The Saints' loss to the 49ers on Sunday wasn't just costly in terms of the NFC playoff race, it was also costly for the Saints because they might have just lost two key defensive players for the rest of the season. 

The first hit came on Tuesday when the team found out that starting defensive end Marcus Davenport would have to miss the rest of the year after suffering a significant foot injury against the 49ers. Now, the Saints are also dealing with another potential season-ending injury. 

According to NFL.com, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins has an ankle injury that could cause him to miss the rest of the season. Rankins suffered the injury during the second quarter of New Orleans' 48-46 loss and never returned to the game. If Rankins is done for the year, that means this will mark the second straight season that his year has ended with an injury. 

After starting all 16 regular season games in 2018, the Saints defense tackle saw his postseason cut short last year when he suffered an Achilles injury during the divisional round of the playoffs. The injury was so severe that it took nearly eight months before Rankins was finally able to return to action. 

The 25-year-old missed the first three games of the 2019 season before finally returning to the field in a Week 4 game against the Cowboys. Since then, Rankins has played in a total of 10 games on the season, tallying seven tackles and two sacks. 

Losing both Rankins and Davenport over a 24-hour period is a brutal loss for a Saints defense that's given up the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the NFL this year. The play of the Saints defensive line is also a big reason why the New Orleans has racked up 43 sacks as a team in 2019, which also ranks fifth in the NFL. 

The loss of Davenport means the Saints are going to have to figure out how to replace his 31 combined tackles, three forced fumbles, and six sacks. The Saints will be back on the field this week when they host the Colts for "Monday Night Football."