Saints vs Jaguars: On Thursday Night Football, Watch Out for Week 7 Potential Game Winners

Coming off of three back-to-back wins, the Jacksonville Jaguars are no doubt in high spirits. The New Orleans Saints, however, are at 0.500, with the highlight of their season so far being their blowout win against Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots at 34-0. Where the Jaguars are at 4-2 currently, the Saints find themselves at a 3-3 standing. Alas, both camps along with the match have a long list of injuries to tend to.

The Jags have 6 players on their Wednesday injury report, while the Saints have 13. With a banged-up starting lineup on both sides, it may just come down to a few players who will decide the course of the game for the seventh week. As the two prepare to face off against each other on Thursday Night Football, here are the top 5 players who will probably put forth an impressive play.

Expectant performers for the Jaguars in the absence of Trevor Lawrence

Where Trevor Lawrence’s absence seems to be a looming challenge over the Jaguars’ heads, there is enough potential in their side to look for more match-winners. Devin Lloyd may be a surprise inclusion on this list, but the linebacker has recorded 28 tackles this season, according to ESPN. He had missed 2 straight games due to injury but returned during Week 6.

He has traditionally occupied his place in the box but has had 14 snaps at the Defensive Line and 20 in the slot. His ability to grab tackles while playing the passing game make has earned him a place in this list.

Next up, is Running Back Travis Etienne. He has managed to cement his place as a crucial part of the Jaguars’ offense. After Trevor Lawrence injured himself, the third-year RB will have to step in and bear additional pressure on behalf of the absent QB. Agreed, Lawrence has not been completely ruled out yet, but even if he does play, his injury will not let him play to his fullest potential. Etienne is currently on track to record 1765 yards from scrimmage and has secured 5 rushing TDs this season.

Tight End Evan Engram is our third pick for the Saints game. He will be up against a defense that is 2nd overall in man coverage rates. But that actually plays well into Engram’s playing style. NFL ranks the exceptionally athletic TE 9th against man coverage, with an average of 10.2 yards per catch. Engram is every QB’s dream TE, who has the ability to turn short passes into first downs. What about players from the other camp?

Read More: Injury Update: Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence Chases Number 41 vs Saints, but Injured Knee Might Spoil the Party

The Saints must take to the air to win over the Jaguars

The Saints have high hopes riding on their new QB. Although Derek Carr had shown up on the injury report with a right shoulder/chest, he was in full participation in the last two sessions. So, he will definitely be someone to watch out for. Carr recorded 353 yards against the Houston Texans which is a positive sign that his injury is not very severe. It won’t be surprising if he overcomes the 240-yard barrier in Thursday’s game.

Rashid Shaheed is our fifth pick and in his last game against the Carolina Panthers, he recorded more receiving yards than his previous two games combined at 63. The Jaguars have a set play style and the way to triumph over them is by air. They are third in terms of the rushing yards per game allowed, but thirty-first in terms of passing yards allowed per game. Will the Saints manage to take advantage of the Jags’ chink in the armor and rain touchdowns from the air?

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