Saints vs Seahawks: 4 key matchups to watch in Week 7

3. Saints pass rush against Seattle’s offensive line

When the Saints face a high-powered offense in the likes of the Seahawks or their Week 8 opponent Buccaneers, the need to pressure the quarterback will be at the highest it’s been all seen. However, so far this season, the Saints have produced less than stellar play from their defensive line.

The culprit for this inefficiency is a combination of the injuries they’ve suffered and the lack of presence from key players like Cameron Jordan.

Last season, Jordan had 7.5 sacks in another Pro Bowl effort but this year, the six-time Pro Bowler has yet to record a sack in the team’s first five games. While he’s generated seven hits on the quarterback, he’s not made nearly the same impact on the team, and it’s been apparent.

As a team, the Saints have garnered sacks only eight times this season, good for the second least total in the league. Fifth-year defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon leads the team with two sacks, while six others have a sack apiece — none of whom are named ‘Cam Jordan.’ This can’t continue this week.

Seattle has allowed the fourth-most sacks this season, including five last week to the Steelers. During the game, they lost starting guard Damien Lewis to a shoulder injury and he remains questionable for Monday night’s game. This could open the door for the Saints defense to dial-up a bevy of blitzes against the Seahawks.

In the Saints game against the Packers in Week 1, defensive end Marcus Davenport shined. He had a tackle for a loss and a sack. But he couldn’t finish the game. Davenport went out with a pectoral injury and was on injury reserved until last week. While the fourth-year lineman hasn’t been designated to play on Monday, his return, whenever it is, will be a nice boost to the struggling defensive line.