The New Orleans Saints look to end the New York Giants’ three game winning streak as Saquon Barkley and company come to town. Things haven’t been bright in New Orleans, but there’s still time to turn things around. After last week’s performance, a loss here feels like it would be devastating.
In order to come up with a victory, the Saints are going to have to stop the stars. Tommy DeVito may be the biggest story at the moment, but the stardom starts with Barkley. Barkley rushing against a vulnerable Saints run defense is one of the four matchups that will define this game’s result in Week 15:
1
Saints cornerbacks vs. Giants wide receivers
Tommy DeVito has rarely targeted the middle of the field since taking over in Week 9, but two of his three interceptions have been throws in the deep middle of the field. The corners will likely be the most targeted players in man and zone coverage. DeVito likes to target the offense’s right sideline. Tackling and limiting yards after the catch will be imperative on throws closer to the line of scrimmage.
2
Saquon Barkley vs. Saints front seven
Barkley is the most dynamic offensive weapon the Giants have. New York’s outside runs will test one of the Saints weaknesses, speed. Because New Orleans isn’t one of the fastest defenses, defending these outside runs will require them to maintain gap discipline and force runs inside
3
Kayvon Thibodeaux vs. Saints offensive line
The second year pass rusher has began to come into his own this year. His 11.5 sacks nearly triples his rookie year total in one less game. He’s gotten to the quarterback for at least half a sack in each of the last three games, in addition to forcing a fumble in each of the last two weeks. He’s also been more disruptive in the run game with 12 tackles for a loss. The New Orleans offensive line is going to have to be better or Thibodeaux will wreck shop.
4
Tommy DeVito vs. man coverage
Stopping the quarterback from running this season hasn’t been a strong suit of the Saints. The damage has been done with scrambles opposed to designed runs. A big contributing factor is defenders having their back turned to the quarterback in man coverage. DeVito ran for 70 yards on Monday night. The Saints struggles would suggest a repeat performance could be on the way. It’s been a repeated issue week after week.
