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This has been a bizarre season as compared to so many past campaigns in Drew Brees' prime, when the offense was dominant and the defense held the Saints back. But these numbers make perfect sense in a season in which they've been without their QB1, WR1, RB1, TE1 and OT1 and OT2 for long stretches. The good news is that the Saints should be about as healthy as they have been all season on both offense and defense down the stretch -- which could keep their faint playoff hopes alive. -- Mike Triplett

Few players are as important to their team as Alvin Kamara is to the Saints. The Pro Bowl running back returned from a four-game absence and whipped up on the Jets, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown in a 30-9 win. Kamara counts as the only real firepower on an offense that lacks proven playmakers and is counting on Taysom Hill, a quarterback who wasn't a natural thrower of the football before he jacked up his finger. Hill didn't look great against the Jets, and it was a surprise to see how long it took for his rushing ability to be integrated into the attack on Sunday. The Saints need Hill in that dual-threat mode to survive.

The defense won that game against the Jets, but Taysom Hill showed improvement throwing it. Now comes a huge game with Tampa Bay.

No running back in league history has more catches through five seasons than Alvin Kamara's 362.

Worst-case scenario: Taysom Hill, mallet finger and all, throws five touchdown passes in the season finale against the Falcons. It won't be enough to get the Saints into the playoffs, but Sean Payton will still call Hill's agent. They'll agree to tear up the contract the two sides agreed to last month and start negotiations on a new deal that will make Hill the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history, with guaranteed money spread out across the next 15 years. That will marry Payton and Hill for the long-term future and signal to any veteran quarterbacks who might become available in the offseason (hello, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson) that Payton isn't interested.