The Saints didn’t do much to make owner Gayle Benson change her mind about the team for the first 25 minutes or so on Sunday, but Benson has to be feeling good about how her team wrapped up the first half at MetLife Stadium.
A Daniel Carlson field goal got the Saints on the board with just over a minute to play in the half and Giants kickoff returner Charlie Jones fumbled the ensuing kick to give New Orleans the ball back in scoring position. Quarterback Tyler Shough moved them inside the 5-yard-line with a 25-yard run and then found rookie wideout Bryce Lance with a two-yard pass with one second to play.
That made it 10-10 at halftime and the Saints will get a chance to keep things rolling to start the third quarter.
Shough is 8-of-19 for 58 yards, so he’ll need to find a better groove for the Saints to build on their strong finish to the half. Jameis Winston is 9-of-16 for 99 yards, but he’s been sacked three times and the running game is doing little to balance out the offense.
Cam Skattebo has not carried the ball at all as the Giants have gone with Tyrone Tracy, Najee Harris, and Devin Singletary instead. They have eight carries for nine yards and J.J. McCarthy lost a couple of yards when the Giants sent him in to run the zone read.
Saints Clips
The Giants are out to an early lead over the Saints.
Jameis Winston evaded pressure long enough to find running back Tyrone Tracy on a third down and Tracy found open running room for a 17-yard touchdown. The extra point put the home team up 7-0 with just over five minutes left to play in the first quarter.
Tracy is one of three Giants running backs to have a touch through the first two drives, but Cam Skattebo is not one of them. A report on Sunday morning indicated Najee Harris would see more time at the expense of Skattebo, who has four fumbles this season, but the Giants have gone with a committee approach in the early portion of the game.
They also got a 20-yard run by wide receiver Darnell Mooney and a three-yard sneak by Winston on a fourth down during the scoring drive.
The Jameis Winston Experience is the ultimate amusement park ride. Currently, Giants fans are getting more thrills than chills from Winston’s performance.
Winston had no touchdown passes in his first two games after replacing starter Jaxson Dart. In the last two games, Winston has six total touchdown passes against two interceptions.
He has thrown three touchdown passes against the Cardinals and three against the Commanders. If he does it again today against the Saints, Winston will tie the longest streak in franchise history of consecutive games with three or more touchdown passes.
Via NBC Sports research, Y.A. Tittle did it four times. Fran Tarkenton did it once, in 1967. And Eli Manning did it once, in 2011.
One player who can help Winston get there is receiver Malik Nabers. He has 156 catches in 24 career games. With four catches, he’ll pass Rams receiver Puka Nacua for the second-most catches in a player’s first 25 games. Former Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. holds the record with 176 catches in 25 games.
Signs have pointed to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams making his return from a hamstring injury all week and it became official on Sunday morning.
Williams is active for the team’s 1 p.m. ET game in Atlanta. Williams missed three games after being injured in Chicago’s Week 2 loss to the Vikings and was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report, but he was a full participant in practice all this week and he posted a comeback-themed video to social media on Friday night.
Michael Penix will be the other quarterback on Sunday. Penix was forced out of last weekend’s loss to the Ravens with injured ribs, but he was also a full practice participant and he had no injury designation.
Bears at Falcons
Bears: RB Kyle Monangai, CB Tyrique Stevenson, LB T.J. Edwards, LB Keyshaun Elliott, OL Jordan McFadden, DL Jayden Loving, QB Case Keenum
Falcons: QB Cooper Rush, QB Jack Strand, CB C.J. Henderson, DB Malcolm DeWalt, LB Christian Harris, OL Ethan Onianwa, DE Drake Jackson
Ravens at Browns
Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson, C Cam Jurgens, DT Broderick Washington, TE Matt Hibner, WR Elijah Sarratt, G Andrew Vorhees, S K’Von Wallace
Browns: RB Quinshon Judkins, QB Taylen Green, CB Noah Igbinoghene, DT Mike Hall Jr., C Parker Brailsford, G Teven Jenkins, DT Mason Graham
Titans at Colts
Titans: CB Alontae Taylor, S Kevin Winston, OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, RB Nick Singleton, DL Jackie Marshall, DL Jordan Elliott
Colts: LB Jaylon Carlies, WR Ashton Dulin, QB Riley Leonard, G Dalton Tucker, TE Tyler Warren
Jets at Patriots
Jets: RB Breece Hall, DL Jack Heflin, WR Adonai Mitchell, LB Joseph Ossai, G Dylan Parham, CB Nahshon Wright
Patriots: QB Behren Morton, TE Tanner Arkin, OT Dametrious Crownover, CB Carlton Davis, CB Karon Prunty, CB Channing Canada
Saints at Giants
Saints: QB Zach Wilson, LB Anfernee Jennings, S Mike Reid, LB Kaden Elliss, DL Nathan Shepherd, DL John Ridgeway
Giants: CB Colton Hood, QB Jake Haener, S Tyler Nubin, OT Jermaine Eluemunor, TE Theo Johnson, DL C.J. Okoye
Panthers at Eagles
Panthers: OT Monroe Freeling, TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, QB Haynes King, RB AJ Dillon, G Torricelli Simpkins, OT Albert Reese, DT TeRah Edwards
Eagles: WR Hollywood Brown, QB Joe Milton, RB Saquon Barkley, DB Michael Carter, LB A.J. Epenesa, LB Jalyx Hunt
Steelers at Buccaneers
Steelers: WR Ben Skowronek, QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, RB Eli Heidenreich, CB Terell Smith, DL Kevin Jobity
Buccaneers: DL DeMonte Capehart, G Luke Haggard, QB Baker Mayfield, CB Benjamin Morrison, G Billy Schrauth, RB Sean Tucker, S Antoine Winfield Jr.
As unrest in France intensifies, the NFL has renewed its commitment to play a game next Sunday in Paris.
“Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday,” an NFL spokesperson said via email on Sunday morning.
“We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. . . . There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites.”
The Saints are scheduled to serve as the home team for the Week 7 contest against the Steelers in Paris. The game is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET.
For now, the situation has subsided. But the protests have been persistent over the past several, fueled by concerns about deteriorating schools and the cost of living. Things can change, repeatedly, over course of the next week.
Cam Skattebo has been the Giants’ top running back through the first five weeks of the regular season, but a report on Sunday morning indicates that could change against the Saints in Week 6.
Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports that the Giants are expected to give Najee Harris a larger role in their backfield. Skattebo is expected to remain in the team’s plans, but his issues holding onto the ball have led the team to make a change in how time is allotted.
Skattebo has fumbled four times this season, including last Sunday’s giveaway in overtime during their tie with the Commanders. Skattebo has 81 carries for 294 yards and a touchdown overall.
Harris has 27 carries for 97 yards so far this year.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has been on the team’s injury report in recent weeks because of his left hand and the issue will reportedly stretch into future weeks as well.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Shough has a pair of broken bones in his non-throwing hand. Shough suffered the injury in the team’s Week 4 loss to the Falcons.
Shough has not missed practice time or game action, but has to tape his ring and pinky fingers together on his left hand while also wearing other protection on it. The injury is expected to take several weeks to heal and Shough had to switch to using his right hand for handoffs during last Sunday’s loss to the Vikings.
The Saints play the Giants on Sunday and they are scheduled to face the Steelers in Paris in Week 7 before a bye week.
In little more than a week, the Steelers and Saints will play the NFL’s first-ever game in Paris. Although the league recently said it plans to proceed amid persistent local unrest, the situation seems to be getting worse.
On Saturday, more than 1,200 arrests were made after an “escalation in violence” that occurred with roughly 550,000 citizens protesting.
The demonstrations, sparked by concerns regarding conditions in schools and the cost of living, have lingered for weeks.
Said the NFL on Wednesday: “We’re excited for the first-ever regular season game in Paris, and preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France on October 25. As we do for every NFL game, including our international games, we work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We look forward to welcoming fans to Paris later this month.”
If the NFL is going to pivot from Paris to New Orleans (the Saints are the home game for the Week 7 contest), a decision may need to be made soon.
Obviously, the NFL has a very strong interest in following through with all of its international games. Then there’s the fact that the game is set for a 9:30 a.m. ET standalone broadcast window on NFL Network.
When the Chiefs-Rams game moved from Mexico City to L.A. in 2018 due to poor field conditions, the time for the game (Monday night) didn’t change. If the NFL pulls the plug on the Paris game and plays in New Orleans, would the game begin at 9:30 a.m. ET?
It’s also possible, in theory, to play the Steelers-Saints game in London, if either Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Wembley Stadium are available. Either way, any change in location would become a potential logistical nightmare for the NFL, the teams, and the fans that have made plans to travel to France.
That outcome is still better than having NFL personnel, team personnel, or NFL fans caught in the middle of the mess that continues to play out in Paris.
Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was back on the practice field Friday, but his status for Sunday’s road game against the Giants remains up in the air.
Olave missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to an illness, so his return for a limited workout on Friday would seem to have him pointing in the right direction to play in Week 6. Olave has 39 catches for 537 yards and a touchdown through the first five weeks of the season.
Running back Alvin Kamara (back) is also listed as questionable. He was limited in practice all week.
Defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd (illness), defensive back Lorenzo Styles (knee), and long snapper Zach Wood are the other questionable players for New Orleans. Linebackers Kaden Elliss (calf) and Anfernee Jennings (knee) have been ruled out.
The Giants got linebacker Abdul Carter back on the practice field on Friday.
Carter missed a pair of practices with a calf injury before returning as a limited participant to close out the week. The Giants will wait to make a final call on his status against the Saints after listing him as questionable.
Carter has 14 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble this season.
Left tackle Andrew Thomas (groin) and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (calf) also worked on a limited basis on Friday. They have questionable designations as well.
The Giants ruled cornerback Colton Hood (concussion), tight end Theo Johnson (neck), and safety Tyler Nubin (neck) out for Week 6.
