It’s not enough for the New Orleans Saints to lose a disappointing game on Sunday. They have to hurry home and prepare for their next matchup in just a few days, with the Jacksonville Jaguars visiting on Thursday night.
To add insult to injury, the Saints are managing injuries to two starting offensive linemen after James Hurst (ankle) and Ryan Ramczyk (concussion) exited Sunday’s loss — and they’re flying home with a 3-3 record while the Jaguars are coming off a big win at home, having taken down the Indianapolis Colts 37-20 and improved to 4-2.
The Saints’ final whistle sounded at 3:11 p.m. CT on Sunday. They’ll kick off at 7:15 p.m. CT on Thursday. That gives the team just over 100 hours (or about 6,004 minutes) to travel back to New Orleans, take a breather, and figure out a game plan for a quality opponent. Maybe the best opponent on their schedule.
It’s not exactly shaping up for a recipe for success. The Saints will need to play their most complete game of the year to take care of business against a legitimate playoff team. The margin for error for head coach Dennis Allen and his staff couldn’t be thinner.
