NEW ENGLAND OFFENSE: It's no secret that the Saints defense has struggled recently. They've allowed their last five opponents to gain at least 119 rushing yards. They've also had some problems containing the pass. Matt Ryan and Marc Bulger recently had their way with New Orleans' secondary.
Things will change starting Monday night. Injuries have been the source of New Orleans' problems. Stud defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis missed four weeks. Top corner Jabari Greer was out the past two games. Interception-hungry safety Darren Sharper also missed some action. All three guys will be back in the lineup.
It'll be difficult to stymie the Patriots' vaunted offense completely, but with all of their star defensive players back, I think the Saints can force New England into more punts than analysts are projecting. Greer will be stuck on Moss, which is a better matchup than most people realize. Containing Wes Welker will be a problem, but Sharper is one of the smartest safeties in the league. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he picked off Tom Brady once.
New England won't be able to run the ball. I listed those negative stats the Saints had against opposing ground attacks. All of that came with Ellis out of the lineup. Before Ellis got hurt, New Orleans had allowed only one 100-yard rushing performance in five contests.
NEW ORLEANS OFFENSE: While I think the Saints' defense will play pretty well, I can't say the same thing about New England's stop unit. The Patriots have two problems: getting to the quarterback and containing the run.
In an attempt to sound like Jon Gruden, if Drew Brees has time in the pocket, he'll kill you. If you try to blitz Brees, he'll murder you even quicker. New England has just 18 sacks on the year. I really don't know how they're going to put any pressure on Brees. After all, there's a reason Bill Belichick didn't want to punt the ball away to Peyton Manning.
The Saints are so lethal on offense because in addition to having Brees and all of his weapons, they can control the clock with their prolific running game. That's terrible news for the Patriots; on only four occasions this season have they permitted less than 100 rushing yards to an opponent.
One last wrinkle: Reggie Bush will be back after missing the Tampa Bay contest. He's not a huge factor on offense, but he'll play a large role in the return game.
RECAP: Most TV analysts think the Patriots will win. The public is backing New England as well. The reason for this is that New Orleans' defense has struggled lately. But as I explained earlier, that won't be the case Monday night because all of the star players will be back in the lineup.
I like the Saints here. First of all, I think they're the better team with the superior defense. But more importantly, this is a huge statement game for them. As mentioned, most people in the media are picking the Patriots to pull the upset. This has to infuriate a Saints squad that feels it's not getting any respect. This will be their chance to prove to the league that they're legit.
It'll be downright chaotic in the Superdome on Monday night. I know Brady, Belichick, Moss and Welker have seen it all, but many of their young players haven't.
The Psychology. Edge: Saints.
Huge statement game for the Saints. I really don't see why this contest matters much to the Patriots; they're in control of their division, but they aren't going to catch the Colts.
Things will change starting Monday night. Injuries have been the source of New Orleans' problems. Stud defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis missed four weeks. Top corner Jabari Greer was out the past two games. Interception-hungry safety Darren Sharper also missed some action. All three guys will be back in the lineup.
It'll be difficult to stymie the Patriots' vaunted offense completely, but with all of their star defensive players back, I think the Saints can force New England into more punts than analysts are projecting. Greer will be stuck on Moss, which is a better matchup than most people realize. Containing Wes Welker will be a problem, but Sharper is one of the smartest safeties in the league. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he picked off Tom Brady once.
New England won't be able to run the ball. I listed those negative stats the Saints had against opposing ground attacks. All of that came with Ellis out of the lineup. Before Ellis got hurt, New Orleans had allowed only one 100-yard rushing performance in five contests.
NEW ORLEANS OFFENSE: While I think the Saints' defense will play pretty well, I can't say the same thing about New England's stop unit. The Patriots have two problems: getting to the quarterback and containing the run.
In an attempt to sound like Jon Gruden, if Drew Brees has time in the pocket, he'll kill you. If you try to blitz Brees, he'll murder you even quicker. New England has just 18 sacks on the year. I really don't know how they're going to put any pressure on Brees. After all, there's a reason Bill Belichick didn't want to punt the ball away to Peyton Manning.
The Saints are so lethal on offense because in addition to having Brees and all of his weapons, they can control the clock with their prolific running game. That's terrible news for the Patriots; on only four occasions this season have they permitted less than 100 rushing yards to an opponent.
One last wrinkle: Reggie Bush will be back after missing the Tampa Bay contest. He's not a huge factor on offense, but he'll play a large role in the return game.
RECAP: Most TV analysts think the Patriots will win. The public is backing New England as well. The reason for this is that New Orleans' defense has struggled lately. But as I explained earlier, that won't be the case Monday night because all of the star players will be back in the lineup.
I like the Saints here. First of all, I think they're the better team with the superior defense. But more importantly, this is a huge statement game for them. As mentioned, most people in the media are picking the Patriots to pull the upset. This has to infuriate a Saints squad that feels it's not getting any respect. This will be their chance to prove to the league that they're legit.
It'll be downright chaotic in the Superdome on Monday night. I know Brady, Belichick, Moss and Welker have seen it all, but many of their young players haven't.
The Psychology. Edge: Saints.
Huge statement game for the Saints. I really don't see why this contest matters much to the Patriots; they're in control of their division, but they aren't going to catch the Colts.
