Jaguars vs. Saints: What's the Game Plan for New Orleans?
The New Orleans Saints will attempt to break a three-game, home losing streak this Sunday at 4:05 p.m ET, as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Week 16 matchup.
New Orleans (5-9) has dropped nine of its last 12 games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which not long ago, was widely recognized as one of the NFL’s most intimidating venues for visiting teams.
The going won’t be easy for the Saints this Sunday against the 5-9 Jaguars, who have won four of their last eight after stumbling out of the gates to a 1-5 start.
TOP NEWS
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Colts Release Kenny Moore
Projecting Every NFL Team's Starting Lineup 🔮
Rookie WRs Who Will Outplay Their Draft Value 📈
In order for Saints head coach Sean Payton’s club to reclaim its home-field advantage, a sound game plan will be needed on both sides of the ball.
Let’s take a look at a few things New Orleans may do in this late-season matchup.
Offense
The overwhelming topic of discussion regarding this week's contest has been the health of Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
On Monday night, Brees suffered a torn plantar fascia against the Detroit Lions. He is listed as questionable on the Saints’ latest injury report, which was released Friday on the team's official site.
His presence in the lineup will obviously be key for New Orleans, as the Saints will likely need lots of points in order to have a shot in this one.
If Brees does indeed miss the contest, the Saints pass offense won’t necessarily be unable to function, however. The unit turned in a respectable performance with Luke McCown under center against the Carolina Panthers back in Week 3, when an injury forced Brees to sit.
The injured McCown isn’t an option this week, though, and if Brees is out, the Saints will choose between journeyman Matt Flynn and rookie Garrett Grayson.
Regardless of who starts at quarterback, Payton isn’t likely to shy away from throwing the ball. His aggressive mindset with regard to the passing game should serve to benefit the Saints against the Jaguars, who rank No. 25 in the league in pass defense.
Look for the Saints to attack the flats with short throws in the early going, mixing in a dose of slants and drags.
After settling in with the short passing game, New Orleans should test the Jaguars with a more vertical attack. Considering the offensive success Jacksonville has enjoyed in recent weeks, New Orleans will have to put up plenty of points in this one. That isn’t going to happen by repeatedly running Tim Hightower between the tackles against the Jaguars' No. 13-ranked run defense.
That being said, the Saints won’t wholly abandon their running game, nor should they. Hightower has done a nice job, filling in for the injured Mark Ingram as the primary ball-carrier, and Payton will likely mix in some draws and I formation leads to keep the Jaguars somewhat honest.
But if New Orleans is to have any shot at outscoring Jacksonville on Sunday, it will need to get into a rhythm in the passing game and put together lengthy drives that end in points. With several of their key offensive players battling significant injuries, this could prove to be easier said than done.
Tight end Benjamin Watson and wide receiver Marques Colston, as well as starting tackles Terron Armstead and Zach Strief, are questionable for this week’s contest. If they’re unable to go, New Orleans will need wideout Brandon Coleman to step in and join receivers Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead as heavy contributors in the passing game.
Defense
The Jaguars field an explosive pass offense led by quarterback Blake Bortles, who’s tossed for 31 touchdowns this season. Wide receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns have combined for 21 of those scores, and New Orleans’ No. 30-ranked pass defense will undoubtedly have its hands full with the duo.
Given that nearly every quarterback the Saints face enjoys a prolific day throwing the ball against them, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s best course of action is to put as much pressure as possible on the second-year signal-caller. After all, Bortles has 14 interceptions to go with his impressive touchdown total.
There's also the Jacksonville offensive line to consider. The group has allowed 41 sacks this year, which is tied for fifth most in the league.
The chances of New Orleans getting consistent pressure with its largely unproductive front four aren't great, however, even against a shaky offensive line. Therefore, Allen will need to dial up blitzes on a regular basis in this one, leaving nothing to chance, as far as pressuring the passer goes.
Even when the Saints attempt to help their secondary by dropping linebackers into coverage, opposing passers typically enjoy tremendous success through the air. New Orleans may as well send additional pressure, get after Bortles and try to force a costly mistake, or two, out of the young quarterback.
The Saints must also do all they can to keep Bortles from having easy reads. They’ll need to vary their coverages, mixing in man and zone, while doing their best to disguise these coverages before the snap.
Prediction
Predicting the Saints' No. 31-ranked defense to place any resistance whatsoever on an opposing offense has proved to be a fruitless exercise this season.
New Orleans may come out inspired and make a few stops early in its last home game, but it’s unrealistic to expect this defense to keep that up for the full duration of the game.
The Jaguars will score no shortage of points in the Superdome on Sunday, and it will be up to the New Orleans offense to keep pace and eventually outscore the visitors.
There lies the big problem for the Saints. Their options at quarterback include a career backup, a rookie and a banged-up Brees. When combining the Brees injury with all the other injuries on offense, the chances of New Orleans being able to keep pace with Jacksonville for a full game are slim.
The Saints may reach the end zone a couple of times, but in the end, they’ll suffer their fourth consecutive home loss.
Jaguars 28, Saints 20
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
