The New Orleans Saints took care of business last week against a team that had no business even keeping the game close as long as they did. Can they make a statement in Week 15?
The Giants roll into New Orleans on a three-game winning streak and behind a wave of positive emotion sparked by UDFA Tommy DeVito. It's just the latest in a string of rookie or backup QBs the Saints have faced this year, and results have been mixed.
With all that in mind, here are the top three things I'm watching most closely (and a bit of lagniappe) when the Saints (6-7) host the Giants (5-8) in Week 15.
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1. RASHID SHAHEED ... TOP DOG?
It's impossible to dislike Rashid Shaheed, at least unless you're one of those unfortunate few who has to try to keep up with him as he hits the gas pedal upfield. But just what is his ceiling right now?
We might be finding out on Sunday, with Chris Olave's status expected to be a legitimate game-time decision due to an ankle injury. We've seen Olave play through discomfort before, but even if he does go, you have to imagine it'll be on a limited snap count. That's a particularly troubling scenario when you consider there's a game on Thursday this team has to turn around and play, and one in which a high-powered offense might be far more important to have.
So what exactly does Shaheed have to offer if he's thrust into that leading role at pass-catcher? We're told he can run the whole route tree, and this will be the time to show it. He's working back from a quad injury of his own, but he's been confident throughout the week that he's fully back after two weeks off and he was a full participant in practice on Friday. The rest of the position would be manned by A.T. Perry, Keith Kirkwood, Lynn Bowden Jr. and Marquez Callaway, who has been called up for the second consecutive week.
I also wouldn't be stunned to see Bowden handle punt returns to help limit snaps for No. 22. It'll be on QN Derek Carr to put the ball on him, with the pair struggling to hook up a couple times the last time Shaheed got on the field. I expect a career day for Rashid, and hopefully that will be enough.
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2. PRESSURE ... HAS ANYTHING CHANGED?
Everyone gets sacks against the Panthers, so it's hard to look at a 4-sack day in Week 14 in a sign that this group has solved its pressure problem. Still, sometimes you just need to see a ball go through the net, even if it's on a layup, to get things headed in the right direction (sorry to mix sports metaphors on you there).
When the Saints are pressuring the passer effectively, this defense often seems impossible to beat. Even without Marshon Lattimore the Saints corners can lock down with the best of them, as long as they don't have to cover forever.
That's why I'm looking at Carl Granderson, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Zack Baun and Co. to ratchet up the pressure and make Tommy DeVito uncomfortable. Oh, and once they make him that way ... a tackle sure would be nice. QB scramble yards has been an issue all season for this defense, and DeVito is certainly capable of exploiting it.
That said, the Saints are rushing the passer a bit differently now than earlier in the season. While they're still without Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey due to injury, they've found a way to get more athletic on the edges by incorporating Zack Baun as a sort of situational edge rusher. That's coincided with a shift to a run downs role for Cam Jordan, which was at least somewhat driven by an ankle injury that's limited him in recent weeks. We've seen Baun start to flourish in that role, and I expect him to keep getting better.
Why is that relevant? Well, that should be obvious. Baun's athleticism in coverage has been a struggle at times, but his athleticism when rushing the passer would rank as a weapon. If the Saints can stop the run and force the Giants into obvious pass situations, you get Baun on the field and let him go to work. Too often I've seen Cam or Granderson chasing a QB to no avail in those situations. I think if that's Baun in pursuit, it goes differently.
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3. WHO IS THIS TEAM?
This idea is a bit more vague, but it might be the most important of all: What is the character of this team? Don't tell us. Show us.
At a certain point it's not about talent or scheme or whatever variable you want to point to, it's about who wants it more. Both of these teams has a chance to make a statement over the final four games of the season, and both has to go through the other to do it. So ... who is it going to be?
The Giants started their run from much deeper in the whole, and it began two weeks ago with a win over the Commanders. They followed it up with a win over the Patriots that was anything but pretty. If they're being honest, no one really believed this Giants team had a chance at anything meaningful until they beat the Packers on Monday Night Football.
The Saints got their unconvincing win last week. It was one they needed. It wasn't pretty. This is a chance for a performance that helps solidify this team has what it takes to make a run at the postseason. It's also a game that can show the exact opposite, and I think that would make a strong impression on a front office that, I hope, is watching closely for those exact signs when they make their offseason decisions.
We saw one team clearly quit on its coaching staff last week, and the coach was fired. I don't expect to see that from this Saints team, but that's why you play the games.
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LAGNIAPPE
It sure sounds like Ryan Ramczyk won't be suiting up this week as he manages a nagging knee issue. So who replaces him? Is it Landon Young? Maybe Cam Erving? Either way, the right side of the line is going to be a major questions mark. ... We've seen the Jimmy Graham show the past two weeks in the red zone. Can that keep going? I sure hope so, because it's one of the few things that has worked in that part of the field, at least in the passing game. ... Do we get a bigger dose of Nephi Sewell this week? It sounds like he's taken on the starting role in base personnel, but unlike Baun I expect Nephi to slot in at Will.
