New Orleans Saints: 5 X-factor players for Week 8 vs. Bears
4 and 3. Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway, WRs
Moving to the offensive side of the ball, these next two X-Factor players are connected so there’s no reason to try to separate them. As mentioned, the Saints offense has been taking a beating. In particular, the team’s plethora of wide receivers has depleted. It’s been incredibly hard to watch but a few rising stars have stepped up in their wake. Both Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway have been incredible in the last few weeks and I look for that momentum to continue.
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Starting off with Tre’Quan Smith, Smith is usually lost in the shuffle but this season, he’s proven his worth to the team. While Smith didn’t put up massive numbers or score a touchdown against the Panthers, he still had a good day. Unlike Callaway, Smith has more experience and has a great connection with Drew Brees. He’s due to have a big game especially after he put up solid numbers against the Lions. Ultimately, he and Callaway have the chance to become another powerful duo for the Saints offense.
Looking at Marquez Callaway, he’s a rookie but he’s already making strides. Against the Panthers, he had an unforgettable day including 8 receptions for 75 yards although he didn’t score a touchdown. Nevertheless, he had an excellent day as someone who is relatively unknown and he’s just at the beginning of his career. It’s clear Callaway has been taking some pages from both Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders’ books.
As impressive as the two have been, this is just the very beginning and I look for them to make the most of their opportunities against the Bears. If anything, they’re proving how much depth the Saints offense has. No doubt Drew Brees is going to return to these guys in Week 8 and hopefully, we’ll see the Saints achieve a solid win instead of an ugly win. If Smith and Callaway have anything to do with it, it’s going to be a big day on offense.