5 Questions for the Saints in Week 13

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 13, the New Orleans Saints are playing the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving for the second year in a row, this time in Atlanta. Here are the biggest questions I have for the team:

1. Can the Saints rebound against the Falcons? There’s no other way to say it: the Saints were absolutely embarrassed by the Falcons three weeks ago. Can the Saints put that behind them and beat a team they’re supposed to beat? It’s not just that they lost last time, but how badly they played in the loss that was so concerning.
2. Will this be the return of Marshon Lattimore? Lattimore injured his hamstring in the first contest between these two teams and the past two games, but could this week see his return? If the Falcons announce Julio Jones as “out,” I could see the Saints choosing to give Lattimore another week to rest.
3. Will they clean up the penalties? The 2019 version of the New Orleans Saints offense can’t afford penalties to put them behind the chains. If this team wants to make a run of things, they will need to clean up the unnecessary holding and false start penalties which are killing drives on offense.
4. Will the offensive line hold up? The Saints are down the entire left side of their offensive line and have a rookie starting at center. Can the team hold up against a pass rush that obliterated the Saints offensive line three weeks ago?
5. Can we lock up the division? A win against the Falcons locks up the NFC South for New Orleans for the third year in a row. The loss to the Falcons three weeks ago hurt, but maybe it was all just the long con to lock up the division on the Falcons’ home field.

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.