After three straight games at home, all losses, the 1-4 New Orleans Saints return to the road to play the 3-1-1 New York Giants in Week 6. The surprising Giants, who drew at Washington, have won all three of their home games under new coach John Harbaugh. The Saints played well on the road the first two weeks with an overtime loss in Detroit and a Week 2 win in Baltimore.
Most of the Saints’ success on both sides of the ball came from second-year quarterback Tyler Shaw and their passing game. However, that aspect struggled against an aggressive Vikings defense last Sunday. New Orleans now faces the same type of aggression in the Giants. In this segment, we examine that part of the Week 6 matchup.
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New York Giants pass defense
199.4 yards per game (7th)
65.2% completion rate
Of the Giants’ top five opponents, only the Rams (318) had more than 185 net yards through the air. New York’s coverage allowed just two players to receive 70 yards. Veteran safety Jevon Holland leads a resurgent secondary with a league-best 3 interceptions, more than any Giants player combined last season. Joining Holland in the backfield is talented third-year safety Tyler Nubin with 4 pass breakups. However, Nubin will not play against the Saints due to a neck injury. His place in the lineup will be taken by Ar’Darius Washington, who is undersized but dangerous.
At cornerbacks, Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome II combined to break up 12 passes and throw 2 interceptions, which Banks returned for an NFL-best 98-yard score. Dru Phillips and impressive rookie Colton Hood complete a talented foursome at cornerback, making up for former Saint Paulson Adebo, who is on injured reserve. Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and rookie first-round pick Arvell Reese have greatly improved New York’s coverage at the position. Both are athletic enough to stick with opposing tight ends or tailbacks. Both are aggressive pass rushers as interior blitzers. The two have a combined 3 sacks and 5 QB hits, with Phillips adding 2 sacks on timely blitzes.
Brian Burns is on injured reserve and the Giants have one of the more devastating edge rushers in the league. His absence gave Kayvon Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, another chance. Thibodeaux is insanely inconsistent, which is why New York aggressively shopped him in trade talks this offseason. He’s also a skilled pass rusher, recording 11.5 sacks in 2023. On the other hand is Abdul Carter, the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Carter had just 4 sacks as a rookie, but already has 2 sacks this year with a team-best 6 QB hits. Carter (calf) could be hampered on Sunday after being a limited practice participant all week.
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Up front, the Giants can also apply pressure and disrupt quarterbacks with a solid defensive line rotation. Shelby Harris and Jihad Ward are two experienced veterans who can play anywhere along the defensive front. CJ Okoye is the only player with a sack so far for New York. However, DJ Reader and 2025 third-round pick Darius Alexander are also capable runners.
The New Orleans Saints offense is passing
240.2 yards per game (11th)
66.8% completion rate
With no running game threat, the Saints are over-relying on second-year quarterback Tyler Shough and his receivers. Unfortunately, the unbalanced offense allowed the defense to hit Shough hard. He has been sacked 13 times but has had more tackles than any midfielder so far this season. A line that can’t provide solid defense, let alone against extra runners, is as responsible for Shough’s penalty as opposing defenses.
Right tackle Taliese Fuaga doesn’t look even close to what he was in 2024 as a first-round pick. Fuag’s regression is a big concern, especially with Cesar Ruiz playing right guard next to the human turnstile. Center Eric McCoy no longer slides fast enough to take on double teams or interior blitzes, and left guard David Edwards, a high-priced free agent addition, has yet to look the part. Kelvin Banks Jr. in left arm. With an ankle injury, substitute Asim Richards is a frequent threat.
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Coach Kellen Moore did nothing to change his blocking schemes or add more designed screens to combat the blitz. As a result, quarterbacks Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller have become virtually useless as pass catchers. Kamara, once the top receiving back in the NFL, has 13 catches, but a ridiculously low 3.2 for 41 yards. Moore may also consider using additional tight ends on quick release routes after chipping on the edge. Both Noah Fant and rookie Oscar Delp are capable of threatening the defense. Fant contributed 9 catches, 73 yards and 3 scores, but Delp only had 1 target for 8 yards.
Shaw withstood the weekly defensive onslaught and played well except for the first half in the loss to Minnesota and Detroit. Predictably, the nonstop rush contributed greatly to his 5 interceptions and 3 tackles for loss. Still, Shaw showed remarkable poise and terrific chemistry with his great guns.
Wideouts Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele and tight end Juwan Johnson are reliable targets for Shough and have often come up big. Olave had at least 8 receptions and averaged 105 yards through the first four weeks. He has 39 catches for 537 yards so far, with only an illness against Minnesota and practice this week slowing him down. Vele and Juwan Johnson have proven to be almost essential to the quarterback. Each has 25 receptions, with Vele going for 252 yards and Johnson for 248 yards. All three made big plays in crucial moments, Shaw didn’t hesitate to go to them in any situation. Efforts have been made to sign rookie wide receiver Bryce Lance, but he has yet to perform well. He could be a weapon to watch against a deeper New York secondary.
Despite the Giants’ passing success, it’s easy to imagine Shough, Olave, Vele and Johnson rebounding with good performances. It’s a big if if the Saints can keep their quarterback upright. The Giants have just 8 sacks, but have several capable running backs in their ranks. Carter and Thibodeaux will be a problem for Fuaga and Richards, who struggle on the outside. Of equal concern should be the Giants defensive line and inside blitzes of linebackers Reese and Edmunds. Defense and balance are the Saints’ two biggest failings on offense. If they can pull off just one of those, Shaw and his pass catchers have proven they can pull off a much-needed win.
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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: The Saints should bounce back in Week 6 at the Giants, who are coming off a playoff run