If you had to judge by the tone around the teams, you’d think New Orleans Saints were doing significantly worse than the New York Giants this season. The Saints actually have the better record. However, one team has a backup quarterback who is beloved and the other has a starting quarterback who is loathed. That explains the difference in excitement levels.
That excitement level also translates to interest level, so that’ll be something to watch. In addition to storylines pertaining to the fans, there are also a few storylines to follow that can affect the game. Both teams have a vital receiving threat who is on the fence of playing in this game. Here are the 5 most compelling storylines we’re watching in Week 15:
1
Biggest story in the NFL comes to town
There might not be a bigger story in the league at the moment than the rise of Tommy DeVito. Do you know a football fan that hasn’t done the pinched fingers gesture at least once over the last week? The spotlight of Monday Night Football has taken national attention placed on DeVito to another level. The story is so big that his agent is making guest appearances on television during the past week.
2
Crowd distribution
Because of that national story, it’ll be interesting to watch how many Giants fans are in the Caesar’s Superdome this week. We’re only two weeks removed from the Detroit takeover. The same thing could easily happen this week. The Saints may have the better record by one game, but the tone of the fan bases are drastically different.
Giants fans are jovial amidst their three game win streak and quarterback rising. The Who Dat Nation is reasonably pessimistic due to the team not living up to expectations.
3
Chris Olave's health
Olave is a game-time decision due to an ankle injury. Rashid Shaheed is returning to the lineup, but Olave is the Saints lead receiver. His absence would be devastating to the Saints passing attack. If he is able to go, the question then transitions to how limited will he be.
The ankle injury could limit him from stretching the field in the way the Saints offense likes to do. Then you could see that role shift to Shaheed and Olave operate in the intermediate level of the field.
4
Darren Waller's health
The Saints aren’t the only team with a major name with injury questions. Waller has been designated to return from injured reserve which opens a 21-day window for him to practice and get the green light to play. Waller is dangerous and could deal out a lot of damage in a limited capacity. New Orleans has been susceptible to being attacked by tight ends this year. Waller is talented enough to watch for in potentially his first game back. He’s questionable to play.
5
Red zone efficiency
The Saints have found success in the red zone over the last two weeks by including Jimmy Graham. The Saints should now have their full arsenal of red zone weapons. We’ve been waiting for Graham to be used in the red zone and he’s clearly been effective. The combination of Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill has also led to the highest rate of success inside the 20. All three of those players should be available and utilized in this situation going forward.
