Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
A key mark of any successful NFL team is its ability to take care of business and win the games it’s expected to win.The 0-4 New Orleans Saints have their first chance of the season to do that on Sunday as the 1-3 New York Giants travel to the Big Easy.
After a predictable winless start for New Orleans, the schedule begins to lighten up with the Giants game approaching. Nothing comes easy in the NFL, but there are some matchups you simply have to win.
This is one of those battles for New Orleans.
Up and down the varying position groups, the Saints are the better team on paper. The one exception being the defensive line, where the Giants have an undeniable edge.
The Quarterback Matchup
This game may come down to the performances of quarterbacks Spencer Rattler for the Saints and Jaxson Dart of the Giants.
Rattler may still be pursuing his first career win, but his 10 previous starts leading up to this game should give him a valuable advantage on the field. Meanwhile, Dart is facing his first road trip coming off of a win, but a win in which he was sacked five times and pressured 10 times, per Pro Football Focus.
Keys To A Saints Win
The Saints’ defense will be tasked with not giving up a ground game to Dart and rookie running back Cam Skattebo, their biggest test, but have an advantage in coverage the team will need to showcase.
On the offensive side, the Saints must protect Rattler and open holes in the run game. The Giants have the No. 29 ranked rushing defense, while Saints running backs Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller are coming off of a stellar Week 4 game. With that, clock control and big plays will come.
If there are recipes for success in each game, the Saints have gone from painstakingly sweating over a stove making a roux and pot of gumbo over the first four games to tossing soup from a can into the microwave.
The Fallout Of A Loss
Rather than having to win through convoluted paths, this game is pretty straight forward. Be the better football team. If the Saints can’t do that against a lowly Giants team, questions around the cooks in the kitchen will begin to arise.
This is a massively important game for Rattler, who is trying to outpace the business of the NFL by securing his first win and extending his career as the Saints’ starting quarterback while rookie Tyler Shough waits in the wings.
