in New Orleans’ lineup, who would it be? Why?
Nic: That player would 1000% be DT Dexter Lawrence, before his season-ending dislocated elbow, of course.
The interior of the Saints’ defensive line is extremely thin, and with their pass rush being mediocre and run defense being absolutely abysmal, Dexter would provide a desperately needed boost to the defensive trenches in the Big Easy. He finished his sixth NFL season with 10 sacks and an 89.9 overall PFF grade (83.8 run defense and 81.4 pass rush), which would be the highest among Saints defenders this season.
On the bright side, the defensive tackle with the most sacks behind Lawrence this season is second-year Saints DT and former first-round NFL Draft pick Bryan Bresee, who has seven sacks on the year. I’m sure Giants fans are familiar with the former Clemson Tiger from his two-sack game against New York as a rookie.
Ed: I was in favor of the Giants taking a mid-round flier on Spencer Rattler. They did not, and he ended up in New Orleans. What are the impressions of Rattler and whether or not he has a future as more than just another No. 2 or No. 3 quarterback?
Nic: When the season began, the Spencer Rattler hype was out of control as #TheAgenda took the Internet by storm. Ultimately, his three-game audition went about how you’d expect a fifth-round rookie’s first three starts to go. It was rocky, but his raw ability and feel for the game are as clear as day.
His arm talent is above what the Saints have seen in recent years post-Drew Brees. He puts a different kind of zip on the ball, so much so that the pass catchers for New Orleans had to adjust to the velocity of his throws. Aside from Taysom Hill’s brief stint as the starting QB in the past, Rattler’s mobility also brought a new dynamic to the Saints’ offense that they really haven’t been able to take advantage of. And the most important thing I love about Rattler is that he isn’t afraid of the moment and welcomes adversity.
His ball placement is good but can tend to get a little antsy and sail high on some short and intermediate passes. However, this isn’t anything that raises concern, especially considering he was thrown behind a depleted offensive line with a limited supporting cast during his first career starts as a pro. I wouldn’t be opposed to handing Rattler the reins next season with a full NFL season under his belt. If it works out, you’re golden. If not, you try again in the next draft. Mainly since this upcoming draft class is fairly underwhelming at the quarterback position, in my personal opinion.
Ed: The Giants have lost seven straight and are 0-6 at home. If they are going to win on Sunday, what is their path? How would attack the Saints on both sides of the ball?
Nic: Run the heck out of the football.
Much like the Giants, the Saints’ run defense remains their biggest weakness. New Orleans currently allows an average of 5 yards per carry, the second most in the NFL behind New York’s league-worst 5.1 YPC, and is tied for fourth in 20+ yard runs conceded with 12.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. should be licking his chops at this opportunity.
