The New Orleans Saints enter Monday night’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons carrying a significant injury list. The latest Saints injury update is particularly important with New Orleans sitting at 1-2 and preparing for a divisional matchup against Atlanta at the Caesars Superdome.
So, let’s jump right into it.
Saints Already Without Travis Etienne
The biggest development of the week came before the final Saints injury report.
Running back Travis Etienne Jr. was placed on injured reserve after aggravating a hamstring injury during the Saints’ Week 3 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He will miss at least four games.
Etienne had quickly become an important part of New Orleans’ offense after signing a four-year, $52 million contract in the offseason.
He leads the Saints with 128 rushing yards and has added 11 receptions through three games, meaning his absence leaves a significant hole in the backfield.
Alvin Kamara is expected to take on a larger workload, with Kendre Miller and rookie C.J. Donaldson also available.
That makes the Saints’ ability to run the football Monday night one of the more interesting things to watch.
Saints Injury Update Shows Several Question Marks
The Saints’ defensive injury situation is arguably even more concerning.
Linebacker Kaden Elliss has been ruled out with a calf injury, while edge rushers Carl Granderson and Anfernee Jennings are also out. The trio missed all practices this week, leading to their status.
That is a significant amount of depth being removed from the front seven.
The biggest remaining question is Pete Werner. The linebacker is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury after missing all three practices this week. His absence would further stretch a Saints defense already dealing with multiple injuries.
Tight end Noah Fant is also questionable with an abdominal injury.
There is better news elsewhere in the Saints injury update.
Safety Julian Blackmon, wide receiver Barion Brown, defensive lineman Christen Miller and cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. all finished Saturday’s practice without a game designation, suggesting they are in line to play.
At least there is a bright spot to this part of the Saints injury report.
Saints Need Their Remaining Pieces
The Saints injury update does not necessarily leave New Orleans without enough talent to beat Atlanta.
But it does make it more challenging for head coach Kellen Moore to maneuver.
The Saints are already adjusting to life without Etienne, and potentially losing Werner would make an already depleted defense even thinner.
New Orleans will need Kamara and its remaining offensive weapons to compensate for the loss in the backfield, while the defense will need its healthy players to handle larger workloads.
For a team entering Week 4 at 1-2, this is not an ideal situation. The Saints will need to pull out a big win against a division rival in order to stay above water. There is a three-way tie atop the division, with the Saints, Falcons, and Carolina Panthers are all 1-2. That makes the Monday night game a must-win.
The latest Saints injury update does offer some encouraging news, but Monday night’s game could ultimately come down to whether New Orleans can overcome the absences in its front seven and find enough production without Etienne.
Saints Injury Update: Several Question Marks Remain