The New Orleans Saints are in a position to grab the top spot in the NFC South after the Atlanta Falcons fell to the Cleveland Browns on a last-second field goal. New Orleans sits at 4-6 on the season and a win at home against the Baltimore Ravens will put them back into playoff contention. The Saints are coming off two bad losses where their offense fell flat and facing the tough Ravens defense will not help get back on track.
The Saints continue to fall short in close games and things will not be getting any easier as injuries begin to take their toll. The Saints lost safety Rafael Bush to a broken leg which leaves a hole in the secondary. They also lost star wide receiver Brandin Cooks to a broken thumb. Cooks was sitting in second in receiving stats for New Orleans as the rookie looked like he was on his way to getting Offensive Rookie of the Year nods. Now, quarterback Drew Brees is hoping that the rest of his receiving corps can pick up the pace.
The ground game has been excelling for the Saints to Mark Ingram finding his legs. New Orleans is hopeful that getting Pierre Thomas back in the mix will help boost the unit as well. The running back has been out the past month for a rib and shoulder injury, leaving Brees without a dynamic back to open up the offense.
The Ravens sit at 6-4 on the season in the middle of a tight division race. They were in the middle of a two-game losing streak before beating the Tennessee Titans 21-7. The Ravens are benefitting from strong running from Justin Forsett who put up 112 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans He is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He could have a big day against the Saints who are currently letting opponents average 146.3 rushing yards in the past three games. If Joe Flacco can get out of his slump, Baltimore has a chance for a big road win.
