It could be the end of an era in New Orleans. Coach Sean Payton has been rumored to be moving elsewhere and Drew Brees isn’t getting any younger. Brees, however, is getting hurt more and there’s a chance he misses the home finale with a sprained foot, putting the Saints in a bigger hole against the Jaguars.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New Orleans Saints N/A
Jacksonville Jaguars N/A
Over/Under N/A
ODDS ANALYSIS
Without Drew Brees New Orleans is a much different team and oddsmakers have kept the spread and total off the board until word about the Saints quarterback becomes official.
KEY INJURIES
Denard Robinson – Suffered a left foot sprain in the loss to Atlanta last week and the Jags aren’t sure who will be carrying the football Sunday. Robinson is questionable to play. With T.J. Yeldon nursing a sprained knee, the Jags have two healthy running backs on the roster: Jonas Gray and Joe Banyard. Toby Gerhart and Bernard Price are already on injured reserve.
Drew Brees – Injured his right foot in Monday night’s loss, but never missed a snap. Payton said it remains unclear whether Brees will play in Sunday’s home finale. If Brees doesn’t play, the backups are Matt Flynn and rookie Garrett Grayson. Flynn was warming up when Brees initially sustained the injury and would likely get the start.
KEY MISMATCH
Allen Robinson may have a chip on his shoulder when he enters the Superdome on Sunday. Despite having one of the best seasons by a receiver in team history, he’s also having one of the best seasons in the NFL, yet he was snubbed as a Pro-Bowl selection. Robinson is tied for the league lead with 13 touchdown catches and seventh in receiving yards. His 16.5 yards per catch average is better than every other player with 1,000 yards receiving, except for Indy’s T.Y. Hilton. Robinson already has the Jags’ receiving touchdown record and is the first Jaguars player since 2005 to surpass 1,000 yards. Robinson has made several acrobatic, highlight-reel catches this season, but playing on a team with a poor record and little national exposure hurt. Going against the Saints horrific defense could help Robinson feel better about not making the Pro-Bowl squad.
KEY STAT
46.2 – New Orleans’ third-down conversion percentage. The Saints have the second-best percentage in the NFL at extending drives and face a Jags squad that ranks 30th in third-down defense. The Saints may be working without Brees, though.
BETTING ANGLE
Jacksonville has lost three of its last four games and now has little chance of winning the AFC South. Coach Gus Bradley’s team has been consistently inconsistent all season, with offensive problems one week, defensive ones the next and special teams issues sprinkled throughout. And after working to curb costly turnovers, defensive lapses, red zone woes and missed extra points, now third down is the biggest concern – on both sides of the ball. The Jags finished 0 of 8 last week and allowed the Falcons to convert 6 of 9 chances in the second half. In a game the Jags needed to stay in the race, they failed. Jacksonville now needs to beat New Orleans and Houston and have Tennessee win its remaining games against the Texans and Colts.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Just when you thought the Saints were starting to figure things out on defense, they go into retreat mode and get blitzed by Matthew Stafford and the Lions on Monday night. Maybe Rob Ryan wasn’t to blame after all. New Orleans just looks lost on defense and the group isn’t giving the offense much help. Brees tried to rally the club, but the damage had already been done. The Saints allowed three first half touchdown passes and trailed 28-3 just a few minutes into the third quarter. Once again, New Orleans couldn’t climb out of the hole its defense dug. Now Brees is questionable to play due to a bad foot, giving the Saints less of a chance of winning. But they are playing Jacksonville, one team that hasn’t figured out how to close games. Blake Bortles and the Jags offense should do plenty and the Saints may not have Brees to bring them back.
Jacksonville 29, New Orleans 23
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