The New Orleans Saints and New York Giants will face off for the second time in two seasons. The Giants plan on starting veteran quarterback Drew Lock for the second straight week despite Tommy DeVito being a full participant in practice. While both teams are closer to fighting for the #1 overall pick rather than a playoff spot, the Saints will have to take advantage of these key matchups to pull out with a win on Sunday.
Alvin Kamara & Kendre Miller vs. the Giants run defense
The New York Giants’ run defense rivals the Saints regarding how bad they are. The Giants allow an average of 148 rush yards per game and recently lost superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Running back Alvin Kamara is on pace for his best rushing season in his career and New Orleans will be getting back second-year running back Kendre Miller. Miller has spent most of his career on the injured reserve but is returning in a prime position for a breakout game. On top of the return of Miller, the Saints are expected to have their offensive line at the healthiest it’s been in weeks. With an opposing weak run defense and reinforcements on the way, the Saints rushing attack should be the dominant force for their offense on Sunday.
Saints run defense vs. Giants rush attack
Similarly to the Giants, the Saints run defense is bad. They allowed Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams to single-handedly take over the second half of last week’s game allowing a total of 104 yards and 1 touchdown on just 15 attempts. The New Orleans defense will now face Giants rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr, who can and has taken over games at any moment. New York also houses talented veteran running back Devin Singletary to relieve Tracy. The Giants are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of rushing yards per game but with the poor-performing run defense in New Orleans, Tracy has his eyes set on another big performance.
Saints pass rush vs. Drew Lock
The Dallas Cowboys sacked Giants quarterback Drew Lock six times in the team’s win over New York on Thanksgiving. While the Cowboys were able to succeed in disrupting and taking down Lock, the veteran quarterback was able to show off his ability to escape and run. Lock ran the ball four times against Dallas for 57 yards and a touchdown. The Saints have heavily struggled with rushing quarterbacks in the past and it has followed them to the 2024 season. The New Orleans defense must contain Lock to the pocket and force him to throw.
In 2023, the Saints faced the Tommy DeVito-led Giants. New Orleans sacked the rookie quarterback 7 times in their victory. The Saints’ pass rush will get the opportunity to replicate this performance in New York with a mostly similar Giants offensive line.
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