As the season goes on, it’s becoming more and more obvious that the offense is too inconsistent for the Broncos to have a real solid bid on repeating. The defense is obviously their main strength, but the group will have off-nights, just like everybody else, and QB Trevor Siemian and his crew aren’t able to help whenever that’s the case.
Against the Saints this coming Sunday, the defending champs’ chances are not looking good. It seems like the defense is having trouble keeping up with fast-paced offenses, with three of their losses all coming from a team that are in the NFL’s list of top points and yards producers (Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, and Oakland Raiders). The Saints are in the same breath, placing inside the top 10 of points and yards.
The Broncos also need tons of aid in rushing the ball. CJ Anderson’s knee injury has been a huge blow to the run game, and Devontae Booker, Kapri Beebs, and whichever back they have will not likely make up for the absence. Booker has started the last three games, and could only produce 159 yards on 3.4 yards per carry.
Denver has lost two straight road games (0-2 ATS).
The Saints did what they were supposed to do on Sunday, as they dispatched San Francisco easily with a 41-23 rout. Drew Brees was classic Drew Brees, going 28-for-39 for 323 yards and three touchdowns.
Led by their 15-year veteran QB, the Saints moved the ball for 571 total yards. The backfield tandem of Mark Ingram and Tim Hightower punished the Niners ground defense, rushing for a combined 245 yards and two running scores – Ingram had 10.5 yards per carry. First-year receiver Michael Thomas, meanwhile, continued his strong rookie campaign, as he caught five passes for 73 yards and two receiving TDs.
While it is a given that it was against one of the worst teams in the league, it proved that the Saints are quite capable of being very effective in running the ball, and that they are more than just a pass-happy team.
Defensively, the Saints are pretty average on the run, ranking in the high teens with a 108.5 per game average. However, the same cannot be said on their passing D that allows 300.6 yards per contest, which is currently rated outside the top 20. It was very evident in the Niners game, as the struggling Colin Kaepernick was able to throw for 398 yards (16.5 yards per completion), the second highest in his career.
The Saints have won back-to-back home games (2-0 ATS).
