The New Orleans Saints will no longer be missing their best offensive pass catcher for this week. After missing last week’s game due to an ankle, the Saints’ head coach announced that star receiver Chris Olave would be available for Thursday Night Football.
Saints’ HC Dennis Allen said WR Chris Olave will play Thursday night vs. the Rams.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 20, 2023
It’s just the break the Saints needed
As of Week 16, the Saints currently sit in second place in the division behind the surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are on a three-game win streak. While both teams have a 7-7 record, Tampa Bay owns the tiebreaker since they beat them head-to-head.
In a must-win game for the Saints, getting Olave could mean the difference between the Saints making the playoffs and the coaching staff keeping their jobs. On the season, Olave has tallied 918 yards on 72 catches with four touchdowns. No other Saints’ receiver currently has at least 600 yards. If Olave surpasses 1,000 yards, it’ll be the second time he’s done so in only two seasons.
According to PFF, Olave has been given an 82.5 receiving grade.
This places him 17th among all receivers in the league. This solidifies his reputation as a bonafide No. 1 receiver in the league.
He’ll have a tantalizing matchup this week, going up against Akhello Witherspoon on Thursday Night Football. Witherspoon has been one of the most inconsistent starting cornerbacks in the league, with a PFF coverage grade of 63.2.
Look for Olave to have one of the best games of his season on Thursday. With the entire Rams defense graded at 66.3, Olave could easily turn in his best game of the season at around 150 receiving yards.
He’ll be one of the X-factors in tomorrow’s matchup.