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The New Orleans Saints are in desperation mode when they travel to Glendale to face the similarly desperate Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Week 7. The Saints are coming from their fourth loss of the season in Week 6 and hope to get a semblance of hope in the NFC South. Here are our New Orleans Saints Week 7 predictions as they take on the Cardinals.
The Saints go up against the Cardinals in Week 7 as both teams attempt to get back on track in the NFC playoff chase. Despite averaging 6.7 yards per run on the ground, the Saints were defeated by the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6 by a score of 30-26.
Quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton are both suffering from back injuries. Wide receivers Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry are unlikely to play on Thursday. Pressure will be applied on Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill, but their efforts will not be enough.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals struggled to get much going offensively on Sunday, leading to a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Arizona has already lost three of its past four games, and quarterback Kyler Murray has thrown only six touchdowns to four interceptions all season.
With all these in mind, here are our four bold predictions for the New Orleans Saints in their Week 7 game against the Cardinals.
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4. Chris Olave plays and puts up 70+ receiving yards
There are health concerns about Saints WR Chris Olave, but we feel he'll see action in such an important matchup. He should return after missing the Bengals shootout due to a concussion last week. In the last four games, Olave has had 22 receptions for 348 yards and two touchdowns on 35 targets. He's the clear No. 1 wideout in New Orleans with either QB minus Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle).
The Cardinals' corners have been playing well recently, so we have to temper our expectations a bit. Let's say Olave gets six catches for 70+ yards and maybe a touchdown.
3. Demario Davis leads the Saints pass rush to get four sacks
Saints LB Demario Davis had nine tackles (seven solo) and two sacks in their loss to the Bengals last Sunday. He was easily the Saints' most impressive defensive player. Davis now has four sacks on the season to go along with 36 tackles. He also has two passes defensed and had one fumble recovery against Cincinnati on Sunday.
Despite playing every defensive action for New Orleans this season, the 33-year-old linebacker has continued to contribute at a high level, and he should put up another good performance Thursday night in Arizona. We have him leading the Saints pass rush again and getting at least one more sack. As a unit, the Saints defense should pocket four sacks against Kyler Murray, who was sacked six times in Week 6.
2. Alvin Kamara runs for 100+ yards and a TD
In the Saints' defeat against the Bengals on Sunday, running back Alvin Kamara carried 19 times for 99 yards and snagged 6-of-9 targets for 25 yards. He has gone for 194 and 124 all-purpose yards in the previous two games. That's impressive considering he recently returned from a rib injury sustained against the Panthers in Week 2. It's a clear indication that when healthy, he is an elite RB.
Additionally, he is long overdue for his first touchdown of the season. Christian McCaffrey and Kenneth Walker have both annihilated the Cardinals ground defense in previous weeks, and Kamara should do the same in Week 7. We have him easily going past 100 all-purpose and finally getting into the endzone.
1. Jameis Winston plays but gets a sub-70 passer rating
Injured Saints QB Jameis Winston worked out this week and will play against the Cardinals. However, Saints head coach Dennis Allen revealed that Winston was still not fully recovered. Meanwhile, Andy Dalton is making the most of his injured offense. Dalton has been okay, but he's certainly not a long-term solution for the Saints if they want to make the playoffs.
New Orleans has both quarterbacks available despite no injury designations, but both are suffering from back ailments. Some think Dalton will continue to keep his starting spot over Winston, but we expect to see Winston play in Arizona. That's whether he starts or comes off the bench.
It's a pick-your-poison kind of thing for coach Allen. Dalton is a poor performer in night games, while Winston is definitely going to be rusty. When Winston does see action, he will struggle. We foresee a sub-70 passer rating for him in Week 7.
