The New Orleans Saints’ laundry list of injury-related absences just got even larger. Saints coach Dennis Allen announced during Wednesday media availability that the team will be without their top two wide receivers, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, heading into their Thursday night game against the Denver Broncos.
Allen stated that Olave has been ruled out of the game with a concussion, while Shaheed will undergo knee surgery to repair a meniscus injury. Allen added that there is a chance Shaheed will be moved to injured reserve, depending on whether he needs a meniscus trim or full repair. A full repair would end Shaheed’s season, while a trim would allow him to potentially return this season.
Olave and Shaheed are just two of the 17 names that appeared on the Saints’ injury report heading into Week 7. Of those 17 names, 13 were either limited participants both Monday and Tuesday or have yet to participate in a practice this week.
As they prepare to host the Broncos, New Orleans will potentially be without even more of their top players. Quarterback Derek Carr, guard Cesar Ruiz, and offensive lineman Lucas Patrick have all yet to participate in practice this week. Running back Alvin Kamara, tight end Taysom Hill, and top edge rusher Carl Granderson have been limited participants both Monday and Tuesday. Allen mentioned that Hill is considered doubtful for Thursday.
“I think injuries are a challenge in any week, but I think especially when you’re talking about a short week to try and get guys back and ready to go,” Allen said during Wednesday media availability. “But we’ll be out there and put a team on the field, and we’ve got to go out there and play good football. We’ve got to go out and execute, do the things we’re capable of doing.”
Olave currently leads all Saints receivers in receptions, while Shaheed leads all New Orleans players in targets. The two have combined for over half of the Saints’ total passing yards (629 of 1,249) and four of the team’s nine receiving touchdowns. No other player outside of Kamara has more than 20 targets this season, and only one other pass-catcher (tight end Juwan Johnson) has more than 10 receptions on the year.
Rattler has little to work with
Anyone buying the silver lining here is that at least rookie Spencer Rattler may be more used to throwing to wide receivers not named Olave or Shaheed since Rattler took few snaps with the first-team offense at all this offseason until last week’s practices? Anyone?
I’m not sure how well even Drew Brees in his prime would’ve handled being down his two top receivers. Throw on top of it that it’s unlikely Hill will play once again as he’s doubtful with a rib injury. So who’s left at wide receiver currently on the Saints’ roster? Bub Means, Mason Tipton and Cedrick Wilson. The trio has compiled a combined 14 receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown through the first six games.
The Saints will hope the battered offensive line can provide enough running room for Kamara to become an even bigger piece to the puzzle and look for heavy production from tight ends Johnson and Foster Moreau.
This game would’ve been tough at full strength against a stout Broncos defense, even though cornerback Patrick Surtain II could be sidelined with a concussion. The Buccaneers may have provided a blueprint for how to slow down Rattler in the second half during the Saints’ Week 6 loss. Rattler’s passer rating in the first half hovered near 110.0. His passer rating in the second half: 24.4.
None of this is optimal for a team looking to avoid a five-game losing streak with Sean Payton, the coach who left New Orleans after the 2021 season, serving as head coach on the visiting Superdome sideline for the first time ever. — Larry Holder, NFL senior writer
Required reading
(Photo: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)