5 Bold Predictions for New Orleans Saints' Week 12 Matchup

On the heels of an abysmal performance, the New Orleans Saints will host the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football in an important Week 12 matchup.

For the Saints (4-6), the prime-time contest will mark their third consecutive game played within the familiar confines of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, although New Orleans’ renowned home-field advantage hasn’t been so advantageous in recent weeks.

Sean Payton’s club has dropped two straight games in its home building, the latest of which was a 27-10 drubbing at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Saints were dominated in every phase of the game by the visiting Bengals, and the home team’s effort was sorely lacking, to say the least.

With New Orleans (4-6) now in an apparent free fall, the Ravens come calling fresh off a bye week and sporting a 6-4 record. Baltimore sits in position to contend for the AFC North title, and the safe pick would be for coach John Harbaugh’s well-rested squad to ring up another win on Monday night.

Things don’t always play out as expected in the NFL, however, and the Saints, despite their recent woes, may have a better shot to turn things around than conventional wisdom would suggest.

Following are five bold predictions for New Orleans in its Week 12 contest against the Ravens.

The Saints Offense Will Have a Big Night

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There’s no skirting around the fact that the Saints have had their struggles this year, and their difficulties haven’t been limited to the defensive side of the ball.

Sure, the offense has put up big numbers this season and ranks second in the league, but statistics don’t tell the full story on this group. Drew Brees has committed costly turnovers at inopportune times this year, and the offense has sputtered during critical moments of games throughout the season.

The Saints have 10 interceptions and nine fumbles on the season, and with just 10 takeaways, they rank 28th in the league in turnover margin.

Then, there’s last Sunday’s debacle against the Bengals to consider, where New Orleans managed just 10 points and 75 yards rushing against what was the NFL’s 30th-ranked run defense entering the game.

If there’s a recipe for the Saints to get things rolling on offense, however, it’s a prime-time matchup in the Superdome in front of a national audience.

While they hadn’t endured as futile a scoring performance as they put on last Sunday, the Saints were in a similar boat heading into their Sunday Night Football home matchup with the Green Bay Packers in Week 8.

New Orleans had just suffered a heartbreaking loss at Detroit a week earlier, and the Saints weren’t given much of a chance against Aaron Rodgers and the red-hot Packers.

The result was a 21-point beat-down in which New Orleans rolled up 44 points. Brees looked like the future Hall of Famer that Saints fans have grown accustomed to seeing, as the home team lit up the Superdome scoreboards.

Granted, things will be different now that speedy wideout Brandin Cooks has been placed on injured reserve, per Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. Kenny Stills is a capable deep threat in his own right, however, as is Joe Morgan.

I’m certainly not calling for a blowout on Monday night, but the potent New Orleans offense will show up and flex its muscles.

Jimmy Graham Will Have 100 Yards Receiving and Two Touchdowns

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At first glance, this may not seem like such a bold prediction. The fact is, however, that despite Jimmy Graham’s superstar status, he’s accomplished this feat just one time this season (at Cleveland in Week 2).

The All-Pro tight end is looking to make his mark this week after a subpar three-catch, 29-yard outing against Cincinnati, in which he took a big hit early in the game and was basically a non-factor afterward. In other words, he’s due.

In fairness, Graham has battled injuries throughout the season, but at 6’7” and 265 pounds, he’s still a matchup nightmare for any team he faces. This includes the Ravens, and Baltimore safeties Matt Elam, Will Hill and Darian Stewart will have their hands full against the All-Pro come Monday night.

There’s also the Brandin Cooks effect to consider. With one less explosive weapon in the passing game, look for Brees to give his favorite target even more looks now, and for Graham to step up and answer the bell.

Pierre Warren Will Make an Impact

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With Sunday’s injury to starter Rafael Bush, the Saints were in need of additional help at the free safety spot, and they got it in the form of Pierre Warren. On Tuesday, New Orleans placed Bush on injured reserve and signed Warren off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad, per Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com.

An undrafted rookie free agent, Warren turned heads during training camp with his playmaking abilities and became somewhat of a fan favorite during the preseason.

The Saints didn’t include him on their 53-man roster, however, and they placed him on the practice squad before eventually releasing him.

The 6’2” Jacksonville State product is a rangy, instinctive safety who demonstrated impressive athleticism and anticipation throughout the preseason. In fact, he intercepted Baltimore backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the Saints’ final preseason game against the Ravens in the Superdome.

Jamarca Sanford will likely slide into Bush’s vacated starting spot, but Warren will probably see the field on Monday night on special teams, and if Sanford proves ineffective, possibly at free safety.

Whatever opportunities Warren receives, look for him to make the most of them.

Cam Jordan Will Have 2 Sacks

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Thus far, the 2014 season has been a disappointing one for Cam Jordan.

After recording a team-high 12.5 sacks and making the Pro Bowl a year ago, the fourth-year defensive end and former first-round pick hasn’t been the same player this season, and he has just five sacks through 10 games.

It took the pass-rushing specialist three games to register his first sack of the season, and he didn’t record another one until Week 8 against the Packers on Sunday Night Football. Jordan dropped Aaron Rodgers twice that night, and in front of another raucous crowd in a nationally televised night game, look for him to rise to the occasion and turn in another strong performance.

The Saints Will Win the Game

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The Saints enter Monday night’s contest with two consecutive home losses and an excess of recent injuries. They’ve struggled defensively all season, and last week against the Bengals, the New Orleans offense seemed to follow suit with a dreadful performance of its own.

Historically speaking, however, a game such as this one provides the perfect setting for Payton’s squad to pick itself up off the mat and start landing haymakers.

Brees and the offense will be primed to redeem themselves after last Sunday’s listless showing, and Rob Ryan’s defense should be highly motivated to get its pride back after a shameful performance.

There’s also the fact that New Orleans has claimed victory in 14 consecutive prime-time games played at home, which is one of the most impressive statistics of the Payton-Brees era. 

The Ravens are a formidable team with a lot to play for, but if the Saints can’t pick up a win in the Superdome on Monday Night Football, their problems may not be fixable this season.