New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. had six catches for a team-high 57 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's loss to the Denver Broncos. Wilson, along with Bub Means and Mason Tipton saw more opportunities than usual as a result of Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) being inactive in Week 7. After making one eight-yard grab in the first quarter, Wilson was uninvolved until the second half rolled around and even then the majority of his targets came when the game was well out of hand. The touchdown, a 12-yard strike from quarterback Jake Haener, came on the Saints' final drive of the game. The Saints' offense started the season red-hot but is now in shambles. Aside from the injuries to his fellow receivers, Derek Carr (oblique) is expected to need more time to recover and stand-in Spencer Rattler (hip) might have been injured on a sack late in the fourth quarter. The garbage time production produced a handsome fantasy score but Wilson isn't a viable option in most leagues. His showing on Thursday brings his season-long numbers to nine catches for 88 yards and one touchdown.

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller's 36 rushing yards was all it took to be the team's leading rusher in Thursday's 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos. He also had two catches on three targets that netted one receiving yard. Miller had an eight-yard carry in the first quarter but didn't touch the ball again until after halftime. Most of his yardage came on consecutive plays when he rushed for nine and then 16 yards to open up the Saints' final drive of the game. This was Miller's first action of 2024 after missing the first six weeks of the season recovering from a hamstring strain. Jamaal Williams has done little with the playing time afforded to him so there is the possibility that Miller may soon be the new RB2 on New Orleans' depth chart. Whether that happens or not Miller can't be expected to do much in Week 8 as the Saints draw another tough defensive matchup in the Los Angeles Chargers.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was bottled up in Thursday's 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos, gaining just 10 yards on seven carries. Kamara's six catches were good for a share of the team lead but they resulted in only 14 receiving yards. With Chris Olave (concussion), Rashid Shaheed (knee), and Taysom Hill (ribs) all out the expectation was that the Saints would have no choice but to feed Kamara. Conversely, he finished the game with the fewest touches he has seen all season and his lowest snap share since the Saints' Week 1 blowout of the Carolina Panthers. When Kamara was on the field the Broncos seemed keyed in on him, shutting him down at the line of scrimmage on rushes and pouncing on him after each of his short-yardage receptions. Kamara gets another tough defensive matchup in Week 8 when the Saints travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener was probably not expecting to be on the field for Thursday's game against the Denver Broncos. Even with Derek Carr (oblique) needing more time to heal, Spencer Rattler (hip) was the expected starter and it was made clear by the team that the rookie would be given a long leash. As it so happened, Rattler himself was forced to the sidelines after falling awkwardly when he was sacked with just over four minutes left in the game. The play resulted in a fumble that the Broncos returned for a touchdown, putting Haener under center on short notice. The second-year quarterback from Fresno State looked better than he did when he relieved Carr in Week 5. Haener completed 3-of-4 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown, the first of his career. It is too soon to tell if Rattler's injury is enough to keep him out of action but if he is held out of Week 8 then Haener would be the next man up. Whoever draws the start won't have it easy as the Saints next face the Los Angeles Chargers, who have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game in 2024.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (hip) went 25-for-35 for 172 passing yards and gained 35 rushing yards on five carries in Thursday's loss to the Denver Broncos. Similar to his Week 6 debut, Rattler faced heavy pressure behind a patchwork offensive line and was sacked six times. The rookie also lost two fumbles and it could have been three had it not been for a defensive penalty nullifying the play. Rattler left the game early after going down awkwardly on the play that resulted in his second fumble of the night. In postgame comments to the media head coach Dennis Allen labeled the injury as a hip pointer and added that he took Rattler out so as not to risk further injury. Jake Haener finished out the game, which only amounted to 12 more plays, and completed 3-of-4 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback situation in New Orleans is suddenly very muddled with Rattler potentially injured and Derek Carr (oblique) still ailing. Luckily, the Saints have a 10-day break to figure things out before facing the Chargers in Week 8.