Once again, the team must overcome injury challenges.
At some point, injuries become too much for a team to overcome. We have seen many times in the past when some of the best teams in the NFL end up struggling as the season goes on because of injuries. But it's even worse when the injuries happen to a team in the middle of a rebuild, and that's where the New Orleans Saints currently are. We are only 4 weeks into the NFL Season, and the Saints' roster has been plagued by injuries, and it seems like it won't stop. Last year, we saw a large number of injuries really hurt this team by the end of the season, and that last game against the Atlanta Falcons showed that it was just too much to overcome.
Funny enough, it kind of feels like that same thing is happening when the Saints play the Falcons, but this time, it's only Week 4, the game is in New Orleans, and the injury plague is hitting the defense instead of the offense. The main reason the Saints lost against the Falcons to end last season was because of WR injuries. Instead, the Saints are now going to be without LB Kaden Elliss and EDGEs Anfernee Jennings and Carl Granderson. In addition, LB Pete Werner is questionable, so his availability is up in the air.
Although the Saints still have some of their best players playing on defense, being without potentially two starting LBs and two rotational edge rushers can really hurt this defense. A struggling pass rush (besides Chase Young) will get worse, and the run defense, which has faced high-level RBs every week, will lose players who have kept it out of the bottom of the league in the run.
But the defense can still survive these injuries. With or without Werner, Danny Stutsman instantly becomes one of the most important defensive players. He is a very good run defender and will now have to fill into that Elliss role. He must also show he can survive against the passing game. For the pass rushers, newly added David Ojabo could play right away and step up, but Tyree Wilson is likely the name to watch. He won't need to be a game changer for New Orleans, but if he can be solid and maybe get a pressure or two, I think the Saints can deal with the injuries.
Still, these are not easy injuries to deal with.
