The Washington Commanders head to the bayou on Sunday to face the New Orleans Saints at Caesar’s Superdome at 1 p.m. EDT.
The Saints are having a tough year. They lost Taysom Hill and Chris Olave to season-ending injuries, David Carr is dealing with a concussion, and there isn’t much left for them to pull from offensively.
The Commanders will be fresh off their bye week and ready to take a post-season run head-on. Jayden Daniels & Co. will be ready to take on the Saints’ struggling defense and lead his team to their first post-season appearance in a very long time.
Heading into this Week 15 matchup, there are three reasons for optimism for the Commanders.
Fresh off a bye week
The Commanders are fresh off their bye week heading into this matchup and healthier than they have been in weeks. They may have lost Austin Ekeler to injured reserve, but the vast majority of the entire Commanders’ unit is available this weekend.
Jayden Daniels has four games to show the league what he started at the beginning of the season. He hit a rookie wall a few weeks ago, leading to the Commanders losing three games in a row. He rebounded against the Titans in Week 13 and will need to continue to look like the dynamic quarterback he is if he wants to lead his team to the postseason.
Fresh off the bye, the Commanders have a very good shot at blowing this game out of the water. Whether they will remains to be seen, but the potential is there.
Saints have limited skill players
The Saints have been hammered with injuries to skill players this year. Right now, it’s not even set who will line up under center in place of Derek Carr. Alvin Kamara is their biggest weapon, but the Saints can’t run on every play. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a solid receiver, and Juwan Johnson (if healthy) provides another outlet for Carr. But Johnson has an injury, Kamara missed practice with an illness, and Carr is likely out.
This spells disaster for the Saints, as relying on one or two players for your entire offensive production is not a good strategy. The Commanders’ defense has struggled this year, so it is possible the Saints will be able to move the ball. But it’s unlikely they’ll be effective without someone else stepping up to make plays.
The Saints defense has no answer for Washington’s attack
The Saints have the 28th-ranked pass defense and 25th-ranked run defense. This does not bode well for their ability to stop Jayden Daniels, let alone Terry McLaurin, Brian Robinson Jr., and the other skill players Daniels has at his disposal. Sure, the Saints have Chase Young, former Washington Commander, who faces his old team this weekend. But one player isn’t enough to stop Washington’s attack, especially when the quarterback can move as quickly and elusively as he is.
The Commanders have an opportunity to continue with the momentum they started in Week 13, which will keep them on the path to the playoffs.
