The New Orleans Saints (5-10) are on a tear of late having won three-straight games after starting the season 2-10. The recent run of success is not by accident, and it’s not simply because of lesser competition. The Saints are simply putting things together.
New Orleans could be on its way to a fourth straight win according to one writer. Sportsnaut’s Matt Johnson made his opinions known in his Week 17 NFL predictions. He has the Saints winning their fourth game in a row, 24-20.
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Johnson shared his justification for the pro-Saints prediction.
“The New Orleans Saints are rolling right now, riding a three-game winning streak with a +30 point differential. Defensively, the success dates back even further, as this unit has allowed just 15.8 points per game over its last six contests. While the Tennessee Titans have shown a bit more life as of late, the better roster and coaching staff will pull this one out to make it four consecutive victories.”
It’s hard to play great defense in the NFL on a consistent basis, but the Saints have managed to do so in 2025. a 15.8 opponent scoring rate over six games is a large enough sample size to suggest the defense may continue to perform to that level over its final two games against the Titans and Atlanta Falcons. Even so, dominating the next two opponents won’t come without challenges.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) passes during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025.
Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Defense may be Johnson’s story of the game, and certainly the Saints will need it to stop a rising star in Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward. But the quarterback matchup may be more intriguing.
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The Titans’ rookie signal caller, Ward, has flashed brilliance in 2025 despite not having the surrounding pieces for elite offense. If that sounds familiar to Saints fans, it might be because New Orleans rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has done the same with similar circumstances.
Tyler Shough has completed an impressive 66.4% of his passes for 1,792 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions in an impressive rookie campaign. And yet, while Ward has not had the same high completion rate, he’s put up crazy numbers.
Ward has compiled 2,866 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions on a 60.2% completion rate. He’s done so despite being sacked 51 times.
The rookie quarterback showdown will be the big story of the Week 17 matchup. Shough will hope to leave the game with an impressive win over one of the best quarterback prospects in the NFL.