The New Orleans Saints may have only beaten the reeling Indianapolis Colts by six points last week, but sometimes final scores can be deceiving. In many respects, it may have been their best complete game of the season.
Giants vs. Saints 2015 picks and predictions: New Orleans a near-unanimous favorite
The Saints are poised to build off an impressive all-around performance against the Colts, and win their third consecutive game.
The aggressiveness of Rob Ryan's pass rush finally matched his demonstrative sideline demeanor, hitting Andrew Luck 10 times and sacking him on four occasions. The Giants' offensive line only allowed four sacks over the first five games of the season, but it melted down against the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago -- allowing three sacks and plenty of defenders to swarm the backfield. The O-line struggled against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday as well.
If a recharged Saints pass rush can get to the slow-footed Eli Manning, they could disrupt the rhythm of a Giants offense that continues to be better on paper than it is in reality. Despite having one of the best receivers in the game, Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants have the 14th-ranked passing offense in the NFL. In last week's win against Dallas, defense and special teams directly accounted for 14 of their points scored: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie returned a Matt Cassel interception for a touchdown and Dwayne Harris brought back a kickoff for the game-winning touchdown. Manning didn't throw a single touchdown pass.
Despite their inconsistencies, the Giants have won four of their last five games. But the Saints have won two in a row, and their offense finally seems to be finding its rhythm.
Drew Brees has thrown for 567 yards over the last two weeks, and looks healthy despite a shoulder issue that has plagued him for the majority of the season. Running back Mark Ingram had a huge game against Indy as well, rushing for 143 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown.
Given the Saints’ impressive all-around performance last week, seven of our eight experts are picking them to beat the Giants at home. The majority of the ESPN panel, as well as all eight of CBS’ prognosticators, also think the Saints will win.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | PFT Commenter | OddsShark | |
| NYG vs NO | NYG | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
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