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The New Orleans Saints have a crucial game ahead of them Monday night against the red-hot Miami Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa and the Fins have been unstoppable over the past several weeks, but extending their undefeated run past Week 16 is going to be easier said than done. The Saints are playing at home in this matchup, plus they are also riding a sizeable momentum from their massive victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions in Week 15. With that said, it's time to check out four bold predictions for the Saints in their Week 16's meeting with the Dolphins.
New Orleans Saints Week 16 Predictions
4. Ian Book balls out in first career start
The Saints will have to rely on Ian Book to direct most of their offense on the field this coming Sunday after Taysom Hill landed on the reserve /COVID list together with Trevor Siemian. Saying that a rookie who was drafted in the fourth round and has yet to attempt a single pass in his young NFL career would do good in his first pro start is certainly bold. But that’s why it’s part of the list. Book is certainly not the type of rookie people would expect to shine right away.
Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson are all struggling this season, so why think Book will go out there on Sunday and put up a memorable game right away? Let’s just say that Book has experience in terms of stepping up when the occasion demands it. Back in the 2017 Citrus Bowl, Book entered the game in the second quarter after starter Brandon Wimbush got benched for ineffectiveness. Book then completed 14 of 19 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Book’s ability to tuck the ball and run with it shouldn’t also be overlooked. He had 1,517 rushing yards and 17 rushing scores with a 4.2 yards per carry average in four years in South Bend.
3. Alvin Kamara returns to form
Before the 2021 NFL season, Alvin Kamara was deemed by many as the Saints’ most important player for this year. With Drew Brees gone and Michael Thomas recovering from an offseason surgery that eventually cost him the entire season, Kamara was left as the only one from that formidable triumvirate able to take the field in the 2021 campaign. Kamara, however, was relatively silent in Week 15’s win against the Buccaneers, letting Marquez Callaway take the limelight with a 100 receiving-yard performance – the first by any Saint this season, by the way.
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Kamara, on the other hand, finished with just 18 rushing yards and 13 receiving yards on a total of only 13 touches. Miami’s defense has been stingy this season, especially during their win streak, but Kamara should be able to find a way to shine, particularly on the ground. With a rookie under center, the Saints will be relying in this game more on the surest talent they have on the roster in Kamara, who leads New Orleans with 668 rushing yards to go with four rushing scores.
2. New Orleans bottles up Tua Tagovailoa in the pocket
The Dolphins’ offensive line has been holding up nicely this season. In fact, Tagovailoa has not been sacked more than twice in a game, so far. There have also been two Tagovailia appearances this year in which he wasn’t sacked at all. That shouldn’t impact the confidence of the Saints’ pass rush that is coming off a sensational performance in Week 15.
The Saints’ defense made Tom Brady look pedestrian, holding the future Hall of Famer down to only 26/48 completions and zero touchdowns while picking him off once and taking the Bucs quarterback to the ground a total of four times for a loss of 30 yards for Tampa Bay. Cameron Jordan must still be emitting smoke following his fiery performance against the Bucs, accounting for two sacks to go with five total tackles. There’s also Marcus Davenport, who had a sack in Week 15 to push his team-leading total to 16.5.
1. Saints post second-consecutive shutout win
Jumping off the last item, if the Saints were going to win against the Dolphins, it’s going to be mainly because of their defense. New Orleans is going to need to force turnovers and give Book looks with a short field. Miami has been on a roll on offense, as it has averaged 24.75 points in its last four games, but the Saints put the clamps on a Tagovailoa-led attack just sounds more conceivable after the way they manhandled Tom Brady and the high-scoring Buccaneers squad back in Week 15.
