The New Orleans Saints are once again tasked with overcoming unfortunate circumstances during the 2020 regular season. The team’s entire running back core was lost for the final game due to COVID-19 protocols. Saints running back Alvin Kamara recently tested positive for the coronavirus.
Due to his positive test result, Latavius Murray, Dwayne Washington, and fullback Micahel Burton were added. Stepping in their place will be utility players Ty Montgomery and Taysom Hill. Tailback Tony Jones Jr. out of Notre Dame was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.
The COVID-19 infection does not end with the Saints running back group. Safeties C.J. Gardener-Johnson and DJ Swearinger were also added to the reserve/covid-19 list as well. Head Coach Sean Payton will have to be really creative in tomorrow’s contest versus the Carolina Panthers. On the positive side of the situation, the Saints have proven to rise above these types of challenges throughout the season.
The Panthers will not have some of their top players such as Christian McCaffrey, Mike Davis, and Russell Okung in tomorrow’s football game. However, with the Saints not having key weapons such as Alvin Kamara, Latavius Murray, and Michael Thomas could make tomorrow’s game more competitive than it should be. Carolina still has serious threats that can hurt the secondary in DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson.
To minimize Carolina’s big-play ability, the New Orleans pass rush needs to be in full-effect in Sunday’s football game. The combination of Trey Hendrickson, Cam Jordan, and Marcus Davenport should be able to get the job done. If they can force Teddy Bridgewater to remain in the pocket and be uncomfortable, then the issues of not having a full roster of running backs become a non-issue.
Another positive side of Sunday’s game versus Carolina is that we will finally see how Ty Montgomery responds to being one of the Saints’ rushing attack’s primary options. There will also be opportunities for quarterback Taysom Hill to affect the game as a runner. If the opportunity presents itself, the Saints’ should go ahead and rest some starters if they are up by a large margin.
At the end of the day, the team should know where they will be finally seeded once the playoffs start. At the moment, they are currently the number two seed in the NFC playoff picture. But that could change if certain outcomes occur with ball games between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.
If the Bears and Seahawks win their games, the Saints will become the number one seed in the NFC. The rest for the Saints will be greatly needed, especially with injuries that have recently occurred. Overall, Sports Talk 365 predicts that the Saints will come out on top in tomorrow’s contest versus Carolina. They win by 17.
Saints 34
Panthers 17
Photo courtesy of Max Becherer/Nola.com.
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