Armchair Idiots: New Orleans Saints

Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts

FANTASY IN FOCUS The New England Patriots defense continues to struggle. Credit that to their inability to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks. This is leaving their largely inexperienced secondary isolated and vulnerable. Opposing teams will continue to employ an aerial attack when facing them. This will only change provided their front seven can start generating pressure on a more consistent basis.

The current scenario is bad for Patriot fans but bodes well for Tom Brady, Wes Welker, & Randy Moss owners. The Patriots are 7-5. They hold a fragile one game lead in the AFC east division. Their remaining games are playoff caliber games. They haven’t had a very effective running game this year. So expect this offense to continue to rely heavily on the arm of Tom Brady. The Patriots upcoming schedule: Carolina, @Buffalo, Jacksonville, & @Houston.

Brady, Welker, & Moss are great options moving forward. Consider benching the Patriot defense if you have a better option.

What is going to become of the Indianapolis Colts offensive unit? Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon, & Joseph Addai have consistently produced. The Colts stand at 12-0. Head coach Jim Caldwell has said he will be resting his starters once they have clinched a playoff bye. Manning, Wayne, & Clark in particular may see reduced playing time. Owners need to pay close attention to this situation.

The looming question is how playing time will be distributed amongst the backs? Maybe Joseph Addai will get fewer carries? Making way for Donald Brown & Chad Simpson to see increased reps? Watch this situation moving forward.

The 12-0 New Orleans Saints are on a roll. Their QB Drew Brees continues to engineer the leagues top ranked offensive unit.

In week 13 Brees hit WR Robert Meachem on a 53 yard bomb in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Meachem has emerged as this year’s Lance Moore. In recent weeks he has played like a #1 fantasy receiver, out of the #3 spot for the Saints. He has produced 6 TDs in the last 5 games. He is another receiver breaking out in his third year.

The Saints were able to manufacture 33 points against the Washington Redskins. The NFL’s #1 ranked pass defense.

Marques Colston Robert Meachem, & Devery Henderson remain Brees’ most dangerous weapons. I don’t see any of their remaining opponents being able to stop them.

Pay close attention to the running back situation. Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, & Reggie Bush crowd their backfield. Thomas is the best starting option of the three. That could change if head coach Sean Payton decides to rest some of his guys. Even though he has said his players will be playing down the stretch, in hopes of going 16-0. Regardless of that statement stay tuned, to see what will transpire over the coming weeks.

What happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers? They lost in week 12 at Arrowhead Stadium, to a terrible Kansas City Chiefs team. Pair that with a week 13 loss at Heinz Field, to an Oakland Raiders squad. A defeat that drops the defending champs to a meager 6-6 record.

With the Cincinnati Bengals on the verge of wrapping up that division, the Steelers will be fighting for a wild card spot. This is good news for Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, & Rashard Mendenhall owners. Expect them to post solid numbers down the stretch.

Heath Miller has been non-existent in this offense of late. Roethlisberger should find a way to get him re-involved in the offense.

Like the Patriots it is the Steelers defense that has been their downfall. The impending scenario is how long will Troy Polamalu remain sidelined? He is the heart & soul of this defense. Polamalu’s absence has extinguished the defenses spirit. If he remains sidelined consider using another defense.

The Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers & Donald Driver connection continues to roll. Rodgers remains the top fantasy scoring player in the majority of leagues. Donald Driver has served as a reliable safety valve for Rodgers all season. Driver & Jermichael Finley are Rodgers favorite targets, when his pocket prematurely collapses. But don’t make the mistake of leaving Greg Jennings out of the conversation. He has had a disappointing year to date. Poor blocking for Rodgers has hurt Jennings fantasy value. He is a lethal vertical threat when Rodgers is given the time. The Packers O-line has found some cohesion of late. They looked legit against a stout Baltimore Raven front seven. Owners have no excuses in not starting these guys.

The Packers can still win the NFC north title. They need the Vikings to lose 3 out of their last 4, and they need to win outright. Every week is a big game.

At times Dom Capers has been able to orchestrate this young defense into NFL elitism. Rookies Clay Mathews Jr. & BJ Raji have played extremely well. Mathews Jr. is a fun one to watch. He flies all over the field and has a knack for the ball. Raji has been able to plug gaps and get a solid push up front. Combine that with perennial ball hawk Charles Woodson and you have a formidable defense in the making. Don’t make the mistake of sitting this defense.

Can The Saints Go Marching In? The New Orleans Saints are hands down the best team in the NFL right now. They made the New England Patriots look mediocre. They handed the Patriots their worst defeat since their 38-13, week 3 loss to the Miami Dolphins last season. Matt Cassel took over quarterback duties in place of Tom Brady due to his season ending knee injury. The Dolphins offense was invigorated by the newly found Wildcat offense. In some ways the outcome of that game wasn’t all that shocking. For one the Patriots didn’t have their pro bowl quarterback Tom Brady. Matt Cassel hadn’t started a game since high school. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to have started an NFL game without starting in college. The defense had personnel changes it was trying to accommodate as well.

Teams don’t find their identity that early in the season. Suffering a demoralizing loss in week 12 is more alarming. Can the team psychologically recover from that loss? What type of character does this team possess? In order to be successful in this league you have to be able to bounce back. Have a short memory. Re-discover your swagger. It usually comes down to which teams are able to peak at the end of the season, most of the time. Last year the Arizona Cardinals looked terrible down the stretch. Their division, the NFC West, was equivalent to the AFC West division. The Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and Denver Broncos were all bad teams. The San Diego Chargers were the only respectable team to emerge from the AFC West last year. The NFC West had terrible teams in the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and St. Louis Rams last year. The Cardinals were the only one from that division to emerge as a respectable squad. They ended up winning the NFC West with a shoddy 9-7 record. Once the playoffs began the Cardinals defense played exceptionally well. Better than they had all season. Edgerrin James appeared to have reverted to the back he was three years prior to the actual calendar date. The passing game was firing on all cylinders. Larry Fitzgerald was having his best games of the season at the most crucial time. Everything was clicking for them. Hence Super Bowl XLIII hosted the Arizona Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers.

If the New Orleans Saints defense continues to fly around the field and playing with a chip on their shoulders, watch out. Combine that with their offense and Congress should pass legislation deeming the Saints an illegal organization. They make it seem unfair that opposing defenses can’t field 12 or 13 defenders to contain them. I do mean contain them. Don’t confuse that with stopping them. Talk about a defensive coordinators worst nightmare come to life.

Observing the Saints offense this year has been educational. It is a reminder that the game has evolved. Team speed has never been more essential. Gone are the days of the Lombardi sweep plays, physical bump ‘n run defenses, and Buddy Ryan hurling punches at fellow staffers on the sideline. The game resembles more of the AFL’s vertical passing style. To think, as fans we will be witnessing the three greatest offenses of all time, in the span of one decade. The 2001-’02 St. Louis Rams, 2007-’08 New England Patriots, and now the 2009-’10 New Orleans Saints.

Drew Brees has to be revered as one of the game’s elite. He possesses unbelievable passing accuracy. He was hitting his receivers in stride 30 or more yards down field at will. He was able to consistently throw the ball in seemingly impossible spaces, which only his receivers could get to. The entire Saints team has been nothing short of spectacular. It will be interesting to see if they can keep performing at such a high level.

The 2001-’02 St. Louis Rams lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. The 2007-’08 New England Patriots, who entered the Super Bowl 18-0, lost to the New York Giants. The Giants were a 10-6 wild card team that year. The Two most dominant offensive teams in NFL history lost to teams that were considered to be inferior. To put it best, any given Sunday

SHOWDOWN IN THE FRENCH QUARTERS The (7-3) New England Patriots take the trip south to the Superdome, for a Monday night showdown with the (10-0) New Orleans Saints. The Saints are the only NFC team that remains undefeated. Only the Indianapolis Colts join them in a perfect season thus far.

Can the Saints reel off an eleventh straight victory? Facing a New England Patriot team primed for a run. Tom Brady is back to his rare form. Wes Welker is coming off a career high 15 catch, 192 receiving yard performance. Randy Moss will be looking to post primetime numbers in a primetime game. Bill Belichick will be devising defensive schemes yet to be seen on film. Throw in New England’s heartbreaking week 10 loss to the Colts. Motivation couldn’t be any higher for this squad.

The Patriots defense made a huge statement in week 11. They dominated the Mark Sanchez led offense of the New York Jets. Sanchez threw four picks. Three of those picks complimentary of Leigh Bodden. One of which he returned for a TD. Belichick defenses eat up inexperienced quarterbacks. Peyton Manning struggled for years before getting over the hump.

Drew Brees is 2-0 versus the Patriots over his career. Both times he was sporting a Charger uniform. He played them in week 4 of 2002 and week 4 of 2005. In 2002 he threw for a meager 104 yards, 1TD. LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 217 yards, 2TDS. In 2005 Brees threw for 248 yards, 2TDS. L.T. had 134 yards, 2TDS. Brees has found some success when facing Belichick defenses. It didn’t hurt that L.T. was the best running back on the planet at that time.

The Saints have a stable of dangerous wide receivers in Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, and Lance Moore. Tight ends Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas have great hands. Running backs Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, and Reggie Bush are all capable of doing their share of damage. Sean Peyton has explosive offensive players capable of giving the NFL’s best defenses fits.

This game is a chess match. The Saints Sean Peyton is regarded as one of the brightest offensive minds in the game. Then you have Bill Belichick who is one of the NFL’s more innovative defensive strategists. This is going to be a game of constant adjustments. A game when the momentum can turn on a dime.

Will it come down to General Brady or General Brees, being summoned, to march their respective team down the field come crunch time? Expect this game to go down to the wire. Both of these teams have a ton of talent on their squads. Coaches and management included.

The Patriots have won their last six games on Monday night football. Is there a seventh in the works? The Saints offense is averaging 36.9 points per game. The Patriots pass defense ranks 6th. The Saints pass defense ranks 16th. I’m giving a slight advantage to the Patriots. They find a way to win this one on the road, spoiling the Saints campaign for a perfect season.

SECONDARY CRISIS!

What has happened to the New York Giants?

They started off 5-0 before getting crushed by the Saints in week 6 at New Orleans. They followed that up with a 17-24 loss at home to Arizona then a 17-40 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia. The Giants opponents prior to the Saints game were Washington, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Oakland. Dallas is the only team out of this group that should be considered a worthy opponent. In retrospect the Giants should have started of as hot as they did.

The loss of starting CB Aaron Ross at the beginning of the season due to a hamstring injury has proven to be a big loss for a permeable Giants secondary compounded further by the loss of starting safety Kenny Phillips. Which was put on display in week 6 when Drew Brees lit them up for 48 points thus handing NFL teams a blueprint on how to effectively attack the Giants. There are other contributing factors to the Giants sudden spiral. The loss of DT Chris Canty in week 1. Injuries to OLB Michael Boley and Mario Manningham haven’t helped. The offensive line hasn’t been as effective in protecting Manning the way they did in weeks 1-5. That can be contributed to facing stronger pass rushes and from having to play from behind.

The San Diego Chargers take the trip east to the Meadowlands for a week 9 matchup with the Giants. The strength of the Bolts is their passing attack. I don’t see how the Giants will be able to slow them down unless their big uglies up front can get pressure on Philip Rivers early and often. The Bolts starting receivers Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd stand tall at 6’5” each. Starting tight end Antonio Gates comes in at 6’4” tall. Not exactly an ideal matchup for a struggling banged up secondary searching for their identity. If the G-Men aren’t able to remedy their coverage woes this week New York Giant fans will be praising Brandon Jacobs and praying for inclement weather often.

Sunday Game of the Week Great comeback by the Saints. Miami again played well and gave it up in the fourth quarter.

These highlights show why this was the game of the week this Sunday.

Enjoy!

Week 7 Picks Picks for Week 7:

Green Bay at Cleveland - Packers -9 : With multiple Cleveland players hampered with a nasty flu, the Browns should be torn apart by the Packer offense. There is a very good possibility of a Special Teams or Pick Six against weak special teams and defense. Even though Green Bay is on the road take the Packers and the points.

New Orleans at Miami - New Orleans -7 : This game is going to be closer than most people think. Playing in Miami is always a struggle for road teams, and the Saints will be no exception. Look for the same strategy that the Dolphins used against the Colts. Ball control, and keep Brees from having the ball. Dolphins cover in this one, but probably will still not come away with the victory.

Minnesota at Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh -5.5 : With Winfield out in the Vikings secondary, look for the Steelers to open up the passing game early and the run in the fourth quarter. No Favre magic at Heinz field, the Steelers easily cover in this one.

Atlanta at Dallas - Dallas -4 : Even though this is desperation time in Dallas, the Falcons are a much better team. Better QB, better coach, better team all around. The Falcons will cover and get the win.

Good Luck

The Idiots

"Fire" Before "Earth" The New York Giants are at the top of the NFC. It helps that they just played the abomination known as the Oakland Raiders. The team whose head coach is about to be sent to the house of correction. How excited Raider Nation must be right now! Coach Cable is upping his street cred!

In the coming weeks the Giants will be playing teams that actually belong in the NFL. In particular the New Orlean Saints. It is the most intriguing game of week 6. This is the battle of two superlative teams. The winner of this game gets my secret ballot for the NFL’s most impressive team to date. Accompanying the Colts of course.

I’m most interested in seeing the distribution that occurs in the Giants backfield. Will Tom Coughlin succumb to the media pressure and start Ahmad Bradshaw? If that happens it won’t be because of the media’s need to sell a story. If Bradshaw starts it is because he has had 58 carries for 375 yards. That is 6.5 yards per carry! Brandon Jacobs has 100 carries for 355 yards. That is a dismal 3.6 yards per carry!

Jacobs didn’t hide his displeasure regarding his play nor his critics recent criticism on his WEPN-AM radio interview. Maybe that will fuel him in his upcoming games?

Bradshaw is a home run guy every time he touches the ball. He has a nice mixture of light feet and power. If he racks up good numbers this week going against the NFL’s 7th ranked rush defense then I don’t think there will be much question as to who the better starting option in New York will be moving forward. At least until the cold weather settles in.

The Demo Site

BlogCatalog

Categories

Sample Text

Ads

Advertisement

Featured Video

Photos