The New Orleans offense on Thursday will make a slight change to the cliché “next man up.” When the Saints line up against Denver at the Caesars Superdome (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video), it’ll be next men up, as in a lot of men.
Center has been the center of the Saints’ injury nightmare. Connor McGovern, signed off the Jets’ practice squad Oct. 4, is one of five players New Orleans has started at the position. The Saints (2-4) have played only six games.
Their 2-0 start seems like two decades ago, mostly due to injuries decimating their offense during an ensuing four-game losing streak. Of the 11 offensive starters in their season-opening 47-10 win over Carolina, only four — rookie left tackle Taliese Fuaga, right tackle Trevor Penning, tight end Foster Moreau and running back Alvin Kamara — are expected to play against Denver (3-3). Meanwhile, banged up guard Lucas Patrick was limited in practice and enters the game as questionable. Wide receivers Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) and guard Cesar Ruiz (knee) are out.
Interestingly, quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) and Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill (rib) are officially doubtful, not out. While Denver has a plethora of orphaned dogs in its quarterback room, the Saints are a little farther behind.
Should rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler make his second NFL start on a short week, after Sunday’s 51-27 loss to Tampa Bay, he gets to face one of the NFL’s defenses against the pass. According to ProFootballReference.com, Denver ranks second in the NFL with 22 sacks, third with 65 quarterback pressures and fourth with 25 QB knockdowns. The Broncos (170.2 yards per game) also own the fifth-best passing defense.
The silver lining for New Orleans is the short turnaround.
“That’s part of the good thing about being on a short week,” said head coach Dennis Allen. “You don’t have a whole lot of time to sit here and feel sorry for yourself. You’ve got to start preparing for another opponent.”
It’s no ordinary opponent. Sean Payton returns to New Orleans, where he went 161-97 (.624) and led the Saints to playoff berths in 10 of his 15 seasons, including a Super Bowl championship that uplifted a region still reeling from Hurricane Katrina.
It’s also not an ordinary Saints home game. Payton’s future Hall of Fame New Orleans quarterback, Drew Brees, will be honored at halftime. But this is no time for nostalgia in New Orleans. The Saints will shake Payton’s hand with fans welcoming him in pregame applause, and the organization will give Brees his hard-earned recognition. But expect the Saints to get down to business, the business of ending a losing streak and resetting their season.
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