A Saints Wild Card win will be dependent on offensive line

If the Saints hope to win their first game of the 2021 NFL Playoffs against the Chicago Bears, the offensive line is going to have to be on their “A” game.

The New Orleans Saints are preparing to match up against the No. 7 seeded Chicago Bears in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday. Super Wild Card Weekend is going to be an amazing game to watch and it should be somewhat competitive.

I don’t want to down and count the Bears just yet because I did the same thing with the Minnesota Vikings last season, and we all know how that ended up. I do not want the same thing happening to the Saints again this year.

In what could be Drew Brees’ last run at a Super Bowl, the Saints need to be putting everything into this game. Specifically, the offensive line needs to be preparing like they never have. They are going up against some of the best rushers and run stoppers in the game on the defensive side.

You have one of the biggest defensive names in football on the other side on the edge in Khalil Mack. Mack finished the year on PFF’s All-Pro team and has definitely made a name for himself at the position — not just in this year.

The Bears have two defenders who rank top 10 in the NFL in tackles behind the line of scrimmage — Khalil Mack (tied No. 9) and Roquan Smith (tied No. 4). Mack also adds 9.0 sacks, and Smith adds 139 tackles to those monstrous stats.

On top of the two of them, Akiem Nicks and Bilal Nichols have been doing a good job at getting to the quarterback first. The offensive line for the Saints is going to have to be at their best. They are top 10 in the NFL in total sacks given up over the season.

This game might fully rely on how well the line can not let Brees get tackled and on how well they can open up the run for Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. This Wild Card game might actually solely line on how well the offensive line plays.