The New Orleans Saints Week 17 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles is a big one. Despite sporting just a 6-9 record on the season, the Saints are still alive in the NFC South, but they are going to need a lot to go their way in order for them to win the division. That starts with beating Philly, so let's unveil our Saints Week 17 predictions for this big upcoming contest.
The Saints have had a strange 2022 season, as they have been snake bitten by injuries which has certainly plagued them on both sides of the ball. They also made the strange decision to roll with Andy Dalton as their starting quarterback for the season, ostracizing presumed starter Jameis Winston after he picked up a back injury early on in the season.
It hasn't been pretty, but the Saints still are alive and kicking in the playoff hunt, and while this game means a lot for them, it also means a lot for the Eagles. It should be a hard-fought game between two teams with a lot on the line, so without further ado, let's jump into our Saints Week 17 predictions and see what could end up happening in this game.
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3. Saints WR Chris Olave will surpass the 1000 yard mark on the season
The Saints offense has been a mess for most of the season. As previously mentioned, Winston has been cast aside in favor of Dalton, and key players such as Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and Jarvis Landry have all been hampered by injuries. The most consistent player on the offense throughout the season has been rookie wideout Chris Olave.
Olave was supposed to be the third wide receiver behind Thomas and Landry, but he's ended up becoming the focal point of New Orleans' passing game. Olave has cooled off in recent weeks after a really strong first half of the season, but he still finds himself on the verge of eclipsing the 1000-yard mark in his first season entering this game.
Olave has 940 receiving yards on the season, and considering how he has posted at least 60 receiving yards in eight of his 13 games played, it's reasonable to expect him to eclipse the mark in this one. The Saints offense may not have a great game, but that won't stop Olave from putting together another strong outing in what has been a very successful rookie campaign.
2. Saints LB Demario Davis will record 10 tackles and a sack
Demario Davis is the heart and soul of the Saints defense, and while he's been one of the best linebackers in the league over the past three seasons, he may be in the process of putting together the best season of his career. Davis is in line to eclipse 100 total tackles on the season for the sixth straight year, and he's already set a career-high in sacks with 6.5, and he still has two games left to play.
Davis is a do-it-all machine who keeps New Orleans' offense running, and he will have to have a big game against the Eagles in Week 17, even if Jalen Hurts doesn't end up playing, which seems more than likely to happen at this point. Gardner Minshew proved he is a capable fill-in for Hurts in Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys, meaning the Saints will still have a tall task on their hands here.
Davis will deliver for the Saints and put together one of his strongest games of the season. Davis will rack up ten tackles for the first time this season, while also recording his first full sack of the season since Week 9. New Orleans has a tall task in front of them, but Davis ensures that they will stay competitive with the top team in the NFC throughout this one.
1. The Saints will lose to the Eagles 23-17
Despite Davis' strong outing, it won't be enough to allow the Saints to prevail in this one. If the circumstances were different, there's a decent chance the Saints would have a very strong chance of beating the Eagles here. But Philadelphia needs to win this game just as badly as New Orleans does, and while they aren't fully healthy, they are going to do what it takes to get the job done.
This game will be tied at ten apiece heading into the half, with Taysom Hill and Miles Sanders accounting for the two touchdowns in the game on the ground. The Saints will take a 17-10 lead early in the second half when Dalton finds his new favorite red zone target Juwan Johnson in the back of the end zone for a six-yard score, but that's all the points the Saints will score in this one.
Minshew will quickly counter with a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown before tacking on a pair of field goals in the fourth quarter. The Saints' offense will stall out after committing turnovers on three straight drives (2 interceptions by Dalton and a fumble by Kamara) and they will ultimately run out of time. After another tough loss, the Saints will officially be out of contention for a playoff spot, which is a crushing blow given how wide open their division has been this season.
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