When teams suffer blowout losses, there are only a few things they can hope for. The team on the losing side can hope that either they were able to learn crucial things to change going forward, and/or they can hope they came away from the loss as healthy as they went into it.
New Orleans couldn't hope for either of these outcomes with its brutal 33-10 loss to the Broncos on "Thursday Night Football." Not only did the Saints go into the game extremely banged up on both sides of the ball, but the injuries also kept mounting throughout the game.
New Orleans is now 2-5 after a 2-0 start in which they scored 91 points. With just 86 points since, the Saints have dug themselves a hole that they might not be able to come out of.
Let's go over the injuries New Orleans had before the game and which ones they picked up Thursday night.
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Carr is dealing with an oblique injury. Combined with the injury to Hill (ribs), rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler has been called upon to start under center for the Saints. The fifth-round pick has not transitioned well so far, but he is also down some key receivers.
Olave suffered a concussion in New Orleans' Week 6 loss to the Buccaneers. He could not clear the concussion protocols this week and will try to return in Week 8 against the Chargers.
Shaheed also got knocked out of the Week 6 against Tampa Bay. His was a knee injury, and it was more concerning for the rest of this season. After getting checked out, the Saints wide receiver either needed to get his knee cleaned out and miss a couple of weeks or have knee surgery and be done for the year. Before the game on Thursday, it was announced that Shaheed did, in fact, need surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
When starting a rookie quarterback, it would be great if he played behind a fully healthy line. McCoy is on injured reserve and Ruiz was ruled out for the game due to a knee injury. Herron (knee) and Lemieux (biceps) have also been on IR.
Not having Saunders (back) is not why New Orleans got blown out by Denver, but he has played a solid role on the defensive line. Even though he's played in only three games this season, he has 10 tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception.
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Adebo led New Orleans in tackles this season through six games. He also had three interceptions to start his season. Adebo came in to help make a tackle on a play, but Denver running back Javonte Williams got tackled into Adebo's leg. He instantly called for trainers and was carted off. He suffered a broken femur and is out indefinitely.
Lattimore's injury came in the second half. It could have been part of the frustration boiling over, but it also could have signaled how bad his injury was. It was ruled a hamstring injury, but the Saints cornerback was shown sitting on the bench, and a member of the staff essentially packed up his helmet. Lattimore was promptly ruled out.
The offensive line took another hit, and Saldiveri was ruled out. He is dealing with a shoulder injury, and it's worth noting that his 2023 season ended early due to a shoulder injury that forced him to IR.
Turner and Rattler are likely, but both players were banged up at the end of the game and slow to get up. With the score where it was, there wasn't any reason to play them, so their nights were done.
The Saints move to 2-5 on the season and, luckily, get a few extra days of much-needed rest before taking on the Chargers in Week 8.