The New Orleans Saints, who have lost five straight games, will try to end that losing streak on Sunday in a road game against the Los Angeles Chargers. L.A. is 3-3, but has just one more win than New Orleans. Depending on which Saints team shows up, this could be a winnable game for New Orleans.
Fortunately for the Saints, they are getting a ton of key players back from injury. This became official once New Orleans released its inactive list for Sunday’s game.
Saints Week 8 inactives
Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
Derek Carr | Quarterback | 11 |
Cedrick Wilson Jr. | Wide receiver | Seven |
Nick Saldiveri | Offensive lineman | Two |
Jaylan Ford | Linebacker | Rookie |
Marquez Valdes-Scantling | Wide receiver | Seven |
Khristian Boyd | Defensive tackle | Rookie |
Dallin Holker | Tight end | Rookie |
Key absences and their impact
The biggest absence is starting quarterback Derek Carr. However, head coach Dennis Allen has been honest that Carr is likely to return in Week 9, so this isn’t unexpected.
Additionally, the recently signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling is also inactive, and that can be big since the wide receiver group is thin with Rashid Shaheed sidelined for the season.
However, this inactive list is more about who isn’t on it than who is. New Orleans is welcoming back several key players, including wide receiver Chris Olave, linebacker Pete Werner, offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz, and do-it-all offensive weapon Taysom Hill.
All four guys have major roles in what New Orleans wants to do on both sides of the ball, and their absences were extremely noticeable in the games they missed. The Saints undoubtedly did a lot of indefensible things during the five-game losing streak, but it’s hard not to acknowledge the role injury has played in this skid.
Now, the Saints are finally getting back healthy, and the guys need to quickly get back to form, because the season is slipping away. Already with five losses in seven weeks, Sunday’s game against the Chargers is a must win. New Orleans won’t have its quarterback, but the team will have more than enough to win.