It’s shaping up for a tough matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders this weekend, with second-year quarterback Jake Haener stepping into the lineup after a hand injury sidelined Derek Carr. So what are realistic expectations for Haener? Just how challenging is Washington? What could go wildly off-script on Sunday?
Our staff writers made their picks. Here’s what we expect for the final score, with some bold predictions for Saints vs. Commanders:
This matchup on paper seems to heavily favor the Washington Commanders, and that’s probably because it does. They hold the advantage in a lot of key positions, and have been one of the most surprising turnaround teams this season. While I do believe Darren Rizzi has made the New Orleans Saints a better team than they were under Dennis Allen, there’s a limit to what coaching can do alone. I think the Saints will take their first multi-score loss of the Rizzi era in this game, as the defense will need to be completely shutout to even stand a chance offensively. Bold prediction: Zach Ertz goes for 100 yards receiving with a touchdown. Commanders 31, Saints 20. — Jeremy Trottier
It’d be crazy to think that the Saints are well equipped to win this game being down their starting quarterback which makes this an easy choice for me. Whether it’s Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener under center, the Saints haven’t shown the ability to put points on the board the last couple of weeks even with Derek Carr on offense. The defense has done a better job of effecting the quarterback and maintaining in the backend but still has issues stopping the run. With Jayden Daniels and co., they should have their hands full both through the air and on the ground. The more talented team should win this game. Bold Prediction: MVS scores touchdown on Marshon Lattimore in his return to New Orleans. Commanders 23, Saints 16. — Luke Loffredo
This has the potential to go very, very wrong for New Orleans. Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense is humming despite the team being 1-3 in their last four games. They have scored at least 30 in their last two games. The Saints defense is still going to be good, but they likely won’t be able to carry the load with a very hurt New Orleans offense. This could be one of the tougher watches of the season. Commanders 27, Saints 10. — Dylan Sanders
The Saints were outmatched in this game before Derek Carr went down with injury. This game gets even further out of reach with an inexperienced quarterback. If the defense can’t contain the Commanders early, the Saints will be forced to move away from the run. Bold prediction: Three Saints register a sack. Commanders 27, Saints 16. — Darrion Gray
The New Orleans Saints are trotting out a QB that I had a UDFA grade on. This one is going to be ugly folks. I think the defense will be able to hold the Commanders for the first quarter, but after a ton of 3 and outs the Commanders go on a scoring spree. My bold take is that Jake Haener won’t reach 150 passing yards in this game. My other bold take is the Terry McLaurin explodes for 150 yards. Commanders 30, Saints 3. — Jonny Camer
