The New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions face off in a Monday night matchup that is more about pride than anything else. (Getty)
Alright, so it’s not exactly a thrilling game.
Monday night’s matchup between the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints doesn’t have any playoff implications. No one is battling for a postseason berth. No one is even talking about the postseason.
Still, this is football. Drew Brees is still on the Saints. The Lions offense can still grab some late-season momentum. There’s still hits to be made.
In other words, there’s still a reason to watch. Even if you aren’t a fan of either squad. Here’s all the information you need on the primetime matchup and how to watch it all play out:
Date: Monday, December 21, 2015
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Superdome, New Orleans, LA
TV Channel: Broadcast nationally on ESPN.
Line: New Orleans -2.5 via OddsShark.com
Livestream: Watch ESPN
Game Preview: The Saints have been frustrating this year.
The offense has been up-and-down, with flashes of dominance from time to time, but the defense has been practically non-existent all year. That’s a problem. There’s also a way to fix it; win.
New Orleans has already been eliminated from playoff contention, but winning out – or even notching an impressive performance on Monday night – could be enough to put the Saints on the right direction heading into the offseason.
“[Winning] validates many of the things that you’ve kind of instituted this year in order to build the foundation again with a new crop of players,” Drew Brees told ESPN. “There’s a lot of new faces this year, and you know the mindset in regards to building this team with great character and great leadership and young talent that we can mold and that fits into what we’re trying to do.”
The Saints came into the season with more than 20 new players, including 11 rookies and four first-year players. Still, the consistently inconsistent nature of this season has been tough for the team and its fans.
That’s why New Orleans needs to stay competitive tonight. There can be no slack, no thoughts of just getting it over with. The Saints need to win because the Saints still need a confidence boost.