The Saints minuscule playoff hopes died on Sunday — one day after starting quarterback Derek Carr (broken left hand) and star running back Alvin Kamara (groin) were ruled out of Monday's game at Green Bay. New Orleans (5-9) is also a 14-point underdog against the Packers (10-4). The Saints have not been favored to lose by that much since 1999.
And it could be worse than two touchdowns. Here are three not so bold predictions about the Saints at the Packers.
1. Rizzi Revolution will keep regressing
After an initial rush of excitement and spirited play under interim coach Darren Rizzi that led to a 20-17 win over Atlanta and a 35-14 victory over Cleveland, the Saints have looked more like the 2-7 team that got coach Dennis Allen fired than anything reborn. The Falcons lost three straight after that Saints game, and the Browns have one of the worst records in the NFL at 3-12. So, who knows? Allen may have won those as well.
The other Saints' win was an ugly one, 14-11 over the New York Giants two weeks ago. The Giants have the worst record in the NFL at 2-13. Even Allen would be about 5-9 right now. The same injury bug that ruined his start has bitten Rizzi. The offense remains as sluggish as well and has been unable to crack 20 points the last two weeks with Carr sidelined.
Without Carr for the third straight game and without a decent backup behind Kamara, the Saints offense will be lucky to reach double digits. Green Bay has the No. 10 defense in the NFL with 320 yards allowed a game. And the dome Saints will face temperatures in the 20s with a chance for snow.
The Saints defense is No. 30 in the league with 376 yards allowed a game and will be facing the No. 4 offense in the NFL (375.8 a game) and No. 4 rushing attack (144.4 a game). Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs, who is third in the NFL with 1,147 yards, should have fun in the cold.
Take the Packers and give the Saints the two touchdowns. The 2-8 Saints lost, 43-12, to the 8-2 Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 28, 1999, which was the last time New Orleans has been this large of an underdog. That Saints team finished 3-13, and coach Mike Ditka and general manager Bill Kuharich were fired after the season.
2. QB Spencer Rattler will struggle
Rookie fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler will start his fourth game this season after replacing equally inexperienced Jake Haener in the second half last week at home against Washington. He nearly brought the Saints back from a 17-0 deficit before losing, 20-19, with an incompletion on a two-point conversion pass. He started three in October when Carr missed with an oblique injury.
Rattler, who grew up in Phoenix and played at Oklahoma and South Carolina in college, is not that accustomed to playing in cold weather. And he has been hot and cold in the comfortable confines of the Superdome. He can scramble and showed some cool under pressure last week. But he will be without his best weapon on the ground and one of his best in the air in Kamara, who has a career-high rushing yards of 950 this season and 543 receiving.
Only inexperienced wide receivers remain as well with original starters Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) out. Rookie backup Bub Means became a starter, but he is out as well with an ankle injury. And in-season acquisition Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest) is questionable.
3. Kendre Miller will not be enough
Second-year running back Kendre Miller will get what he has been waiting for since showing what he can do in the regular season finale last year against Atlanta when he gained 73 yards on 13 carries in a 48-17 win.
The third-round pick from TCU in 2023 was in former coach Dennis Allen's doghouse as he was injury-prone. But he has enjoyed a second chance under Rizzi as he has gained 78 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown in the Saints' last two games. He touched the ball only nine times amid injuries under Allen this season. Miller averaged 5.1 yards a carry last week against Washington with 46 yards on nine rushes.
Hill may get all the carries tonight without Kamara and the Saints still missing Taysom Hill, who was lost for the season to a knee injury on Dec. 1.
A loss will drop the Saints to 5-10 with two meaningless games remaining, other than draft position. If Saints owner Gayle Benson has not already, she needs to start looking for a new head coach now. Or have general manager Mickey Loomis get busy at that, if she decides to keep him.
