Injury report: A few game time decisions loom large for Saints against Falcons

 On the final injury report ahead of the Saints matchup with the Falcons, three names loom large as what will be game time decisions on whether they play.

On Wednesday, the Saints issued their final injury report ahead of their matchup with the Falcons. The only player listed as out is left guard Andrus Peat (groin). That’s bad news in and of itself. Not only is Peat the Saints’ best player at left guard, he’s Terron Armstead’s backup at left tackle.

And that’s where the Saints are in a little bit of trouble heading into this game. There are three names that stick out badly on this injury report, listed as questionable. That’s Terron Armstead (thigh/shoulder), Mark Ingram (toe) and Marshon Lattimore (ankle).

The designation “questionable” means it will be a game time decision as to whether these three will be active or inactive. Playing or not.

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Terron Armstead

Terron Armstead hasn’t participated in practice for the last two weeks. Last week he didn’t play and the week prior he was pulled not far into the game. So his status truly is up in the air. With Andrus Peat out for this game, that’s a huge deal.

If Armstead plays, the Saints will plug back up guard Senio Kelemete in and the team should be fine. If not, well, there are a few options. And none of them are desirable. One would be to put Kelemete at guard and play Bryce Harris at left tackle. Harris has been on and off the roster a dozen or so times this year it seems.

The other option is to play Josh LeRibeus at left guard and Kelemete at left tackle. And Kelemete has played tackle. But sparingly and with below average results. So this situation is one that could dramatically affect the outcome of the game.

Mark Ingram

Ingram will do everything in his power to get out on the field for this one. But for a running back, it’s hard to work through any kind of leg or foot injury if it’s serious. We don’t know how serious Ingram’s toe issue is.

If he’s out, then Alvin Kamara will be given the job of workhorse running back. It’s not likely anybody thinks he isn’t up to the task at this point. But Kamara has been given relatively few touches per game compared to what most number one backs in the NFL do.

But after Ingram and Kamara there’s Trey Edmunds. Another rookie with very limited experience and nothing like the talent of the two Saints starters. He’d be brought in to spell Kamara to be certain. But Mark Ingram is still a vital part of the Saints offense and their offensive game planning. So, if he’s out, there will likely be a drop off in production from the run game.

Marshon Lattimore

This is the big one. Lattimore has missed a few games this season, the last two especially, when the Saints have needed him. They haven’t needed him like they do for this game though. There isn’t a member of Who Dat Nation who hasn’t marked this date on their calendar. It’s the epic Lattimore vs. Jones title bout. Some potentially good news came in the form of an overnight tweet from the NFL Network’s Adam Schefter

That’s excellent news if true. But the public got some similar information prior to the Panthers game and Lattimore didn’t end up looking comfortable in pre-game workouts. He sat that one out.

P.J. Williams and Ken Crawley played a solid game against the Panthers in Week 13. But they’re both listed as limited on the final injury report. There’s not much of a plan B here. Sterling Moore is a gamer. Then there are rookies Arthur Maulet and Justin Hardee. It’s too early for a Christmas miracle. But if Lattimore isn’t a go, you may want to put in some early letters to Papa Noel.

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