With no Brees in sight, the New Orleans Saints will attempt to stay afloat with Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill running the show against the Seattle Seahawks.
The New Orleans Saints will begin a stretch of games without their future Hall of Famer, Drew Brees. As Adam Schefter reported, it is expected that Brees will be out for six weeks.
Saints’ QB Drew Brees has decided to have surgery on Wednesday in LA with Dr. Steven Shinn, per @WerderEdESPN. Brees said a timetable for his return won’t be known until surgery is complete. The belief going into surgery is he will be sidelined approximately six weeks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2019
This is very disappointing news for Saints fans, as they had Super Bowl expectations coming into the season. But, the show must go on.
Sean Payton has said that he will use a two quarterback system for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, stating that both Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill will get time at quarterback. It will be interesting to watch how Payton draws up a game plan that fits the skill sets of both Bridgewater and Hill.
On the offensive side, the Saints will most likely have to lean against their rushing duo of Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. This may be a difficult task, as the Seahawks have allowed 57.5 rushing yards per game through their first two games. The offensive line will also have to improve their play, as Bridgewater was under constant siege against the Rams.
On the defensive side of the ball, it has been ugly thus far. This unit is allowing 147.5 yards per game on the ground. Going against a team that is known for running the ball well, this will have to improve. The secondary has been torn apart through two games, as well, with Eli Apple and P.J. Williams constantly being targeted. With Drew Brees out for the foreseeable future, the defense will have to step up if the Saints want to remain a contender this season.
The Seahawks come into this game with a perfect 2-0 record, coming off two tightly contested wins. As expected, Russell Wilson has run a very efficient offense, averaging 217 passing yards per game and 111.5 rushing yards per game.
Chris Carson will be called upon heavily in this contest, as the Seahawks love the ground-and-pound game. But the key to a win in this game might be attacking the Saints’ secondary. As previously mentioned, the Saints cornerbacks not named Marshon Lattimore have been bullied in the first two games, consistently giving up big yardage plays.
Defensively, the pass rushing duo of Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah will look to dominate an offensive line that struggled against the Rams. Ansah is expected to make his Seahawks debut this week, recovering from a shoulder injury. This will add another element to an already solid Seahawks interior defense. Their secondary has struggled in the first two games, allowing 287.5 passing yards per game. If the Seahawks can stop the Saints run game and put the game into the hands of Bridgewater and Hill, they will have a very good chance at winning their third straight game to start the season.
Injuries
Saints
QB Drew Brees (thumb – out)
WR Tre’Quan Smith (ankle – out)
DT Sheldon Rankins (achilles – out)
Seahawks
S Tedric Thompson (hamstring – questionable)
CB Tre Flowers (ankle – questionable)
RB Rashaad Penny (hamstring – questionable)
G Ethan Pocic (neck – doubtful)
CB Neiko Thorpe (hamstring – doubtful)
Game Info
Date: Sunday, September 22, 2019
Start Time: 1:25 pm PST
Location: Seattle, Washington
Stadium: CenturyLink Field
TV Info: CBS
Prediction
Nobody knows what to expect from the Saints’ offense without Drew Brees. With offensive mastermind Sean Payton drawing up plays, it could end up being a thing of beauty, but could also be very ugly. A successful running game and a stout defense will be crucial in this game
Although the Seahawks have won their first two games by a total of three points combined, a win is a win. Russell Wilson knows how to grind out wins with the best of them, and that’s what I expect out of this game.
Final Score: New Orleans Saints 24, Seattle Seahawks 27
