Saints Relying On 'Next Man Up' Mentality To Get By Falcons In Week 4 Matchup

Forget X-Factors, today's Saints-Falcons winner will likely be determined by how well injury replacements play for New Orleans.

New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Landon Young (67) / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The 2-1 New Orleans Saints come into today's game at the 1-2 Atlanta Falcons banged up on both sides of the ball. New Orleans is expected to have Taysom Hill and DT Khalen Saunders back in action, but will be without several others.

Starters or key contributors like C Erik McCoy (groin-IR), RG Cesar Ruiz (knee), LB Demario Davis (hamstring), and WR A.T. Perry (hamstring) were declared out before the end of the week. Running back Alvin Kamara (ribs/hip), WR Chris Olave (hamstring), and WR Cedrick Wilson (ankle) are considered game-time decisions, but Olave and Kamara are expected to play.

Kamara seems likely to play after being a bigger practice participant later in the week. Either Olave or Wilson, if not both, could also be trending towards at least beginning the contest.

Gear Up for Saints-Falcons Week 4: Everything You Need to Know Now!

The Saints did not elevate either WR Equanimeous St. Brown or Kevin Austin Jr. from the practice squad this week. That means that if neither suit up, the Saints would only have Rashid Shaheed, undrafted rookie Mason Tipton, or fifth-round rookie Bub Means at wide receiver.

NFL teams often take a ''next man up'' philosophy when it comes to dealing with injuries. Regardless of who isn't able to suit up, this is still an important game for the NFC South standings.

Here's a look at some of those 'next men up' for the Saints against the Falcons today. They'll either be thrust into the starting lineups in place of injured starters, or taking on more prominent roles because of possible injury limitations to key contributors.

OFFENSIVE LINE

New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Landon Young (67) blocks against the Arizona Cardinals / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

• Shane Lemieux
• Landon Young
• Kyle Hergel

Replacing McCoy at center is a big enough challenge. Doing it while also trying to fill the spot of Ruiz at right guard makes it even tougher.

If there's good news, it's that the Saints have known this was going to happen all week. Therefore, if they were smart, they decided on their lineup early to build as much cohesiveness and strengthen communication as much as possible.

John Hendrix of the Saints News Network has speculated that New Orleans will keep Patrick at his left guard spot while starting Lemieux at center and Young at right guard. In that event, backups would be Oli Udoh, Nick Saldiveri, and Hergel.

Only one team has fewer than Atlanta's three sacks so far this season. The Falcons have also been porous against the run, ranking 28th after three games. New Orleans needs a bounce back performance from their offense after struggling last week. Whether they get one or not will be dependent on a hastily reshuffled offensive line.

WIDE RECEIVER

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Mason Tipton (84) catches a pass against the Carolina Panthers / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

• Mason Tipton
• Bub Means

Even if Olave plays, he could be limited or the team may only use him for specific situations to avoid taking further risks. Additionally, no pass catcher on this team outside of Olave, Rashid Shaheed, or Alvin Kamara has established themselves as a legitimate target for QB Derek Carr.

Tight ends Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau, especially Johnson, could be a bigger part of the passing attack against Atlanta. Kamara, depending on his health, could also be used more as a receiver. A wideout other than Shaheed or Olave needs to step up to keep defenses honest, particularly with the issues along the offensive line.

The team has liked Tipton from the start of this offseason. He has good speed and is showing some improvement as a route runner. Means has also flashed some nice running skills and contested catch ability. Taysom Hill is also going to be a factor as both a runner and receiver.

Expect the Saints to rely on their running game today. However, they'll need to have some success through the air if they're going to win the game. The emergence of Tipton or Means will not only be a huge help today, but will help diversify the offense in weeks to come by providing another threat.

LINEBACKER

New Orleans Saints linebacker Anfernee Orji (58) tracks down a play against the Arizona Cardinals / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

• Pete Werner
• Willie Gay Jr
• Anfernee Orji

There's no getting around the fact that the Saints will miss Davis, one of the league's best defenders at any position. This will be just the third start Davis has missed since 2016 and the first game he's missed due to injury in his 13-year career.

Werner is already a pivotal part of the defense. He's played in 81% of the unit's snaps this year and has recorded 173 tackles over the last two seasons. However, he'll now likely be the signal caller for the defense and will be counted on to make more big plays. He's no Davis, but is going to have to step up to minimize his absence.

Gay was signed this offseason to upgrade the athleticism of the linebacking corps. Slowed by a back injury early on, he's played in just 24% of the defensive snaps through three games and has just eight total tackles. He's sure to be counted on for far more activity and production this week.

Orji was one of the stars of training camp and preseason. The Saints often employ just two linebackers and an extra defensive back. When they go to three linebackers, Orji will likely be the guy. His athletic ability and training camp momentum must overcome his lack of experience.

Last Sunday, the Saints gave up a whopping 317 combined yards to RB Saquon Barkley and TE Dallas Goedert. They'll now face another dynamic RB/TE combination in Atlanta's Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts. To beat bitter rival Atlanta, they'll have to contain each (especially Robinson), and find a way to do it without Davis.