Can the New Orleans Saints make the NFL playoffs in 2021?
The New Orleans Saints dropped a very important game against the Dallas Cowboys during Monday Night Football. Crucial interceptions from both quarterbacks nearly sealed the win for both teams. However, Taysom Hill throwing four interceptions truly made a win that was much less attainable in the fourth quarter.
The Saints have now fallen to a 5-7 record and will be fighting an uphill battle into playoff contention. What is even worse for the team is their constant indecision on who is going to be their starting quarterback.
Can the Saints rebound their season?
The Saints are going through a bit of bad luck that initially started when Jameis Winston went down with a torn ACL and MCL damage in Week 8. The Saints were able to secure an important victory from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but lost their starting quarterback in the process.
Defence lifts Dallas Cowboys to victory over sinking New Orleans Saints dlvr.it/SDg1cz
From there, things got much worse as Trevor Siemian took over starting quarterback duties. Taysom Hill had also been on IR, so the Saints had no other options. Siemian was able to help secure that victory against the Bucs, but things have not gone their way since. The Saints have lost their last five games, with four of them being when Siemian took over.
Taysom Hill had begun to breathe some life into the Saints' offensive prowess last night as he was a very mobile quarterback, but crucial turnovers helped turn the tide for the Cowboys. Even worse than that is now it appears that Taysom Hill hurt a finger on his throwing hand that may require surgery. Tough luck, especially since the Saints just extended Hill to a $40 million contract.
#Saints QB Taysom Hill is feared to have suffered a torn tendon in his middle finger that may necessitate surgery at some point, sources say. More tests are coming. The injury, called Mallet Finger, was one of the ailments that #Seahawks QB Russell Wilson had earlier in the year.
Should the Saints stick with Siemian again, things might not go their way. No matter how good their defense has been playing, especially against the run, they will need to find a competent quarterback that can start winning games.
The Saints' final five opponents are the Jets, Bucs, Dolphins, Panthers, and Falcons. The Jets and Falcons should be an easy win for them or any team, but the Bucs, Dolphins, and Panthers will pose some problems. The Bucs, Panthers and Falcons are all three divisional rival teams that the Saints will need to beat to even see their chances of a wildcard spot in the playoffs.
The Saints only have Trevor Siemian healthy on their roster, and if Hill cannot make it this week, they will need to look to free agency or trade if they are to take their postseason goals seriously. As it stands right now, it doesn't seem plausible that the Saints will be able to correct their offense enough to make it into the playoffs.
Also check out: Complete Thursday Night Football Schedule 2021