Welcome everyone to the latest New Orleans Saints preview where we break down every game on their schedule! This week, it’s the Saints matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
Last Time Out: The last time these two teams took the field, both teams took a tough loss. The Saints looked ineffective on offense with Brees throwing three interceptions and zero touchdowns for the second straight week against the Tampa Bay Bucs. Arizona’s offense was clicking but came up just short against the Miami Dolphins by the score of 26-23.
Last Meeting: These two teams last met at the beginning of the 2015 season and that was a crushing 31-19 loss on the road. The Saints have won three of the last five meetings, but the Cardinals hold a 15-14 series lead.
What to Watch For:
Will the Saints Tank? The New Orleans Saints season is dead and buried. The Saints gave us false hope midway through the season and the last two games have been this team’s death knell with an ineffective offense being unable to keep the momentum going despite a solid defensive performance. A lot of fans are saying that maybe the Saints should be looking towards tanking to get higher up on the NFL Draft and get a big name player. However, this team isn’t a fan of tanking and with where their record is at with three weeks left in the season it doesn’t seem like they’ll be able to jump into the top five spots and get one of those big names that fans want.
Battle of Aging QBs: Both teams are having a hard time lately with their quarterbacks as they are nearing the finish line of their respective careers. Carson Palmer wasn’t nearly as bad as Drew Brees has been, but perhaps the Cardinals QB has been protected by having a strong run game. The Saints just haven’t been the same with Mark Ingram getting injured a few weeks ago and if they want to overcome the shortcomings of the passing game that will need to be fixed.
Two Very Different Defenses: While the Saints defense has been making major strides and getting this team in an opportunity to win, there are still problems abound. These problems might be amplified when they will be up against in one of the best running backs in the league in David Johnson and a good veteran wideout in Larry Fitzgerald. While there are issues with this team, the Cardinals defense is head and shoulders above the rest and could cause some troubles on Sunday afternoon because of how inefficient the Saints have been in getting the ball into the endzone.
The Saints Will Win If:
The Saints will win if they can get things going on the ground. The Saints for the last two games have had less than stellar games from their running backs with only 46 yards last week off of 16 carries. There needs to be more of an emphasis with the running game if a win is something the Saints want to have in this game.
The Cardinals Will Win If:
The Cardinals will keep their slim chances of making the playoffs alive if the defense can get pressure on Brees. The last two weeks, he’s thrown six interceptions against middle of the road defenses. If this D can play at a similar level against the Saints, expect there to be another game similar to last week.
-Clint Domingue