Saints vs. Colts: Full New Orleans Game Preview

The New Orleans Saints will look to make it two wins a row Sunday afternoon, as they hit the road for a Week 7 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.

New Orleans (2-4) is coming off an impressive 31-21 home win against the Atlanta Falcons last Thursday night. Coach Sean Payton and the Saints are now eyeing their first road win of the season, and they’re also trying to crawl out of the cellar in the NFC South.

Standing in their way is a 3-3 Indianapolis club that put up a valiant fight against the undefeated New England Patriots Sunday night, although coach Chuck Pagano’s squad eventually fell to the defending Super Bowl champions by a touchdown.

The Colts had reeled off three straight wins heading into their showdown with New England, and they’ll have their sights set on getting back above .500 at home against the Saints.

Both secondaries figure to be tested in this one. The Colts rank No. 28 in the NFL in pass defense, and against the Drew Brees-led Saints, they’ll be facing the league’s third-ranked passing attack.

Meanwhile, New Orleans ranks last in the league (No. 32) in total defense. Coordinator Rob Ryan’s young group turned in an admirable performance against the Falcons last Thursday, however, and quarterback Andrew Luck and a capable Colts offense will push the unit again this week.

Read on for a full preview of this matchup, which kicks off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT.

News and Notes

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Saints-Colts Series

Sunday’s contest marks a rare meeting between these two cross-conference opponents.

Their series history consists of just 12 meetings, with the Saints holding a 7-5 overall lead. The first meeting took place in the Saints’ inaugural season of 1967, when the home-standing Baltimore Colts bested New Orleans, 30-10.

The last meeting occurred back in October 2011, and it was quite the forgettable experience for Indianapolis. Drew Brees hit 31 of 35 passes and tossed five touchdowns, as the Saints annihilated the Peyton Manning-less Colts in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome 62-7.

New Orleans Makes Change at Kicker

Zach Hocker missed two of his three field-goal attempts in last week’s win over Atlanta, and it didn’t come as a surprise when New Orleans opted to go in a different direction at kicker this week.

The Saints released Hocker Monday and signed Kai Forbath to replace him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Hocker, who won the job in preseason by beating out Dustin Hopkins, missed four field goals in six games, and he also missed an extra point.

The Washington Redskins released Forbath just after Week 1, when he made one of his two field-goal attempts but missed a 46-yarder. The 28-year-old had been with the Redskins since 2012, and he connected on 87 percent (60-of-69) of his field-goal attempts during his time in Washington.

Injury Report

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The Saints posted their first injury report of the week on the team’s official site Wednesday afternoon.

With multiple starters still being held out of action, New Orleans remains a banged-up football team heading into its Week 7 contest.

Starting left tackle Terron Armstead and backup tackle Andrus Peat both missed practice with knee injuries.

Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, who had an impressive outing against Atlanta, sat out with a hip injury, while cornerback Keenan Lewis (hip/stomach) was also a no-go at the workout.

Other Saints practiced but were limited, including wide receiver Marques Colston (shoulder) and Tim Lelito (shoulder). Safety Jairus Byrd was limited due to his lingering knee injury, while punter Thomas Morstead (quad) and reserve linebacker Ramon Humber (thigh) were also limited in practice.

Key Matchups to Watch

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Saints Offensive Line vs. Colts Front Seven

The New Orleans offensive line has been a banged-up group as of late, and the Saints could once again be without multiple starters against the Colts.

Despite the injuries, the Saints provided Drew Brees with adequate protection, for the most part, in their win over Atlanta. When given time, Brees can shred any defense in the league, and true to form, he had a big day through the air against the Falcons.

New Orleans struggled to run the ball against the stingy Atlanta front seven, however, and Sean Payton will look to make improvements this week. With Andrew Luck on the opposite sideline, the Saints stand to benefit from putting together long, clock-eating drives that result in points.

In order to make this happen, the offensive line must not only protect the passer but it generate a consistent ground attack. The Saints managed just 81 yards on 32 carries last week, as starting running back Mark Ingram finished with an average of just 2.3 yards per carry.

At just over 84 yards per game, the Saints rank No. 31 in the league in rush offense this season. Against a Colts defense that gave up 5.7 yards per carry to Patriots backs LaGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis last Sunday, New Orleans will have the opportunity to rev up its stagnant ground game this week.

It all starts up front, and guards Jahri Evans and Tim Lelito (or Senio Kelemete), along with center Max Unger, will be counted on to fire out and clear some space for Ingram, Khiry Robinson and C.J. Spiller.

There’s no question the Saints will throw the football early and often on Sunday, but if they can achieve just a bit of balance with their running game, the struggling Indianapolis defense will be hard-pressed to get stops and get off the field.

Saints Linebackers vs. Frank Gore

In six games this season, Frank Gore has totaled just over 400 rushing yards, and he’s right at his career average of 4.5 yards per carry.

He enjoyed some success running the ball against the New England defensive front, and he probably deserved more than the 13 carries he received against the Patriots.

Against the Saints and their No. 30-ranked rush defense, look for the Colts to attempt to get Gore off and running in the early going.

Kevin Williams, John Jenkins and the New Orleans defensive line must maintain their gaps and hold their ground, but it will be up to the linebackers to put the clamps down on the 32-year-old veteran.

“Mike” linebacker Stephone Anthony, along with outside ‘backer Hau’oli Kikaha, reserve ‘backer David Hawthorne and others, must diagnose quickly and fly to the ball.

Of course, they’ll still have responsibilities in pass coverage, but if the New Orleans linebackers can minimize the effectiveness of Gore and the Colts rushing attack, the Saints will accomplish at least the first step in defending Indianapolis’ potent offense.

Players to Keep an Eye On

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Defense: Delvin Breaux

Cornerback Delvin Breaux has rapidly developed into a capable starting cover man in just his first NFL season, and he’s seemingly getting better with each passing week.

In last week’s game, Breaux turned in his most impressive performance to date. He stood tall on a number of plays against Falcons star wideout Julio Jones, thereby making a major contribution to the Saints’ victory.

This week, New Orleans will once again count on the former CFL star in coverage against a formidable pass offense.

The Colts don’t have a receiver of Jones’ caliber, but they boast a dynamic group of wideouts, including veterans T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Andre Johnson, as well as speedy rookie Phillip Dorsett.

With opposing quarterbacks often targeting Brandon Browner, and with Keenan Lewis still not at full speed, Breaux appears to be settling in as the Saints’ top cover man just six weeks into his NFL career. In Indianapolis on Sunday, he’ll get another chance to prove himself against a talented group of receivers.

Offense: Benjamin Watson

After delivering a first-rate performance last Thursday, Benjamin Watson won’t be flying under anyone’s radar this week. The Saints tight end enjoyed a career night against Atlanta, pulling down 10 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.

While it will be difficult for Watson to duplicate those numbers against the Colts, that doesn’t mean he can’t have another productive outing.

Tom Brady and the Patriots exploited the Indianapolis defensive middle last week, and there’s every reason for New Orleans to try to do the same come Sunday afternoon.

Look for Brees to attack the middle of the field with intermediate passes and for Watson and fellow tight end Josh Hill to haul in some key receptions against Indianapolis linebacker D’Qwell Jackson and Co.

Prediction

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New Orleans enjoyed its best outing of the season last week, and the Saints are looking to carry that momentum to Indianapolis for Sunday’s contest.

The Colts, meanwhile, have endured a week of criticism for a botched fake punt against New England that won’t soon be forgotten.

Look for the Saints to come out and compete hard in what should be a tight game and for Brees to pick up where he left off against the Falcons. The Saints signal-caller should be able to pick on any Colts corner not named Vontae Davis, and the New Orleans tight ends, in particular, could be in for a big day.

Luck and the Indianapolis offense will have some success as well, but the Saints will put together a late scoring drive to escape with the win.

Prediction: Saints 27, Colts 24