The weekend is almost here, which means it is time for some New Orleans Saints Week 15 predictions. They are set to host the Atlanta Falcons at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday.
New Orleans is coming off its bye week after losing two in a row. Most recently, the team lost a one-point game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, marked by Tom Brady's comeback in the fourth quarter. Now, the Saints are 4-9 and at the bottom of the NFC South.
Atlanta is also on a two-game losing streak. Last week, the Falcons lost 19-16 at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are 5-8 and third in their division, keeping their hopes of making it to the playoffs alive.
Even though both teams have negative records, this NFC South clash could have serious implications in the division battle for a playoff bid. With that being said, here are four Saints Week 15 predictions as they play the Falcons.
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4. Saints hold Falcons to less than 200 passing yards
While Atlanta is having a better season than most predicted, the team is still struggling in some areas. One of them is its passing offense, where the Falcons are completing just 61.3 percent of their pass attempts–ranking them in the bottom five in the league.
In Week 15, passing could be an even bigger concern. Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota was placed on the injured reserve list due to a knee injury. Because of that, rookie Desmond Ridder will take over the role for the remainder of the season.
Although Ridder showed some promise at Cincinnati, including leading the school to the College Football Playoffs, this will be his NFL debut. Additionally, this will be an away game for the Falcons, which could increase his nerves even more.
The Saints have the No. 11 passing defense in the NFL, allowing opponents to complete just 62.7 percent of their passes. Combining New Orleans' defense and Ridder's debut, the bold prediction is that Atlanta will finish the day with less than 200 passing yards.
3. Taysom Hill catches and completes a pass
Perhaps one of the few bright spots in New Orleans' 2022 season has been the emergence of Taysom Hill as a triple-threat player. After spending most of his career as a backup quarterback, “The Human Swiss Army Knife” moved to tight end.
So far, Hill is showing how valuable he is to New Orleans. He has rushed for 419 yards and five touchdowns while also catching seven passes for 66 yards and two scores. Most notably, he has completed nine throws for a total of 136 yards and a touchdown.
His best game came in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks. Hill recorded nine carries for 122 yards and three touchdowns, including a 60-yard run. He also completed a pass for a 22-yard touchdown and recovered a fumble on special teams. For his performance, Hill was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Against the Falcons, we expect Hill to go off once again. In addition to multiple carries, expect him to also catch and complete some passes.
2. Chris Olave records 100+ receiving yards, at least one touchdown
Alongside Hill, Chris Olave also deserves some praise for his 2022 campaign. The team's 2022 first-round pick is having one of the best offensive seasons among rookies, even earning some buzz for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
For the season, Olave has 60 receptions on a 61.2 percent catch rate for a rookie-best 887 yards and three touchdowns. He has three 100-yard performances this year, with his personal best coming in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers. Despite the loss, Olave had 147 yards on nine catches.
With that said, expect the young wide receiver to record 100-plus receiving yards and score at least once. If that happens, the Saints will be in a great position to go back to the winning column.
1. Saints win by double digits
At the end of the day, experience could be what decides the game. The Saints have a three-time Pro Bowler quarterback in Andy Dalton. On the other hand, the Falcons will have rookie Ridder making his NFL debut on Sunday. This difference seems to be affecting how some people are seeing this NFC South game.
According to FanDuel, New Orleans is the favorite to win this contest. Currently, the spread is -4. For comparison, this is the same as the 10-3 Dallas Cowboys over the 5-8 Jacksonville Jaguars.
Considering everything said, the Saints not only have a great chance to win the game, but also dominate and lead by double digits. Facing an inexperienced quarterback, New Orleans should have a good opportunity to dominate the defensive side of the contest, allowing its offense to slowly open a comfortable advantage. Also, fans should not be surprised if the Saints end up winning by 20 or more points.
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