Things Saints Should Do Over Final Four Games

With New Orleans all but officially eliminated from the division race, here are some of the things that the Saints should do over their last four games.

The New Orleans Saints head into their bye week with a putrid 4-9 record. Their only remaining chance at the playoffs is if they win their last four games, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose 4 of their next five, the Carolina Panthers lose two of their remaining five (they play the Saints once), and the Atlanta Falcons lose to New Orleans in Week 15. In other words, Dennis Allen has a better chance at winning Coach of the Year. 

It's their own fault. They've exhibited poor play in all phases of the game most of the year, surpassed only by even worse coaching. As a result, this offseason is sure to be filled with plenty of changes in personnel and probably the coaching staff.

Some players could (and should) be playing for their 2023 jobs over these final four games. Here are some things that we should see from the Saints over the last month of the regular season. 

Start Trevor Penning at LT

Saints OT Trevor Penning during preseason action. Credit: NFL.com

The second of the Saints two first-round picks last spring, Penning was the fourth tackle selected at Number 19 overall. He was making nice progress in the preseason until suffering a foot injury in the finale. 

The injury kept him sidelined for the first 11 contests of the regular season. Once activated, Penning has seen time in the team’s jumbo packages, getting six offensive snaps against San Francisco and 10 against the Buccaneers. 

A mauler in the running game, Penning has the quick feet and upper body technique to be a standout in pass protection. He's also raw, especially coming from a smaller school like Northern Iowa. 

Starting LT James Hurst was on track to edge out Penning for the starting job to open the regular season. Hurst is a solid lineman, but has had troubles with athletic edge rushers and is a better fit at guard. 

Inserting Penning in the starting lineup will surely come with some growing pains, especially at left tackle. However, significant playing time now will also reduce his learning curve a great deal entering the 2023 campaign. 

More Targets For Rashid Shaheed 

New Orleans Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed (89) catches a pass against Raiders cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (26). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The undrafted rookie from Weber State burst on the scene with a 44-yard touchdown run and a 53-yard scoring reception the first two times he touched the ball as a pro.

Shaheed saw limited action in his first five NFL games, averaging six offensive snaps between weeks 6 and 10. He also emerged as the team’s primary returner after the season-ending injury to Deonte Harty, averaging an impressive 12.4 on punts and 22.4 on kickoffs. 

Over the last three games, Shaheed has played 94 offensive snaps. His best game was against Tampa Bay, when he caught all four of his targets for 75 yards, had two punt returns for 42 and 17 yards, and returned a kickoff for 30 yards. 

Outside of first-round pick Chris Olave, the Saints have few weapons at wideout. Jarvis Landry is a shadow of his former Pro Bowl form, while Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith have never had consistent production.

Shaheed has game-breaking speed, but has also quickly developed as a route runner. He has 12 receptions for 239 yards on 15 targets over eight games. 

The Saints have plenty of other offseason needs. If Shaheed can show that he can be a quality complement to Olave, that eliminates an extremely high priority on another receiver. 

Shelve Marshon Lattimore and Pete Werner For The Year

Sep 11, 2022; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) after the Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Lattimore is arguably the NFL's best cornerback, able to stifle the league's best wideouts one-on-one. His abilities allow the entire defense to be more aggressive and creative with their coverage and pass rush packages. Lattimore has missed the last eight contests with abdominal injuries that included a lacerated kidney. 

Werner looked like he was on his way to a Pro Bowl campaign. He was the NFL leader in solo tackles (53) through the first nine weeks. Werner has prototype size and terrific sideline-to-sideline athleticism. He's a terrific run defender with solid awareness in coverage and overall instincts. An ankle injury suffered in week 9 has sidelined him the last four games. 

Both Lattimore and Werner returned to practice on a limited basis the last couple of weeks. Each were considered possibilities to play against Tampa Bay before being last-minute inactives.

If the Saints had beaten the Buccaneers, then they would have had a strong chance at taking the NFC South. Since they didn't, there is nothing to be gained from playing either Lattimore or Werner down the stretch. They'll both be key parts of the defense in 2023, so let them fully rehabilitate for the offseason. 

Rookie CB Alontae Taylor and LB Kaden Elliss have played outstanding football. More reps for them without Lattimore and Werner would also mean a more experienced unit for 2023.