They got 99 problems...

Good morning, and welcome to the Saturday, Nov. 4 edition of the Saints Insider Newsletter. If you, like me, are a fan of Big Boy Football, we've got a story for you today. 

Give it to the mini fridge

If you've been watching the Saints the last few weeks, surely you've taken notice of that odd-ball formation they've run down near the goal line. 

Here's how the 11-man formation stacks up: Seven offensive linemen, three tight ends and one ... defensive tackle? 

The Saints were in a bind a few weeks ago when starting fullback Adam Prentice — the only fullback on the roster — went on injured reserve. Rather than wading through the free agent market to try and fill his place, the Saints got creative. 

Allow beat writer Matthew Paras to walk you through how they ultimately landed on defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to fill the void. Trust me, you'll want to read this one. 

Who's in, who's out

Find some wood to knock on, but for a team halfway through a season, the Saints are in a pretty good spot on the health front: New Orleans ruled just one player out for Sunday's game against the Bears. 

It's not a perfect injury report, though — for the second straight week, an illness is casting some doubt on some key players' availability. And then there's the matter of who is going to be playing quarterback for Chicago. Read all about it here. 

Totally not a spy

Matt Ryan is a color commentator for CBS now, so it made sense to see him in New Orleans Friday afternoon. 

Still, it felt weird right? 

Quote of the day goes to Dennis Allen: “I made sure we had security close by."

Tweet of the day goes to the Pelicans, who have a player and a director of communications also named Matt Ryan. 

Major keys

As he does every week, columnist Rod Walker takes a look at some of the more important matchups and statistics to keep in mind when the Saints take the field. This one looks like a game the Saints should win, but not if they fail to execute these key areas. 

Speaking of the Saints and winning, all five of our Insiders picked New Orleans to win big this weekend. Surely that's not the kiss of death, right? 

That's all we've got for now, but we'll have plenty more coverage coming your way throughout the weekend. And from me, an LSU grad, all I have to say to close this out is Geaux Tigers (please). 

Cheers,

Luke Johnson