New Orleans Saints
PFF Focus Points: Ndamukong Suh vs. the Saints
For the second of these articles, what better way to complete the Saturday set of Wild Card games than by comparing and contrasting another defensive tackle going against an equally accomplished line. Ndamukong Suh hasn’t had the greatest of sophomore years, but here was an opportunity to live up to the hype by making plays against a Pro Bowl interior. The Lions may have come up short but how did Suh measure up?
This season the Lions coaching staff has deliberately cut down on Suh’s snaps. Presumably the plan here is to either allow him more energy later in the game, give other players a chance, extend his playing career, or more likely a combination of all three. In his rookie year he averaged 90% of all defensive snaps, but this year that has been reduced to 78%. Interestingly, that is very close to what he got in this game too (75%), playing almost all of those snaps at left defensive tackle. He was used on two occasions as a left defensive end, but not once on the right side.
Three to Focus on: Lions @ Saints, Wild Card Round
One team is coming off breaking all sorts of passing records, the other wondering just how they gave up six touchdowns and 480 yards to a backup quarterback. On the surface of things, this is a rematch of the Week 13 encounter that saw the New Orleans Saints hammer the Detroit Lions which doesn’t hold much appeal here. After all, the numbers suggest the Lions secondary are likely to be on the wrong end of a Drew Brees-inspired beatdown.
However, we’re in the postseason now, and you don’t need to tell the Saints about how the playoffs can play host to shocks and surprises. It was a year ago the no-hope Seahawks ended New Orleans’ dreams of repeating with a certain running back entering Beast Mode. So why can’t the Lions cause the upset? Why can’t Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson decimate the Saints secondary? Why can’t this be where Drew Brees has an off day?
Let’s look at what the Lions will need to do to shock the world, and what the Saints will have to do to stop them.
Re-Focused: Panthers @ Saints, Week 17
After losing Malcolm Jenkins on the first defensive series in a meaningless Week 17 game last year contributed to the Saints’ early exit from the postseason, surely they didn’t play their starters very long this time around, right? Not quite; New Orleans still had a chance to move up a spot in the Playoff seeding with a win and 49ers loss, and the Saints decided that keeping their momentum was worth the risk of injury. In hindsight the decision looks like a good one because nobody got hurt and the New Orleans offense put up at least 42 points and more than doubled their opponent’s score for the third consecutive game. They did it without Jenkins, Lance Moore, or Jonathan Vilma, whose leadership on the field can’t be quantified the same way his overrated play can be. In the end, it felt less like a game between the Saints and Panthers and more like a battle of the Saints against various NFL and franchise records.
Three to Focus on: Panthers @ Saints, Week 17
One last chance to watch Cam Newton as a rookie, one last chance for the New Orleans Saints to build momentum ahead of the playoffs and an outside chance of a bye week. The formula is pretty simple for both the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints this week as the Panthers chance of playing spoiler for a second time in three weeks was thrown out of the window Monday night as the Saints clinched both the division and the single season passing record for the Saints and Drew Brees.
With the 49ers needing only a road victory over the hapless Rams, the Saints appear to be locked into the third seed so much of the intrigue in this game is gone. However if the Saints stick to Sean Payton’s claim that they will go full throttle for sixty minutes to maintain their momentum into the post-season this game still has the potential to be one of the best on the Week 17 slate. The first game between these two was a close three point victory for the Saints and a wide open Carolina offense has the chance to keep pace with, if not beat, Drew Brees and the Saints. Here are three focus points in our last chance to watch Cam Newton in a competitive game for eight months.
Re-Focused: Falcons @ Saints, Week 16
While the score was flattering, the result was correct and that was really all that mattered, although I got the distinct impression, towards the end, Marino’s yardage record was almost as important. I can see why you’d do it though; the fans wanted it, beneath all the humble rhetoric so did the team and getting it out of the way now allows everyone to move onto Week 17 without anything hanging over them. A bye, of course, would be welcome but that’s unlikely with the 49ers only needing a win at the Rams to secure an extra week of rest.
For the Falcons this was always going to be difficult, having to win away at the Saints and then need more help to win the NFC South. At least they came away knowing their quarterback was in rhythm but they’ll need to up there play in many areas if they are going to avoid being one and done in two weeks time.
Three to Focus on: Falcons @ Saints, Week 16
Outside of maybe the Ravens and Steelers matchups, it’s hard to find two teams that are rivals that you know the game will be close. The last four times the Saints and Falcons have faced off, the road team has won by three points, with the last game ending up in overtime.
A victory by New Orleans clinches them the division, and moves them a step forward to a potential first round bye. A Falcons victory clinches them a playoff birth, and gives them an opportunity to win the division if they can also win in Week 17, and the Saints lose in Week 17.
Along with the typical motivation to win, they have playoff scenarios to increase their motivation, and knowing that everyone is watching them on Monday Night Football. Most importantly, there is not much that can top a win against a division rival. Here are the three matchups where someone will need to do something unexpected to help give their team a victory.
Re-Focused: Saints @ Vikings, Week 15
Considering the end result was one of the most one-sided games played this year, the Saints’ 42-20 thrashing of the Vikings was actually pretty competitive into the second quarter. If a few plays had gone the other way, Minnesota may have even been able to claim a halftime lead. New Orleans made plenty of early mistakes to allow the Vikings a chance to pull off the upset. With the Saints owning a paltry 4-3 road record with a couple embarrassing road losses on their 2011 résumé, the opportunity was there for Minnesota.
The Saints fumbled the ball away on their third offensive play, had a 40-yard touchdown negated by a Jed Collins holding penalty, and turned the ball over deep in their own territory when Brian De La Puente (-3.0) snapped the ball right by Drew Brees (+9.0) while the quarterback was still changing the play. Those miscues all occurred in the first half, but despite giving the Vikings the ball in Saints’ territory twice, New Orleans still led 21-13 at the half. Read the rest of this entry »
Three to Focus on: Saints @ Vikings, Week 15
At first glance, a game played by two teams with eight wins separating their records may not hold much appeal. For those without the means to watch whatever game they choose, it’s one of those games you hope isn’t going to be shown in your area. However, there are always intriguing storylines before every game and this one is no different.
Perhaps the matchup isn’t as one-sided as it appears. The Saints are 4-3 on the road and have only one road victory by a touchdown or more, indicating that they usually keep games close against any competition on the road. They’ve lost games to teams like Tampa Bay and St. Louis on the road and scored 30 or more points only twice. By comparison, the Saints have won all six of their home games by a touchdown or more and scored 30 or more points in five of them. Simply put, this team just isn’t the same away from the Superdome. If the Buccaneers and Rams can play a competitive game against the Saints, the Vikings may be able to as well. Read the rest of this entry »
Re-Focused – Saints @ Titans, Week 14
With playoff implications in the minds of both teams, the more experienced 2009 Super Bowl champions just managed to fend off a late comeback effort led by rookie gunslinger Jake Locker. Matt Hasselbeck injured his calf early in the second quarter, but Mike Munchak described Hasselbeck’s injury as mild and he hasn’t been ruled out for Week 15. How the Titans view their playoff chances will likely factor in to the decision to start or sit Hasselbeck. In all likelihood, they’ll need to win out and get some help from a few other teams, but we’d anticipate seeing Hasselbeck out there if it’s at all possible.
With the victory and Chicago’s loss to Denver, the Saints have clinched a Playoff berth. While the 22-17 score line won’t impress, the Saints were very close to firing on all cylinders in this game: they controlled the clock; Drew Brees (+2.2) stepped up his game in the second half; the running game was effective when need be; and their run defense was closer to what we envisioned coming into the season than it has been most of the year. They did a good job converting on third downs and that ability to extend drives showed up on the drive charts. While the Saints had only four drives that produced less than 39 yards, the Titans only had four that exceeded 39 yards, including two non-scoring drives. In truth, the Saints should have won this game by a larger margin. Read the rest of this entry »
Three to Focus on: Saints at Titans, Week 14
While an outside shot at a division title may not have materialized with the Houston Texans riding out their quarterback storm, the Tennessee Titans are still alive in the playoff hunt. Hosting the New Orleans Saints this Sunday, they’ll have the opportunity to make a statement and shake up the pack in both the AFC and the NFC. They face an uphill struggle to make that statement with the Saints (still chasing a first round bye), but riding a recent run of three wins in four weeks, the Titans at least carry some momentum with them into this game.
Tennessee’s running game is rounding in to form and the Saints’ defense still is not firing on all cylinders. If the Titans can avoid giving up big plays to the Saints’ defense and can feed the ball to Chris Johnson to control the clock, they may feel they have a chance in this game. To do that, the Titans need to limit the Saints’ offense as well so let’s take a look at a few of the matchups that will either see the Saints keep the pressure on the 49ers in the race for the two seed in the NFC or see the Titans send a much needed shake up through what thus far has been a somewhat predictable amble towards the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry »
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