New Orleans Saints

Gut check: What the Seahawks game means for the New Orleans Saints defensive line

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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According to Pro Football Focus the Seattle Seahawks have the worst rated offensive line in the NFL.

Oct 16, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) reacts in the second half of their game against the Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints won, 41-38. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

There have been plenty of gut check moments for the New Orleans Saints in 2016. Sitting at 2-4 they obviously haven’t passed many of these tests. The one coming up in the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Sunday October 30 is of a different nature.

How bad is the Seahawks’ offensive line? Against the Saints their starting left tackle will be George Fant, an undrafted rookie free agent signee out of Western Kentucky. Fant was primarily a basketball player before getting into football and played primarily on special teams for the Hilltoppers. In fact, he hasn’t started a game at left tackle or any other position in football since his days playing as a Pee Wee. Just think about that for a moment. Really let that sink in.

Gut Check

Fant will be going up against Cam Jordan on Sunday. This takes the term “gut check” to a new level. What will it say about the play of the former Pro Bowler if he doesn’t have a monster game against Fant?

Pro Football Focus’ report card for Week 7 graded all but Seattle center Justin Britt as worst at their position. Left tackles Bradley Sowell and George Fant rated 32.4 and 33.1 respectively, allowing a combined 1 sack, 2 hits, and 3 hurries on Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson while also taking a holding penalty.

Left guard Mark Glowinski had a grade of 80.8 in run blocking but a 31.3 in pass blocking allowing a hit and two hurries. Right guard Germain Ifedi rated an overall 38.5 with a score of 30.9 in pass blocking allowing a hit and two hurries. Right tackle Garry Gilliam graded out at 29.0, worst on the unit allowing a hit and four hurries, while being flagged for holding twice.

Of course these scores came against a talented Arizona Cardinals defense but the weaknesses are obvious. Against a Saints team in a very loud Superdome, the Who Dats should be able to bring pressure unlike we’ve seen this season to date from the defensive line.

GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 23: Offensive guard Germain Ifedi

The two matchups to watch will be DEs Cameron Jordan and Darryl Tapp (or Kasim Edebali or Paul Kruger) going up against a pair of tackles who seem completely ineffective in pass blocking. If the Saints defensive line doesn’t perform well in this game, it will tell Who Dat Nation a lot about the chances of this defense improving as is.

While they’ve shown flashes of good play in 2016, the unit is still near the bottom in the NFL in most categories that matter. Cam Jordan is having a mediocre year at best and the rest, decimated by injuries, hasn’t been able to help win games when needed. But it all starts with the ability to win in the trenches, the ability to stuff the run and get at an opposing team’s quarterback.

If the Saints can’t do that against this horrible Seahawks offensive line, there’s little hope they’ll be able to do it against anybody else. And that leaves the Black and Gold looking at another losing season.