The Washington Commanders have returned from their bye week rested, refreshed and ready for their final playoff push of the season, starting with a road matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Here are five things to know about their next opponent.

They've won three of their last four games.

The Saints haven't been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but they have little to play for in the final four games. Their chances of making the postseason are at 1%, and with the team having fired Dennis Allen weeks ago, their future is uncertain.

That doesn't mean they have given up on this season, though. They've won three of their last four games under interim head coach Darren Rizzi, and both sides of the ball seem motivated to finish the year strong after losing their previous seven games.

Since their 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Saints have delivered gutsy performances to stay competitive. Against the Cleveland Browns -- their most impressive performances since Week 2 -- they scored 35 points and amassed 473 yards while keeping the Browns to just 14 points, despite Jameis Winston throwing for 395 yards and two touchdowns.

The Saints' other two wins in that four-game stretch -- 20-17 over the Atlanta Falcons and 14-11 over the New York Giants -- were not pretty, but the team delivered in critical moments. They forced a turnover on downs against the Falcons by taking down Ray-Ray McCloud III for a one-yard loss on fourth-and-4 and blocked a potential game-tying field goal against the Giants last weekend.

The Commanders have the talent to win against the Saints, even if their game is at Caesars Superdome -- a notoriously difficult place to play -- but the Commanders should not expect a team that will roll over on Sunday.

A possible change at quarterback?

Derek Carr, who has already missed three games this season, could be sidelined once again for the Saints' matchup with the Commanders.

Carr left the Saints' game with the Giants with four minutes left in the fourth quarter after running into teammate Kevin Austin Jr. The official reason for his departure was listed as a hand injury and a possible concussion. Carr is currently going through tests to determine the severity of his hand injury.

Backup Jake Haener came in to replace Carr for the Saints' final drive. It ended after three plays with the Saints moving backwards eight yards, providing the Giants with one last shot at tying the score.

The Saints will have a decision to make should it be determined that Carr cannot play against the Commanders. It's possible that Haener, who has completed 48.3% of his passes for 177 yards and one touchdown this season, will be the starter in Week 15. The Saints could also go with rookie Spencer Rattler again after starting three games in October. Rattler, a fifth-round pick last offseason, completed 59.6% of his passes for 571 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

It's possible that all three quarterbacks will get snaps this week, assuming that Carr is able to participate in practice, but regardless of who the Saints pick, it's likely we won't get a decision until at least Friday.

NOTE: Per reports released after this publication, Carr is now expected to miss several weeks with a fracture in his left hand, per NFL Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Alvin Kamara is still dangerous.

It's been three years since Alvin Kamara was last voted to the Pro Bowl, but at 29 years old, the 2017 third-round pick is still causing problems for defenses.

Actually, Kamara is doing more than fine as an aging running back. With 1,423 scrimmage yards, he's on pace to have the best season of his career. His 938 rushing yards are already the most he's ever had in a single season, and that number is also ranked eighth among his fellow running backs.

Kamar has been particularly good since the Saints' loss to the Panthers -- a game that still featured him rushing for 155 yards. Over the last four games, he's accounted for 396 yards with an 87.5% catch rate. The 72.5 offensive grade he got from Pro Football Focus against the Browns was his fourth highest of the season.

The Saints' offense has run through Kamara this season, as he leads the team in rushing and passing yards. It won't be easy to stop Kamara, but doing so could go a long way towards crippling New Orleans' offense.

Bryan Breese is really good at crashing pockets.

The Saints have largely underperformed as a defense this season under coordinator Joe Woods, ranking 28th against the run and 25th against the run. There have been several solid performances from individual players, though, and second-year pro Bryan Breese has proven himself as one of the league's best young interior pass-rushers.

Breese, a first-round pick in 2023, leads the team with 7.5 sacks and represents one-quarter of the Saints' pass-rush production. About half of that has come in the last month, as he has recorded at least one sack in the last three games. He's earned a 67.1 grade from PFF in that span, and his three sacks are tied for second most in the league.

The Commanders' interior offensive line should be up to the task of protecting Jayden Daniels against Breese. The trio of Nick Allegretti, Sam Cosmi and Tyler Biadasz has allowed five sacks and as many quarterback hits this season. Still, they cannot overlook Breese's talent.

It might be Marshon Lattimore's Washington debut.

Commanders fans have waited over a month for cornerback Marshon Lattimore to make his debut and shore up the secondary. That wait might be over this weekend, and against his former team, no less.

Lattimore has made gradual progress from the time the Commanders traded for him back in November as he deals with a hamstring injury and gets caught up with Washington's scheme. He got his first practice reps prior to Washington's game against the Tennessee Titans but was limited to individual work. He was listed as doubtful and eventually ruled out.

"We got a pretty strong process to go through and the player is a part of that, too," coach Dan Quinn said. "So, we're going to make all decisions, protect the team first, but man, is it good to have him back out there and get going. You can feel his energy about it, too."

Quinn has also said that Lattimore has taken strides in learning the scheme, which has been part of the process leading towards getting him on the field. Like the other injured players on Washington's roster this season, Quinn and general manager Adam Peters have wanted to make sure that Lattimore is able to be his full self on the field. So, whenever he does make his debut, he won't be limited in any way.

Assuming he does play for the rest of the season, having Lattimore should provide a noticeable boost for the Commanders' defense as they prepare to take complete control of a spot in the playoffs.