The New Orleans Saints have finally reached their Week 12 bye week. The first 11 weeks of the season were a roller coaster for the Saints, with far more lows than highs. New Orleans had two, two-game winning streaks, separated by a seven-game losing streak.
A big reason for the losing streak was health; the Saints have had a ton of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball. In recent weeks, the team has gotten healthier, but there are still guys like Rashid Shaheed and Paulson Adebo who will be out for the rest of the season.
Still, the bye week will be big for guys to get healthier for the final six games of the season. Here are three Saints players that really need the bye right now.
3. Alvin Kamara will benefit from the bye week
Alvin Kamara has been an iron man for New Orleans, playing in all 11 games this season. However, that doesn’t mean he’s been healthy all season. Kamara has actually been playing with a broken hand and broken ribs, and also dealt with a hip injury earlier in the year.
In general, the NFL is hard; it’s especially tough for running backs. Kamara is the focal point of New Orleans’ offense, and he’ll get a lot of touches in the final six games. So this bye week is a great opportunity for him to heal many of he things he’s been playing with.
2. Taysom Hill needs the bye week
One player that has helped Alvin Kamara carry the load is Taysom Hill. The do-it-all offensive weapon is coming off one of the best games of his career. When he’s been on the field this season, he’s taken New Orleans offense to another level. The problem is he hasn’t been on the field for every game.
Hill has only played in seven games this season, and has left a couple of those games early. With how much he’s being used, this week will be an important rest period for him as well.
1. Erik McCoy really needs the bye week
The man paving the way for Kamara and Hill is Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy. Unfortunately, McCoy hasn’t played much at all this season. He was the first injury domino to fall at the start of the losing streak, injuring his groin back in Week 3. A surgery and stint on injured reserve kept him sidelined until Week 11.
Unfortunately, McCoy re-aggravated the injury and left Sunday’s game early. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi said McCoy will be ok, and that the team was ultimately being cautious, however, he also added its great they have the bye week right now. Having a week off from playing should prevent McCoy from missing anymore action.