Week 16 Outlook and Saints Recap: Staying Alive

Last Sunday wasn’t pretty by any means. It was just an overall weird game from start to finish. We came out hot and made it seem like we had another blowout cooking in our favor. Our fire burnt out in the second half and it became a lot more interesting than it needed to be. The clock stoppage at the end was flat out ridiculous. Thank god it didn’t end up mattering. It would’ve made missing the playoffs feel a whole lot worse knowing we got screwed over by the refs. Regardless, a win is a win and we fight to see another day. 

I am still extremely confused as to why the Saints decided to go with Haener over Rattler at QB. It took one pass attempt to know he did not belong on the field. I am definitely not complaining about their decision. We probably would have lost if Rattler played from the start. Haener may have just played his last game in the league. I really dont understand how they thought they had a better chance with him under center. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say it was a strategic move in terms of this upcoming draft.

Terry could’ve had 5 touchdowns and over 200 yards. His first touchdown was another rookie of the year moment from Jayden. I’ll say 2 of the 3 bombs to Terry were on Jayden. One of them it seemed like he stopped running. Those are three plays that would’ve put the game away. We’ll need to be hitting those when we play games against real teams like the one coming to town this weekend. 

It was great to see Lattimore in his debut. I wish we would’ve heard his name called but their quarterbacks were making business decisions to not throw his way. If that’s what we’re getting out of Marshon, then I think he’s worth every penny we are paying him. We’ve been in need of a guy who can wash other teams best receivers for a long time. It was a great first showing. But, we will know more about what he brings to the table after this game. I think it’s safe to say AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are a couple steps above the guys he was guarding last Sunday.

It was great seeing Mikey grab his second pick of the year. He quickly turned into the second most notable rookie on this team. An argument can also be made for Brandon Coleman. You don’t hear his name as often but when you’re playing offensive line that is a good thing. I’m very confused by Luke and Ben’s roles on this team. Seeing Luke only played 14 snaps even after Noah went down is concerning. I do like him as a return man. Hopefully, that helps build his confidence and let’s the staff see he should be out there more. Ertz has surprised everyone this year. The one handed grab was awesome. Hopefully, the concussion heals quickly. Ideally, we let Ben takes the reigns as TE1 next year and he turns back into the player he was in college. Another thing to note was Jameison Crowder’s return. I feel a lot more comfortable with him catching punts instead of Zaccheus. 

I think it’s safe to say Jayden has locked up offensive rookie of the year. Bo Nix made it interesting for a few weeks but three picks in a single game shot his chances. He let another game slip last night as well. In the long term, I am rooting for Bo and all rookies in this class. But, I am a very biased man when it comes to my bets so they all have been strapped into the back seat while Jayden drives the boat. I did not speak much on the heisman race throughout this year, but I did have Travis Hunter to win. He was the best player in college football and if Melvin didn’t win then I don’t see why Jeanty should’ve either. I’m putting together a solid year in terms of futures. After Jayden, it’s Capitals to make the playoffs. I think those odds might be a little different from when I took it to start the year. I’ll be better about advertising my futures from now on. 

To get back into our playoff push, I am happy to say we no longer have to worry about the Rams. They are on the run and about to take off with their division. I don’t exactly understand how this one worked out. But our game against the Falcons which has already been flexed to SNF in two Sundays is a win and we’re in situation. As of now, we will be watching two rookies in primetime in hopes of snatching up one of the last spots. I’m glad we’re not playing Penix in his first game. It’ll help to get film on him and avoid that first start fluke.

Another thing to keep on eye on is the vote to bring the stadium back to DC. Apparently, the stadium location change was removed from the CR. That’s not very ideal. Maryland got their fighter jets and funding for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Still so ridiculous that fighter jets made their way into the negotiations. I have only been monitoring this through the tweets that have shown on up my feed. We will have to see what the politicians decide. The team deserves to be in DC. As much as I love traveling to Landover, the capital of the country needs to have a football stadium located within its borders.

This hasn’t been the most football based blog. So let’s get into the game Sunday. We have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a win and some other things happening this weekend. Do I think we are going to win? No. But, I am not counting us out by any means. It’s tough to be optimistic after seeing how are last game ended. It came down to a 2 point conversion to get out of New Orleans. That’s a team we should be blowing out. Instead, we sat on the edge of seats watching our season come very close to ending. We are still looking for our signature win. As of now, it is the Bengals from Monday night which has turned out to not be a great win on paper. They’ve won ten in a row and are firing on all cylinders. I just don’t see it happening Sunday unless they show up in Panthers uniforms. If the Eagles wore the Panthers uniforms this game, then I think we would dog walk them. It’s all about the mindset. 

Some bets I like are BRob to score and Terry to score. Our wide receivers were an absolute non factor last time we played. I expect Kliff will make it a priority to get them involved early and often. Anything can happen when the Eagles come into town. We’ve shocked them with much worse teams in the past. I expect Landover to be filled up with burgundy and gold and way too much of whatever ugly shade of green they use. A win here and Packer’s loss makes the playoff seeding a lot more interesting. That’s what I’ll be rooting for on Sunday. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Looking forward to writing back after curb stomping Philly. 

Mandatory Photo Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images