Saints know how dangerous a team can be even with a backup QB

METAIRIE – The New Orleans Saints know what the Seattle Seahawks are facing.

They have been there and done that – literally.

They have been to Seattle, where they will face the Seahawks on Monday night, and done what the home team will attempt to do Monday – win in the absence of their injured star quarterback.

The Saints’ 33-27 victory over Seattle two years ago was the first game in a five-game absence that Drew Brees had after undergoing thumb surgery.

Deonte Harris’ 53-yard punt return for a touchdown gave the Saints a quick 7-0 lead. The Seahawks briefly tied the game before Vonn Bell’s 33-yard fumble return for a touchdown gave the Saints the lead for good, a lead that swelled to 20 points before the Seahawks fought back late.

All in all the Saints had a relatively easy time prevailing in one of the loudest and most challenging road venues in the NFL, though safety Marcus Williams said this week that he doesn’t really remember the crowd noise.

“We had a takeaway and we had a big punt return to the house,” Williams recalled, “so that probably took out the crowd which is probably why I didn’t really hear them.”

This Monday night game will be the 2-4 Seahawks’ second since their star quarterback – Russell Wilson, was sidelined by a finger injury of his own. They lost at Pittsburgh (23-20 in overtime) last Sunday.

The Saints won all five of their games that Teddy Bridgewater started in place of Brees two years ago and they went 3-1 in games Taysom Hill started last season while Brees was sidelined by rib and lung injuries.

So they know that any player’s absence – even ones who play as important a position as quarterback and even ones that play it well as Brees did and Wilson does – can be overcome – especially by teams and organizations that have been as successful as the Saints and Seahawks have been over an extended period of time.

The Seahawks are hoping not so much that Geno Smith can replicate what Wilson does but rather that he can replicate what Bridgewater did two years ago – run the offensive efficiently enough to give his team a chance to win with contributions from other units.

“I definitely know (Smith) is going to step into the game with a chip on his shoulder,” said Saints linebacker Demario Davis, who was a teammate of Smith’s with the Jets. “It is super easy on a quarterback when you have the type of weapons that he’s throwing to in (DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett) and the type of protection that their line can do.”

So far this season the Saints have avoided an injury to their starting quarterback as Jameis Winston has been unscathed as the successor to the retired Brees, though Hill sustained a concussion while playing receiver against Washington two weeks ago and won’t be available Monday night.

Harris (hamstring), rookie No. 1 draft choice and defensive end Payton Turner (calf) and running back Dwayne Washington (neck) also are out, but center Erik McCoy (calf) and tackle Terron Armstead (elbow) are expected to return.

Several other key players are still missing, but getting closer to returning as the Saints come off their bye.

The Saints’ ability to overcome the absence of key players has been tested throughout the depth chart during their 3-2 start, which included a month-long displacement and loss of a home game due to Hurricane Ida.

It appears that what eventually will be a large infusion of important players, including the return of David Onyemata from suspension next week, will begin with a small group of reinforcements this week.

Davis quoted a frequent comment from defensive coordinator Dennis Allen that’s applicable to both the Saints and the Seahawks.

“Half the people don’t care about your problems, and the rest of them are glad that you have got them,” Davis said. “So you have got to have that mentality that it’s just us and that is what we always have to be focused on, how can we be better?”

The Saints have been at their best coming out of the bye week in recent seasons under head coach Sean Payton. They are a combined 18-2 in the first four games after the bye in the last five seasons.

Payton gave the players last week off to rest and recharge.

Safety Malcolm Jenkins said the team has had “some of the sharpest practices we have had to date” this week.

So things are trending upward for the Saints, who defeated Washington 33-22 in their last game before the bye.

But winning in Seattle – even with Wilson out – won’t be easy for an inconsistent team that’s still trying to figure out a lot of stuff.

“The good news,” Payton said, “is I don’t have to bring the report card home to my mom right now. We have a lot of football (left).”