5 Questions for the Saints in Week 7

Welcome back to a new series piece for 2019. Before each game, I’ll point out the five questions I have for the team that I’ll be looking out for in the upcoming game.

In Week 7, the New Orleans Saints stay on the road, facing one of the NFL’s best defenses in the Chicago Bears. Here are the biggest questions I have for the team:

1. Will Alvin Kamara suit up? Alvin Kamara was a late add to the injury report last week and then seemed to tweak something in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Saints recently signed a backup running back, so could Sean Payton err on the side of caution and hand the reigns off to Latavius Murray this week?
2. Will Marshon Lattimore shadow Allen Robinson? Marshon Lattimore has looked exceptional the past few weeks against the likes of Mike Evans, Amari Cooper, and D.J. Chark. This week, he’ll be facing off against Allen Robinson, who the Chicago Bears can often utilize in the slot. With slot corner PJ Williams suspended this week and next, will Dennis Allen allow Lattimore to stick in the slot to cover the Bears’ #1 wide receiver?
3. Can the Saints defense contain Mitchell Trubisky’s running? I fully anticipate Trubisky makes his return to the Bears offense this week against the Saints after former Saints backup QB Chase Daniel came up short last week against the Oakland Raiders. The Saints have played surprisingly well against the pass of late, but they’ve struggled to contain mobile quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson. If Trubisky plays this week, it could likely be his legs, not his arm, that give the Saints problems.
4. Will Taysom Hill’s usage increase? It’s no secret that Taysom Hill’s usage has decreased in Sean Payton’s offense while Drew Brees has been injured. Payton can’t risk losing his only backup quarterback to injury on special teams while Bridgewater is the starter. If we start to see an increase in Taysom’s usage this week, it could go a long way for telling just how close Drew could be to returning.
5. How will Andrus Peat hold up? The Bears defensive line, even without former Saint Akiem Hicks, is one of the NFL’s best. Khlail Mack is absolutely dominant and they can rush the passer without bringing extra linemen. Andrus Peat will need to step up this week as opposing defenses have been keying in on him of late. Will he be up for the task? Or could Payton shift protection to Peat’s side to try to help him out?

So those are the things I’m looking at in the game. What about you? What are you looking at specifically in this game? Something different? Tell me in the comments. Send me presents.