The New Orleans Saints prepare to face an unfavorable matchup against the New York Jets today. Unfortunately, they’ll need to do so without RB Devin Neal and WR Devaughn Vele, as both players have been ruled out with injuries. Neal’s absence is particularly impactful as he recently emerged as the team’s top running back amid a series of roster changes. The Saints will need to rely on others to pick up the slack. This feels more important than ever given the team’s continued injury woes.
Devin Neal— Neal has missed and will miss the Jets game with a hamstring injury. Over the last two weeks, Neal really cemented himself as a leader of that group. He continued to prove his value with two touchdown scores. He’d just ascended to the top running back position after multiple teammates evaporated off the roster. Now, his absence has grown all the more critical.
Out against the Jets, Vele will be out indefinitely, though no timetable has been placed on his return. The cumulative effect of these injuries has the Saints scrambling for different combinations on the offensive side.
To make matters worse, the Saints lost rookie running back Kendre Miller for the season with a torn ACL. In addition to Neal and Vele, this injury compounds their challenges. About the only thing that could’ve slowed this offense has been Alvin Kamara’s extended absence, stemming from knee and ankle maladies. With these key players having been ruled out, the Saints will need to lean on their running back depth more than ever before.
Evan Hull — Signed to the Saints practice squad in October after the Indianapolis Colts selected him in the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft. He is doing that now while playing behind the team’s fourth and fifth-team running backs due to a rash of injuries. Even if he didn’t get the game reps, Hull understood the importance of being prepared.
“Even though I’m not getting the game reps, I take as many practice reps as I can, because you never know when you’re going to need it in the game, if someone goes down, like Devin did,” – Audric Estime
Audric Estime recently became a significant player, growing to the occasion amid the team’s injury crisis. He rushed for two touchdowns and caught five passes in a game earlier this season, showing how dangerous he can be. Estime was instrumental in the Saints’ comeback victory in Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers, solidifying his role within the team’s offense.
In addition to the loss of Sharp and Dunn, the team’s adjusting to these big absences. To shore up their depth, they’ll be signing Charlie Smyth to the active roster.
Quarterback Tyler Shough addressed in the same vein, saying that staying together and being flexible will be key to getting through this tough stretch.
“You can’t replicate weeks, months of chemistry, but at the end of the day, I think all the guys that have gotten an opportunity, and they’re going to continue that opportunity, stepped up and we’re going to continue to rely on them.” – Tyler Shough
More than anything, how the Saints respond to these injuries will be the key to their success against the Jets. Very little time remains before we all depart for game day. With key players missing from the lineup, it’s hard to predict how effectively they’ll be able to work their game plan.
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