One of the most important offensive players.
The New Orleans Saints' vibes are at an all-time high after their massive win against the Baltimore Ravens, but during this game, the team suffered a massive loss. Before the end of the game, Saints LT Kelvin Banks Jr. left with an ankle injury and was ruled out. Because it was an ankle injury and Banks Jr. was carted off, fear spread throughout the fanbase. Banks Jr. is a really good offensive lineman, but with it happening at the most important position on that line, it's a scary outcome.
The next day, it was announced that Banks Jr. would be out for only around 4-6 weeks. Not a bad outcome in the end, but then, later that same day, it was clarified that Banks Jr. would now be out for a much longer time, potentially the entire season.
This is one of the worst injuries the Saints could have suffered. If one of the interior offensive linemen were injured, the Saints could at least deal with it, but a tackle is different. Asim Richards hasn't been the best backup, and although I'll give him credit for what he did against the Ravens when he had to come in, it still doesn't make me confident.
New Orleans added another tackle, Mason Murphy, before the season began, so we may see competition at LT this week. It'll be interesting to see who the Saints go with, but either way, this offense will struggle a bit more.
In pass protection, especially this week against the Las Vegas Raiders and Maxx Crosby, it will be very difficult for the Saints to handle the pressure Las Vegas will bring. Tyler Shough has done decent against pressure so far, but like in the Detroit Lions game, it's going to take time for this team to adjust. That's been the theme of all games this season, and many from last year, so I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again.
Then, the run game just got a bit worse. The Saints have struggled in this area so far this season, and if they want to find consistency this year, they need to get the run going. But with Banks Jr. out, that becomes an even bigger challenge, and with momentum behind them, the Saints don't need roadblocks that could stop it from continuing.
Overall, Shough and this offense have dealt with injuries before and overcome the challenges that come with them, but time will tell whether they can do that again with Banks Jr. out.
