The New Orleans Saints already got a heavy dose of elite rushing last Sunday, and the timing could hardly be worse.
Jahmyr Gibbs piled up 156 rushing yards against their defense, and now New Orleans turns right around and gets future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry. Henry followed that up with 144 rushing yards, three touchdowns and six yards per carry, finishing second only to Gibbs on the day and matching D’Andre Swift as the only other player in the league to score three times.
That puts the Saints in a tight spot. If they don’t clean up their run defense quickly, Henry has the kind of afternoon that ends up on the wrong side of every highlight package.
What makes this matchup even stranger is how little history there is between Henry and New Orleans. The upcoming game will be just the second time in his career that he has faced the Saints. In his only previous meeting, the 2023 season opener, New Orleans held him to 63 yards on 15 carries, a 4.2-yard average.
But that game feels like ancient history now. Since then, Henry has put together three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and nothing in his current form suggests he’s slowing down in year 10.
So the Saints can’t lean on that one old performance for comfort. They have to deal with Henry after he’s already been rolling, and they have to do it while getting their own run defense sorted out.
Part of that adjustment may have to involve more snaps for Vernon Broughton. He played 68% of the snaps last Sunday and was the highest-rated defensive lineman by ProFootballFocus. New Orleans should also look at expanding Devon Godchaux’s role, since he’s at his best against the run but was still only on the field about half the time.
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Saints Front Could Expose A Real Ravens Problem
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New Orleans opened the season with five sacks and has the sort of pass-rush depth that can make even a productive offense uncomfortable. If Baltimore is forced to patch together the left side of its line, the Saints will have a real chance to turn those protection questions into pressure, and possibly into the kind of disruption that changes the flow of the game. [Read more 🡒]
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With Jordyn Tyson sidelined by injury, Vele has stepped into the No. 2 receiver role and given the offense a reliable target when it needed one. His path has already included a midseason contribution for the Saints last year before an injury cut that run short, so the question now is less about whether he belongs and more about how long he can keep this role once the rest of the receiver room gets healthy. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Get A Timely Boost Before Their Toughest Test Yet
Cam Jordan and Alvin Kamara are back on the practice-to-game track for New Orleans after both were removed from the injury report, a welcome development as the Saints prepare for their toughest early-season assignment against the Baltimore Ravens. Their absence in Week 1 showed up in the places the Saints could least afford it, with the run game sputtering and the pass rush not creating enough disruption.
Jordans return gives New Orleans a much-needed edge on defense, especially with Derrick Henry looming as the centerpiece of Baltimores ground attack. For a team trying to steady itself quickly, getting two proven playmakers back in time for a matchup like this changes the tone of the week, even if the challenge ahead remains as difficult as advertised. [Read more 🡒]