Our final score predictions and bold takes for Week 5’s pivotal matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks center on Jarvis Landry, Marcus Davenport, and significantly fewer mental errors in each phase of the game. Here’s what our staff forecasts for Sunday:
Final score: Saints 24, Seahawks 14
Bold prediction: Marcus Davenport will finish this game with at least two sacks. He’s applied pressure all year, but only has half a sack to show for it. He has certainly regressed as a pass rusher slightly from last year, but I think this is the time to show that he still has it in him. The rookie tackles in Seattle have their work cut out for them this week. I think the Saints defense carries, yet again, as New Orleans finds their second win of the season. — Dylan Sanders
Final score: Saints 24, Seahawks 19
Bold prediction: No turnovers for the New Orleans offense. Saints players have consistently acknowledged their hand in the team’s slow 1-3 start to the season. Often times citing not only explosive plays, penalties and a stammering offense, but turnovers as a large reasons for their early-season struggles. The team has placed an emphasis on this element of the game throughout the practice week. If they want to take meaningful steps forward this weekend, not committing a single giveaway would go a long way. The Saints will do exactly that this weekend while adding three takeaways from the Seattle offense and special teams. — Ross Jackson
Final score: Saints 28, Seahawks 21
Bold prediction: This will be a big Jarvis Landry game, and I’m predicting he finishes with 8 receptions for 130 yards. Seattle will commit a lot of resources to slowing down Chris Olave, and Alvin Kamara should see an uptick in production with Andy Dalton at quarterback, but Landry has the most favorable matchup against Coby Bryant in the slot, filling in for the injured Justin Coleman. He’ll look more like the featured player we saw in Week 1 than the afterthought he’s been lately, and it’ll do a lot to get the offense back on track to cut this losing streak off at three games instead of four. So will Marshon Lattimore holding DK Metcalf without a single catch. — John Sigler
