Expectations aren’t very high for the New Orleans Saints going into Thursday night’s game with the Jacksonville Jaguars — dropping a couple of losses in winnable games will do that. With the Saints offense all out of sorts and struggling to put points on the board, it’s fair to ask whether they can compete with a surging Jaguars squad.
Here’s what our staff is predicting for Week 7’s final score:
Saints 17, Jaguars 14
It seems like a lot to call this a “must-win” game for the Saints at this point in the season, but with the way things are going and the abysmal loss to the Houston Texans that was filled with missed opportunities, there is no other way to put it. This is shaping up to be a contest in which the defense should have a big game and the offense should lean even more into Alvin Kamara, who has shown just how much of a vital asset he is in his return. The Saints win it, 17-14. — Crissy Froyd
Jaguars 30, Saints 17
Presuming Trevor Lawrence is healthy and ready to play, the saints could find themselves in trouble pretty quickly. The current situation is eerily similar to last year, as the defense plays well each game but the offense not supporting them makes the defense repeatedly take the field. This type of issue against an offense led by Trevor Lawrence, Calvin Ridley, Travis Etienne, and Evan Engram will likely end in catastrophe. While I do think the saints can keep it within two scores here, I also think they will end up in the loss category provided they see Trevor. — Jeremy Trottier
Jaguars 24, Saints 13
This score comes down to quarterback-coach pairing. I trust Doug Pederson to scheme up better offense than Pete Carmichael and I trust Trevor Lawrence to execute more than Derek Carr. The Saints could also have some trouble with Calvin Ridley. The Jaguars could find a similar level of success as the Texans through the air and the ground. The New Orleans defense buckled down in the second half but allowing 20 points might be too much for the foreseeable future. That’s a mark the Jaguars could hit. The Saints offense hasn’t shown enough consistency to prove they can hang with a healthy Trevor Lawrence-led Jaguars. — Darrion Gray
Jaguars 17, Saints 10
An injured Trevor Lawrence taking on a great defense and an inept Saints offense structure against a defense with a pulse does not spell out the most high-powered offensive game of all time. The Saints need to figure themselves out before they can hope to win games against teams. The offense is even making it hard for the defense to get their job done, despite being one of the best units in the league. — Dylan Sanders
Jaguars 24, Saints 17
The Jaguars are a better-coached team than the Saints, and that’s going to make a big difference. They have clarity in what they want to do offensively, and their defense is strong enough at all three levels to frustrate the New Orleans offense. — John Sigler
