Key Positions to Watch in Week 8 Between Saints-Raiders
The 2-5 New Orleans Saints and 2-4 Las Vegas Raiders meet this afternoon in the Caesars Superdome in a week eight clash. New Orleans has been off since last Thursday after a 42-34 loss at Arizona. Las Vegas is coming off a 38-20 defeat of the Houston Texans.
It's a pivotal game for both teams if they are to have any chance at climbing into playoff contention in their respective conferences.
This is the 15th meeting between the Saints and Oakland/Los Angeles/Oakland/Las Vegas franchise. The Raiders lead the all-time series by a 7-6-1 mark, with the series tied at 3-3-1 when they play in New Orleans. The Saints have lost their last two games against the Raiders, with the most recent being a 34-24 decision during week two of the 2020 season.
New Orleans continues to deal with a boatload of key injuries. Wideouts Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry will miss yet another week, making five straight absences for Thomas and four for Landry. Elite CB Marshon Lattimore will miss his third straight contest, with fellow corner Paulson Adebo and TE Adam Trautman game-time decisions.
Andy Dalton will make his fifth straight start at quarterback, despite the fact that Jameis Winston does not carry an injury designation. Other than the obvious, here are the other positions that need to come up big this afternoon if the Saints pull out a win.
Cornerback
Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) battles for position with New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (27). Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic
New Orleans will not only be without elite cover corner Lattimore, but also CB Bradley Roby, who is on injured reserve. Paulson Adebo may also be sidelined as he deals with knee/ankle issues that have caused a digression in his second season.
The Saints will line up rookie second-round choice Alontae Taylor and veteran Chris Harris Jr. at corner. Justin Evans, Tyrann Mathieu, and Marcus Maye will get more snaps in the slot if Adebo is out. Poor safety play from Mathieu and Maye has already been a crippling issue all season, now worsened by the injuries at corner.
Coverage breakdowns and poor tackling have created several big plays for opponents over the last five games. A battered and under-manned secondary has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 69% of their throws for an average of 261 yards with 8 touchdowns in the last four weeks. In that span, the Saints have surrendered four 100-yard outings to receivers and three more of at least 65 yards.
There is a bright spot. Alontae Taylor had an outstanding game in his first extensive action of the year against Arizona. Taylor was targeted six times by the Cardinals, but allowed only one catch. A physical defender with fluid athleticism, Taylor fits exactly what the Saints want out of their corners.
A healthy Adebo would be big for the Saints, especially with Lattimore and Roby out. Harris is not the player he once was and will see heavy targets if he plays a lot of snaps. New Orleans faces an accurate passer in QB Derek Carr, who is armed with a premier wideout in Davante Adams, a spectacular possession receiver in Hunter Renfrow, and a matchup nightmare with TE Darren Waller.
Lattimore would have likely shadowed Adams, but expect the Saints to now employ more conservative coverage packages. Look for the corners to play softer coverage with both Maye and Mathieu used over the top in deep support.
New Orleans will still have to challenge the productive Raiders wideouts when the opportunities arise, and it’s crucial that they make an immediate tackle on shorter receptions to hold plays to minimal gains.
Offensive Tackles
New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (71) against the Arizona Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dalton has had a short-handed receiving corps in his four starts. He's also benefited from a much better running game than Winston had in the first three games. New Orleans has averaged almost 165 yards per game on the ground and five yards per rush over their last four outings. In their first three contests, they averaged 112 yards rushing.
Dalton has also had better pass protection than Winston. He’s been sacked four times in his four starts, while Winston went down 11 times in three games. Part of that is Dalton's ability to get rid of the ball quickly, but there’s no doubt that the offensive line has played better after a rocky start.
The Saints will need an exemplary performance up front against the Raiders. Especially from LT James Hurst and RT Ryan Ramczyk. Hurst and Ramczyk are facing off against Las Vegas defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones. Crosby is a terrific defender who leads the team with 6 sacks, 16 pressures, and 11 tackles for loss.
Jones has 108 sacks over his 11-year career, but just a half sack in his first season with Las Vegas, though he does have nine pressures. Together, Crosby and Jones have 17 of their team's 32 QB hits.
Jones will most often line up across from Hurst on the left side. Crosby and Ramczyk will usually face off in a battle of All-Pro talents on the right.
New Orleans is most effective with an off-tackle running attack with Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill. With a depleted receiving corps that features star rookie Chris Olave, Dalton's pass protection will have to be extra sharp to allow backup wideouts to get open.
The Saints interior blockers will certainly have to hold up in their pass blocking assignments and get push off the line for the running game. However, the Ramczyk/Hurst vs. Crosby/Jones is one of the key matchups of the day. If the New Orleans tackles can handle their assignments one-on-one, that would also allow the team to be more creative with their interior blocking and play calling.
Defensive Line
Sep 21, 2020; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Cam Jordan (94) pressures Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Against an Arizona team starting three backup interior linemen and their fourth and fifth string running backs, the Saints gave up an embarrassing 137 yards rushing and 4.8 per carry. New Orleans recorded a paltry three pressures on QB Kyler Murray, with their two sacks a result of coverage holding up.
This has been a microcosm of the 2022 Saints. Ends Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport are still major factors. Jordan has 4.5 sacks, 8 pressures, and a team-high 8 tackles for loss. Davenport has just a half sack, but leads the Saints with 11 pressures. Backup ends Carl Granderson and Tanoh Kpassagnon haven't played badly, but need to make more of an impact.
The Saints defensive tackles have had zero impact this season. New Orleans is among the worst in the league in rushing yards between the tackles. Their interior linemen have a measly two tackles for loss as a unit this season. The defensive tackles have gotten pushed around at the line of scrimmage, creating multiple lanes for runners and often nullifying Jordan and Davenport as run defenders.
Inability to get any inside push as pass rushers has allowed opponents to use double teams on both edges against Davenport and Jordan. It’s also permitted quarterbacks to step up in the pocket away from outside pressure. With a depleted and struggling secondary, it is paramount that the Saints get heavy pressure on Carr with their defensive front.
Outside of LT Kolton Miller, the Raiders have been underwhelming along their offensive line. Carr has been sacked 12 times and is among the most heavily pressured quarterbacks in the league.
Nine of those sacks, along with 20 QB hits, have come from opposing edge rushers. A productive, and consistent, pass rush would help their beleaguered secondary and could perhaps force Carr into mistakes.
New Orleans will also have to get penetration into the Raiders backfield to snuff out RB Josh Jacobs, who has three straight outings of over 140 yards rushing. Vegas looks to physically bully opponents, a challenge that the Saints are going to have to meet to pull out a critical win.
