A 5-8 New Orleans Saints squad tries to keep their faint playoff hopes alive as they go into a Week 15 game with 8-5 Washington. They'll also have to do it without quarterback Derek Carr, who will reportedly miss several games with a fractured left hand. Second-year QB Jake Haener will get his first career start.
Like Carr, Haener won't have nearly a full arsenal of weapons. Wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed remain out, as does versatile weapon Taysom Hill. Expect the Saints to try and lean on their running game, hopefully opening up selective shots for Haener and the passing attack.
Washington has been one of the bigger surprises of the season. Most of the attention has been because of their offense and dynamic rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Their rebuilt defense has also been better than expected in some areas.
It's tough to imagine Haener and a shorthanded group of pass catchers winning a shootout with Daniels and his weapons. However, the Saints will need to manufacture points and production to keep their season alive. Here's how they match up against the Washington defense.
Saints Offense
Points Scored: 16th (22.3/game)
Total Yards: 14th (341.5)
Passing: 19th (212.9)
Rushing: 10th (128.7)
Rushing Average: 13th (4.4)
Third Downs: 17th
Red Zone: 7th
Haener's most significant action was when he came in for an injured Carr for one Week 5 at Kansas City, relieved Spencer Rattler for the final drive against Denver, and replaced an ineffective Rattler midway through the second half against the Chargers. His production in those six drives was a 50% completion percentage for 177 yards, one touchdown, one field goal, a missed field goal, and a turnover on downs in the red zone.
Unlike his previous appearances, Haener will have the team's full starting line in front of him. Perhaps that could help make up for so many weapons being out with injury, but you wouldn't know it from their performance last week with both run blocking and pass protection.
Against the Giants, the Saints had their starting offensive line together for the first time since the third play of Week 3. However, blocking was still abysmal against a shorthanded New York defense. A much better performance is needed up front to protect Haener and establish the run.
Haener doesn't throw the accurate deep ball that Carr does. That may limit the impact of WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who has been explosive since the Saints signed him. Over the last four games, Valdes-Scantling has 11 receptions for 283 yards and four scores, narrowly missing on a few other big plays.
Valdes-Scantling, Cedrick Wilson, Dante Pettis, and Kevin Austin will have to create intermediate separation for Haener to make plays. Two other targets to watch are tight ends Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau. Each have stepped up their production moderately over the last few games and could provide perfect intermediate options on play-action passes.
For coordinator Klint Kubiak's play-action attack to be effective, the Saints need to run the football. Often injured second-year RB Kendre Miller was finally back in the lineup last week against the Giants and ran with impressive power. Oozing with potential, Miller has the power and burst to be a great complement to Alvin Kamara.
Make no mistake, Kamara is the key to any offensive success. He has eclipsed 100 scrimmage yards in eight games despite the lack of weapons and consistent blocking. Kamara needs to be productive as a runner, but the Saints also need to get him involved as a receiver to maximize his effectiveness.
Washington Defense
Points Allowed: 17th (22.8/game)
Total Yards: 12th (327.7)
Passing: 5th (190.7)
• 32 Sacks
• 4 interceptions (29th)
Rushing: 28th (137)
Rushing Average: 27th (4.8)
Third Downs: 22nd
Red Zone: 29th
Washington's best defensive player, tackle Jonathan Allen, is on injured reserve. However, they still have a very formidable interior duo with Daron Payne and rookie Jer'Zhan Newton.
Along the edge, Washington has been a little more vulnerable. This is especially so against the run, where they rank near the bottom of the league despite a better performance recently. Eleven runners have managed at least 60 yards on the ground against them, including four 100-yard outings.
Veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler is out of position as an outside linebacker in Washington's 4-3 base. He's still a disruptive pass rusher, evidenced by his team-high 8.5 sacks and 14 pressures. Ends Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Farrell have combined for only 5.5 sacks, but do have 19 pressures between them.
Linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu were huge offseason additions to the defense. Luvu has eight sacks and 12 QB hits along with nine tackles for loss among his 82 total stops. Wagner, who has seven stops among a team-high 104 tackles, has lost a step but is still among the league's best off-ball linebackers.
The most concerning weakness on this defense has been the secondary. Opposing passers have completed 65% of their throws, as Washington has allowed three 100-yard games to opposing pass catchers and 12 additional outings with at least 60 yards.
Adding elite former Saints CB Marshon Lattimore in a trade should elevate the entire defense. He'll get his first action since the trade against his old team on Sunday.
Lattimore's ability to take a receiver out one-on-one will make corners Benjamin St. Juste and Noah Igbinoghene more effective. It will also allow safeties Jeremy Chinn and Quan Martin to be far more aggressive.
What to Watch
The Saints will need to get Alvin Kamara in space early and often. If they don't -- they lose. Look for New Orleans to attack linebackers Wagner, Luvu, and Fowler, both on the edge with Kamara and Miller but also with their tight ends. Johnson and Moreau may be key parts of the passing game.
New Orleans should use alignments with both Kamara and Miller together. Both are capable receivers, so lining one out wide or in the slot should take Luvu or Wagner out of the tackle box for a better opportunity to run inside.
Establishing the line of scrimmage is paramount for the Saints to have a chance to win. Not only to run the ball, but the inexperienced and limited Haener must have time to process and find open targets.
This is the second straight week that the Saints have their offensive line together. They'll need to play far better than last week's performance for the remaining games on the schedule to have any meaning.
