New Orleans Saints’ Recent Sins May Ruin Bid at Perfection

This season has been a dream season of sorts for the New Orleans Saints, the city, and its fans.

The offensive explosion.

The reinvention of the defense that averages three turnovers per game.

The huge comeback win against the Miami Dolphins.

The ensuing late-night reception consisting of thousands at the airport.

The 7-0 record.

The Saints have beaten the Eagles, Jets, Giants, Dolphins, and Falcons each by an average of 16.2 points.

All of this, combined with the easiest remaining schedule in the league, has people locally and nationally whispering about the possibility of perfection.

But if the Saints don’t reverse a few recent trends, then New Orleans may see its unblemished record become scarred this weekend against the Carolina Panthers.

1) The rushing defense must improve.

The Saints have really struggled to stop the run over the same four-game stretch. While they rank 11th in rushing defense, that stat may be a little deceiving.

In three of the past four games, teams have rushed for over 130 yards against the Saints. The defense allowed nearly five yards per carry to the Jets and over six and a half yards per carry to the Falcons.

Four rushing touchdowns and a 68-yard burst were allowed to Ricky Williams and the Falcons.

The Giants had to abandon the run throughout most of the second half as they were down three scores early in the game but still managed 84 yards on 19 carries.

New Orleans will face DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, one of the best running back tandems in the league, on Sunday.

While Williams and Stewart started the season slowly, they have recaptured their 2008 form. Together, they have 138 carries, 700 yards, and seven touchdowns over the past four games.

Both running backs have been instrumental in Carolina’s resurgence from an 0-3 start, and the Saints can be sure to see a heavy dose of the Panthers’ rushing attack in the Superdome.

Hopefully, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis and linebacker Scott Fujita will return soon.

 

2) The recent turnover rate has been alarming.

Through the first five games, New Orleans turned the ball over just five times. Drew Brees had thrown just two interceptions.

Over the past two games, the Saints have eight turnovers with Brees being responsible for six of them.

Fortunately, the Saints offense (and defense) scores enough points to overcome turnovers.

New Orleans isn’t likely to win playoff games by turning the ball over three or four times a game.

 

3) Drew Brees has been getting hit at an alarming rate.

The offensive line did an excellent job protecting its quarterback through the first five games when Brees was hit a grand total of 10 times or once every 16.3 pass plays.

In the past two games alone, Brees has been hit 10 times or once every 7.8 pass plays.

The rise in quarterback hits plays a huge factor in the increase in turnovers.

The New Orleans Saints may have a perfect record, but they’ve got some work to do before they have the perfect season.

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Falcons Swoop Into New Orleans To Face Saints in NFC South Showdown

The New Orleans Saints look to match the franchise’s best start ever and continue a magical season when the Atlanta Falcons come into town on Monday night.

The Saints (6-0) can take an early three-game lead in the NFC South race over the Falcons (4-2) with a victory.

The top offense in the NFL faces a defense that’s 11th in points allowed, but just 25th in yards allowed. The Falcons rank in the bottom third of the league in both rushing yards and passing yards allowed.

New Orleans’ defense has contributed significantly to the team’s undefeated record.

They lead the league in passes defended, interceptions per game, defensive touchdowns, and forced turnovers.

They also rank ninth in yards allowed per play and 11th in total yards.

While the defensive improvement has been a team effort, much of the credit goes to free safety Darren Sharper.

Sharper leads the NFL in interceptions (six) and defensive touchdowns (three). His 317 interception return yardage this season ranks third on the all-time list and he’s just one long interception return away from breaking Ed Reed’s record of 358 return yards.

 

Matchups to Watch

1) Drew Brees vs. Falcons’ secondary: Atlanta is 0-2 against teams that possess passing offenses that rank in the top-10.

Tom Brady carved up the Falcons for 277 yards in week three and Tony Romo torched the dirty birds for 311 yards and three touchdowns.

Both of those games, like the showdown against the Saints, were on the road.

2) Tony Gonzalez vs. Saints’ outside linebackers: Gonzalez will be by far the best tight end the Saints have faced all season.

Until now, the most productive tight end the Saints faced was the Eagles’ Brent Celek, who gained 104 yards in Week Two.

New Orleans held Gonzalez to 39 yards last season when he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, but that was when Tyler Thigpen was tossing the ball his way.

Thigpen is now buried on the depth chart in Miami.

3) Eric Weems vs. Saints’ kickoff coverage: One of the few disappointments for the undefeated Saints has been their coverage units.

Weems ranks eighth in the league in kickoff return average (28.1 yards) among players with at least one kickoff return per team game. Weems has a long return of 62 yards.

The Saints’ defense, while improved over last season, is still not good enough to consistently stop teams from scoring when the starting field position favors the other team.

The Saints will win if…

1) They continue to force turnovers.

New Orleans has forced at least two turnovers in each of their six games this season. The defense has scored on nearly one-third of their forced turnovers and have a touchdown in half of their six games.

2) They keep Brees off the Superdome floor.

Through the first five games, Brees was sacked just four times. Against Miami in game six, he was sacked five times.

Not coincidentally, the Saints quarterback threw three interceptions and the passing game looked out of sync in the first half. Against the Dolphins, the Saints trailed for the first time all season.

That, also, is not a coincidence.

Predictions

The combination of Monday Night Football, an undefeated record, and a game against the hated Falcons will have the home crowd as loud as they’ve ever been.

I expect the dome advantage to be in full force. Look for Matt Ryan and his offensive line to struggle. I’ll give the defense two sacks, a forced fumble, and one interception.

Look for Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell combine for 30 carries, 145 yards, and two touchdowns against run defense that allows 4.6 yards per carry.

I see Drew Brees going 23 of 33 for 307 yards and two touchdowns.

New Orleans 38, Atlanta 24

 

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Dolphins Throw First Punches But Saints Land Knock-Out In Miami

The Saints had never trailed in five games. Suddenly, New Orleans was down 24-3.

Drew Brees was sacked a total of four times in five games and then Miami sacked him five times.

Brees also had gone three games without an interception and was picked off three times against the Dolphins.

Ricky Williams had three touchdowns against the team that drafted him.

None of that mattered.

The New Orleans Saints stormed back to outscore the Miami Dolphins 43-10 as they pulled off their most impressive victory this season, 46-34.

In a game that featured 740 yards of offense and seven turnovers, the Saints possessed something the Dolphins didn’t—a knockout punch.

The Dolphins had a chance to put away the Saints after New Orleans missed a field goal with about five minutes left in the first half. Instead, they either punted or turned the ball over on eight out of their next 10 possessions.

The Saints, on the other hand, stepped on the Dolphins’ throat once they grabbed the lead.

New Orleans capped off a 22-point fourth quarter with Tracy Porter’s pick six with less than two minutes left in the game.

Once again the Saints proved they can win a game when Brees is not at his best.

They won for just the second time ever when their star quarterback throws two or more interceptions.

The only other time they won such a game was in 2006 against Philadelphia, also the sixth game of the season.

New Orleans also proved they can play physically.

Jeremy Shockey, who epitomizes the Saints’ physical play, caught a long pass and stiff-armed a helpless Dolphin defensive back to turn a 30-35 yard pass into a 66-yard reception.

The defense, despite allowing 34 points, played spectacularly in the second half.

Tell me if you’ve read this sentence before: Darren Sharper returned an interception for a touchdown.

Sharper, who is making his case for defensive player of the year, had his sixth interception this season and his third for a touchdown.

His interception off of Porter’s tip cut the Dolphins’ lead to seven and gave the Saints all of the momentum they needed for a comeback.

Jonathan Vilma was also a force on defense.

He led the team with 10 tackles, including three for a loss. He was a thorn in the side of running back Ronnie Brown, who was held to just 48 yards on 16 carries.

Kudos must also be given to backup defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove.

Hargrove filled in for defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who left the game with a sprained knee. Hargrove finished the game with two sacks and another tackle for a loss.

A year ago, and even in 2006 when the Saints won the NFC South, the Saints would have lost a game like this one.

I did not doubt that the Saints offense would be capable of at least making the game competitive after trailing by three touchdowns. They came into this game averaging 38 points per game.

The question was whether or not the Saints could take the lead and sustain it.

Twice last season (@ Denver and @ Carolina) the Saints trailed by multiple touchdowns before storming back only to lose by two.

The Saints actually took a late one-point lead against Carolina before a late field goal won it for the Panthers.

After six games in 2009, these are clearly not last year’s Saints.

These Saints are much much better. These Saints will be playing deep into January and perhaps into February.

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Saints-Dolphins: Can New Orleans Slow Down Miami’s Wildcat on the Road?

New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams should be preaching gap control this week in practice as the Saints prepare to face the NFL’s most efficient version of the Wildcat formation in Miami.

Miami introduced the Wildcat formation to the NFL last season in their 38-13 week three victory over New England.

The formation, which is often imitated but never duplicated, involves a direct snap to a running back (often Ronnie Brown). The running back then reads the defense and decides if he is going to hand the ball off to a runner on a sweep (often Ricky Williams) or keep it himself.

The defenses that generally struggle against the Wildcat are those that miss tackles and/or blow gap assignments.

How has Wildcat been used this season

Unfortunately for the Saints, veteran linebacker Scott Fujita will likely be ruled out of this game after suffering a calf injury last week against the New York Giants.

Backup Troy Evans has been taking reps with the first unit this week in practice.

Fujita is fifth on the team with 22 tackles.

Brown and Williams form what is arguably the best backfield duo in the league. They have combined for 759 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground in five games.

The Dolphins were last year’s surprise team, as they went 11-5 and won the AFC East one year after finishing 1-15.

Miami has won two games in a row after starting the season 0-3.

 

Two reasons for the Dolphins’ slow start:

1) Turnover margin — Miami had a league-best plus-17 turnover margin last season. Chad Pennington threw just seven interceptions, while the secondary forced 18 of them.

This year the Dolphins sit a minus-3 and have recorded just three interceptions on defense.

If you remove the spectacular six-sack, three-interception game against Buffalo, Miami has just six sacks and zero interceptions in four games.

Buffalo, though, has a terrible offensive line that is on pace to allow 50 sacks and countless quarterback hits this season.

2) Yards per play — Last season, the Dolphins were seventh in the league with 5.7 yards per play. This year, they are 22nd in the league at 5.0 yards per play.

By contrast, New Orleans is third in the league with 6.4 yards per play.

The Dolphins have improved, though, with Chad Henne under center.

Miami has averaged 5.5 yards per play in the past two games after averaging 4.65 yards per play over the first three games.

Three matchups to watch

1) Marques Colston vs. Dolphins’ cornerbacks

Colston is proving that is fully recovered from last year’s injuries.

He is on pace to record 80 receptions, 1260 yards, and 13 touchdowns in an offense that prides itself in spreading the ball around.

The Saints scored seven touchdowns with seven different players—including Colston—last week against the Giants.

Dolphins’ corners Will Allen and rookie Sean Smith must get physical with Colston and not give him a free release if they hope to be successful in slowing him down.

Smith, at 6’3″ and 214 lbs., has rare size for an NFL cornerback and the ability to go toe-to-toe with the 6’4″ Colston.

 

2) Jermon Bushrod vs. Jason Taylor and Joey Porter

It seems I have Bushrod in my key matchups every week ,and he always comes through for the Saints.

He did a fantastic job in handling Giants’ defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

Now, Bushrod must handle these blitzing linebackers in the Dolphins’ 3-4 scheme. I expect Taylor and Porter to move around from play to play in order to confuse the still young and inexperienced left tackle.

 

3) Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams vs. New Orleans’ front seven

I’ve talked about the Wildcat enough that I can’t leave this put of my matchups to watch.

I expect the Dolphins to treat this game similar to how they treated their game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Miami realized that the best way to stop Peyton Manning is to keep him off the field.

Mission accomplished…sort of.

In their week two meeting, the Dolphins used their potent running game to eat 45:07 off the clock. It was not enough, however, as Manning engineered a late drive to score the game-winning touchdown with just over three minutes left.

Since the Dolphins’ middle-of-the-pack pass defense likely won’t stop Drew Brees and his receivers, the Dolphins will have to use their offense to keep the Saints on the sidelines.

New Orleans can expect a heavy dose of Brown and Williams. The two have combined for 68 carries, 342 rushing yards, and five touchdowns over the last two games.

 

The Saints will win if…

1) They force the Dolphins to start inside their own 30-yard line.

Miami has scored eight offensive touchdowns in their past two games. Six of those touchdown drives started at the 30-yard line or better.

New Orleans’ kick and punt coverages have been their weak links this season and could be exposed by Patrick Cobbs and Ted Ginn, Jr.

2) They force Miami to commit multiple turnovers.

As mentioned earlier, Miami’s turnover margin is nowhere near what it was last season. New Orleans’ turnover margin is also nowhere it was last season.

The Saints, minus-4 last year, are plus-9 this year and have forced at least two turnovers in each game.

Roman Harper’s strip-sack of Eli Manning helped to push a 27-17 lead to a commanding 34-17 lead.

3) Exploit Miami’s outside pass rush.

Drew Brees can count on linebackers Taylor and Porter to rush on just about every play.

Therefore, the flats should be should be open for Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas all game long.

 

Predictions

Drew Brees will extend his streak of games without an interception to four. His career-best streak is five games.

Brees will also throw for 347 yards and three touchdowns.

The Saints will set a season-low for rushing yards in a game. Their current season-low was set last week with 124 against the Giants.

Miami has the league’s third-ranked rush defense.

Darren Sharper will intercept Chad Henne once. My guess is that Sharper is still upset he had two interceptions taken away from him last week.

The first one was nullified by a roughing the passer penalty. The second one was lost when Mario Mannigham snatched the ball away from him for a touchdown.

New Orleans 30, Miami 16

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Change In Sean Payton’s Philosophy Key Saints Offensive Excellence

After two straight non-winning seasons, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton knew he needed to try something different.

Even though his offense led the league in total yards and points per game in 2008, it still had its share of shortcomings.

The Saints were slow starters. They scored just 13.6 percent (63/463) of their points in the first quarter.

Much of their yardage and points came only after trailing by multiple scores.

Two games from 2008 really stand out to confirm this.

The first one was a 34-32 loss to Denver.

At first glance, you see that Drew Brees threw for over 400 yards. Dig deeper and you notice that the Saints trailed 21-3 in the second quarter and needed a furious comeback just to have a chance to win.

The second game was a similar contest against Carolina.

Again the Saints lose by just two points, this time 33-31. Brees throws for 386 yards and four touchdowns.

Look closely, though, and you’ll see that Brees needed 49 passes to accomplish this personal feat. The Saints trailed 23-3 in the second quarter before briefly taking a 31-30 lead late in the game.

This is not to say that the Saints’ offense wasn’t good in 2008. It was. It just wasn’t as good as some analysts will have you think.

 

Here’s What’s Changed

Coach Payton has found that the key to a consistently good offense is balance in play calling.

The Saints are running the ball more than they ever have under Sean Payton and it is paying off.

 

Pass/run ratio

2006: 56/44 (10-6)

2007: 63/37 (7-9)

2008: 62/38 (8-8)

2009: 48.7/51.3 (5-0 through six weeks)

 

Points per game

2006: 25.8 (Fifth in the NFL)

2007: 23.7 (10th)

2008: 28.9 (First)

2009: 38.4 (First – through six weeks)

 

One thing that I quickly noticed was that the Saints’ offense was at its worst when they passed the ball the most often.

New Orleans has scored 45, 48, 27, 24, and 48 points in five games this season. More importantly, the Saints are scoring early in games.

The Saints have scored 25 percent (48/192) of their points in the first quarter, which is nearly double their output last year.

Incredibly, the new pass/run ratio has helped Brees become an even better quarterback.

He hasn’t had to force any passes, and defenses now must respect the play-action fake and prepare for a running attack that’s averaging about 160 yards per game.

Even though he is on pace to throw for about 600 yards fewer than he did last year, he is on track to throw for more touchdowns and fewer interceptions than ever in New Orleans.

2009 projected stats: 4,480 yards, 42 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.

When It All Changed

Many observers and analysts seem to think coach Payton had his epiphany during the offseason when he tinkered with the idea of bringing in Edgerrin James before ultimately sticking with Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, Mike Bell, and Lynell Hamilton.

I say they’re wrong. I think the light switch went on near the end of last season.

The 6-5 Saints headed into Tampa Bay with slight playoff hopes.

But even though the game was played on a rain-soaked field, Payton called 48 pass plays and just 18 running plays. That kind of ratio suggests that the Saints were getting blown out and needed to catch up early.

The game, however, was close throughout as neither team led by more than 10 points as the Saints ultimately lost by three and fell to 6-6 and all but out of the playoff chase.

Payton called a new kind of game the following week against Atlanta.

The Saints called 32 pass plays and 30 run plays as the team accumulated 184 yards on the ground and pulled out a thrilling 29-25 victory.

I think Payton kept those two weeks in the forefront of his mind as he prepared for this season.

 

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Brees, Saints Dwarf Giants As New Orleans Matches Best Start in 16 Years

So much for a bye week messing up the rhythm of the league’s best offense.

I’d like to say that I had this game figured out, but I’d be lying if I did.

You see, I assumed that because the Saints had failed miserably in every other game immediately after a bye week under Sean Payton, they would struggle against a good team like the New York Giants.

I figured that the Giants, who were missing several defensive starters in the back seven, would rely on the strength of their ferocious down linemen to get constant pressure on Drew Brees.

To the disappointment of some of my friends and family (and myself), who are all big Saints’ fans, I picked the 5-0 Giants to win, 31-27.

It was the Saints, instead, who would remain undefeated and move to 5-0.

About the only thing right about my prediction was that the losing team scored 27 points.

New Orleans out-played New York in nearly every facet of the game.

Offensively, they gained about 500 total yards, scored seven touchdowns with seven different players, converted more than half of their third downs, had a 12-minute edge in time of possession, and played a turnover-free game.

The defense held Eli Manning to under 50 percent passing and forced two turnovers.

In my game preview, I stated three keys for a Saints victory. Let’s see how the Saints did…

 

1) Start Fast

Check.

I would say scoring a touchdown on each of their first four possessions, jumping to a 20-3 lead, and nearly setting a franchise record with 34 points in the first half qualifies as starting fast.

 

2) Neutralize the Giants’ front four.

Check again.

The Giants’ front four got one hit on Brees and never sacked him.

It seems that the closest they got to pressuring Brees was the three times they jumped offsides.

 

3) Slow down the Giants’ running game.

Uncheck.

The Giants only ran the ball 19 times, because they were down by two or more scores for most of the game.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined to average 4.8 yards per carry and one touchdown.

The Saints need to improve this aspect of their game as they should expect a heavy dose of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in Miami next weekend.

Most Impressive Stat of the Game

Brees averaged 12.3 yards per throw , not per completion.

Saints fans can stop worrying about his two-game drop in production.

 

Most Disappointing Stat of the Game

Domenik Hixon returned nine kicks and punts for 281 total yards.

The Saints’ biggest weakness in three of their five games has been their kick and punt coverages.

Game Balls

If the team is going to give a game ball to coach Adam Zimmer, then so will I. His mother died suddenly on Oct. 8th. Adam’s father is Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Drew Brees tossed four touchdown passes in three and a half quarters.

Marques Colston had 166 yards and caught each of the eight passes thrown his way.

Jabari Greer intercepted his first pass of the season and tied for the team lead with five tackles.

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Saints Face Giant Task In New Orleans As Unbeatens Prepare For Battle

In what is surely the game of the week in the NFL, the team from the Big Easy looks to complete its sweep of teams representing the Big Apple.

The 5-0 New York Giants, fresh off of a whipping of the pathetic Oakland Raiders, take on the 4-0 New Orleans Saints who are back after an early bye week.

The Giants hold a 14-10 all-time series edge but the Saints have won two of the past three games against New York.

The Saints won a 2003 matchup in the Superdome 45-7. This game is best known for then-Saints receiver Joe Horn’s cell phone celebration.

Horn, who would set a team record with four receiving touchdowns in a game, pulled out a cell phone planted in the padding of the goal posts while celebrating a touchdown that put the Saints up 17-7.

Two years later, the Saints would travel to the Meadowlands to face the Giants in a “home” game. Hurricane Katrina had devastated New Orleans just weeks before and no definitive plans had been set for Saints home games.

New Orleans lost 27-10.

In 2006, the Saints won 30-7 in their most recent trip to Giants Stadium.

The Saints will win the game if they…

 

1) Start fast.

The Saints are 0-3 under Sean Payton in games played immediately after the bye week. It seems that the Saints’ passing game, which depends so much on timing and accuracy, takes a while to shake the rust off when returning from a bye.

Here are some notes from the three most recent games the Saints have played after a bye.

2006: Baltimore 35, New Orleans 22 (home). Saints enter game at 5-1.

• Saints fell behind 21-0; trailed 28-7 at half.
• Offensive line played terrible.
• Brees threw three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns.

2007: Carolina 16, New Orleans 13 (home). Saints enter game 0-3.

• Saints had lost each of the past three games by at least 17 points.
• Saints were tied 6-6 at half.
• Brees threw two interceptions.
• This was the beginning of “CUT OLINDO MARE NOW!!!”

Mare missed two field goals in the game. He had a 20-yarder BLOCKED and also missed a 54-yarder with 2:12 left in the game.

Mare was acquired from the Miami Dolphins for a sixth round pick for his “strong leg.” The Saints cut John Carney in favor of Mare.

Both Giants and Saints fans see the irony in this.

Carney replaced injured Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes last season and made the Pro Bowl. Now he’s a member of the Saints (at least for now) after rookie Garrett Hartley test positive for Adderall.

Mare, by the way, is missing crucial field goals for the Seattle Seahawks.

 

2008: Atlanta 34, New Orleans 20 (away). Saints enter 4-4 after returning from London.

• Saints trailed 17-6 at half.
• Brees threw three interceptions.

Do you notice a trend?

The Saints start very slowly. Brees has one of his worst games of the season.

It didn’t matter if the Saints were a good team (5-1), an average team (4-4), or a really bad team (0-3). They lost ugly.

2) Neutralize the Giants’ front four.

New York has 14 sacks in five games. They are led by defensive ends Justin Tuck (four) and Osi Umenyiora (three).

Brees is actually statistically worse when rushed by only four defenders instead of being blitzed.

If the Giants can get pressure with four linemen, they will drop seven in coverage and make it difficult for Brees and his receivers.

 

3) Slow down the Giants’ running game.

The Saints rank seventh in the league in rushing yards allowed, but they haven’t faced the likes of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmed Bradshaw.

The duo has combined for 730 yards at 4.6 yards a carry.

Credit must also go to a physical offensive line that’s led by guard Chris Snee.

The running game has helped the Giants enjoy an almost 13-minute advantage in time of possession per game.

The best way to slow down Drew Brees is to keep him off the field.

 

Three matchups to keep an eye on…

 

1) Jermon Bushrod/Zach Strief and Jonathan Stinchcomb vs. Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka.

I expect the Saints to use a running back to help chip these ferocious defensive ends, especially on the left side. Also look for tight ends Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas to stay in to block on third and long.

 

2) Darren Sharper vs. Eli Manning.

Sharper has a league-high five interceptions while returning two for touchdowns. However, Manning will be by far the most experienced and decorated (and richest) quarterback Sharper’s faced all season.

 

3) Pierre Thomas vs. Antonio Pierce.

Pierce is the leader at linebacker for the Giants and leads the team in tackles. The Saints will be looking to establish the run game early as the offense looks to find their rhythm after a week off.

Thomas will get the bulk of the carries and has a deceptive ability to break tackles.

 

Predictions

Roman Harper will lead the team with 11 tackles.

Marques Colston will finish with seven catches, 121 yards, and two touchdowns. Most of his production will come in the second half.

Drew Brees will throw for 338 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions.

New Orleans will trail for the first time this season and fall behind 21-6 at half time because of a slow offensive start and poor field position.

New York 31, New Orleans 27

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New Orleans Saints Report Card: Does 4-0 Record Equal 4.0 GPA?

As the New Orleans Saints make the quarter turn and head into the bye week, there are a lot of positives.

No time to rest on the laurels, though. No one makes the playoffs for winning four games.

I guess it’s the teacher/coach in me that says to want to always get better no matter how well things are going.

 

Coaching

Comments: The buzz word surrounding Sean Payton and his offense throughout the offseason was balance. I said I’d believe it when I see it.

How’s this doubting Thomas: 134 runs, 133 passes.

Last year the Saints had a run-pass ratio of 63:37.

Payton is committed to the running game and is using it to shorten the game after the Saints have a big lead.

And who’s going to deny the Gregg Williams effect?

Don’t look now but the Saints are a top ten defense that leads the league with 13 takeaways and 10 interceptions.

The opening game woes on the coverage units seem to have been fixed even though Malcolm Jenkins was inactive against the Jets.

Grade: A

 

Passing Offense

Comments: Drew Brees started off on fire and has since cooled down. He still has nine touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Brees has hit on 67 percent of his passes for over 1,000 yards.

Eight players have at least one catch per game and five of those players have caught at least one touchdown pass.

The passing game will get better as the health of Lance Moore improves. Moore has been battling shoulder and hamstring injuries.

Moore is the best Saints receiver at getting open in the short and intermediate routes that Brees thrives on.

The Saints offensive line has allowed just four sacks so far and none came against the Jets.

Keep this in mind if you are worrying about Brees’ dip in production:

Never has the season’s passing yardage leader won the Super Bowl.

Grade: A-

 

Rushing Offense

Comments: The Saints are out-rushing their opponents 2:1.

After recovering from a knee injury and missing the first two games (okay, so he played one snap against the Eagles), Pierre Thomas is taking over from where he left off in 2008.

He has scored three touchdowns and is averaging a whopping 6.4 yards per carry.

When the Jets closed to 17-10, the Saints turned to Thomas on three straight plays and he responded with 43 yards.

Mike Bell is still the team’s leading rusher, but that won’t last beyond another week with Thomas in the fold.

Even Reggie Bush is averaging 4.1 yards per carry!

The offensive line has taken over the game at times, particularly against the Bills and Jets.

The short yardage game could still use some improvement.

Anyone still want Edgerrin James?

Grade: A

 

Passing Defense

Comments: The Saints rank 14th in the league in passing yardage allowed.

Even while factoring in Kevin Kolb’s 391 yards, the defense is still only allowing 248 yards per game through the air.

Opposing quarterbacks are completing just 54 percent of their passes while throwing 10 picks and getting sacked 10 times.

Teams have thrown an average of 38 times per game against the Saints because they are constantly trying to reduce huge deficits.

The Saints have not trailed for any of the 240 minutes this season and have won each game by at least two scores.

Don’t get too caught up in the hype just yet, though.

The most experienced quarterback they have faced was Trent Edwards. They have gone against two rookies (Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez) and two quarterbacks making their first NFL start (Stafford and Kolb).

Three of the four quarterbacks the Saints will face in the second quarter, Eli Manning, Matt Ryan, and Jake Delhomme, have far more experience.

If the Saints can harass the next four quarterbacks the way they did the first four, I will grade them higher.

Grade: B

 

Rushing Defense

Comments: Kevin Smith, Brian Westbrook, Fred Jackson, and Thomas Jones are all good NFL running backs and none have really done a whole lot against the Saints rush D.

Now no one is going to confuse them with Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson, and Steven Jackson but allowing just 83 yards per game is nothing to sneeze at.

Roman Harper has been closer to the line of scrimmage and leads the team with 29 tackles.

It only gets tougher as the Saints will face Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, and Jonathan Stewart over the next four games.

Grade: B+

 

Special Teams

I haven’t heard anyone complain about trading draft picks for Thomas Morstead since the season started, have you?

Morstead has been the Saints’ best special teams player.

He kicked off consistently into the end zone as Garrett Hartley served his four-game suspension.

He is averaging 43.7 yards per punt. None of his 15 punts have gone in the end zone, four have been pinned inside the 20, and only seven have been returned.

The coverage units have improved each week after allowing a 43-yard punt return and an 87-yard kick off return.

Dangerous return men DeSean Jackson, Roscoe Parrish, and Leon Washington were all held in check.

John Carney has been solid as a place kicker. He is six for seven and has made all of his extra points.

However, it is apparent the coaching staff doesn’t trust his leg strength with their risky play-calling when drives stall on the outer edges of field goal range.

The return game has been a little bit disappointing. Bush has two muffed punts and lost one.

Grade: B-

 

Overall

There’s not much to complain about after starting 4-0. Only four other teams (if Minnesota defeats Green Bay), haven’t experienced a loss this season.

The defense and running game are vastly improved and have carried the Saints over the past two games.

New Orleans has a plus-seven turnover ratio and are holding the ball six and a half minutes per game longer than their opponents.

The road gets tougher in week six with a home date against the New York Giants, one of the four other undefeated teams.

Fortunately, three of the next four games are at home, including division games against Atlanta and Carolina.

The one road game is a very winnable game against Miami in week seven.

Grade: A-

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Saints Roll as Sharper, Defense Smother Jets’ Sanchez

So much for losing a step and being too old.

Darren Sharper intercepted two more passes for the Saints to bring his NFL-leading total to five as the New Orleans Saints defeated the previously unbeaten New York Jets 24-10.

Sharper returned the first interception 99 yards for his second touchdown of the season.

The free safety completed his All-Pro performance with a team-high eight tackles.

Sharper, though, was not alone in the role of terrorizing rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant each had two sacks to lead the Saints pass rush.

The Saints’ second touchdown came when Smith stripped Sanchez in the end zone and Remi Ayodele fell on the ball.

The suddenly stout defense has held an AFC East team to under 250 yards of total offense, forced multiple turnovers, and collected four sacks in consecutive weeks.

This is why Sean Payton used $250,000 of his own money to lure Gregg Williams to New Orleans.

Payton learned from the past two seasons that Brees, as great as he is, would not be able to single-handedly win every game.

He needed to have a defense that would, at the very least, not be a liability.

So far, mission accomplished.

Brees went a second straight week without a touchdown pass and less than 200 yards passing.

In years past, that would spell a two-game losing streak.

This year it means the Saints win both games by a combined score of 51-17.

In my preview of the Saints-Jets game, I listed three things the Saints must do to win. Here they are:

 

1. Run the ball effectively.

Check.

32 carries, 153 yards, and a touchdown. If not for two kneel downs to end the game, the Saints would have averaged more than five yards per carry.

Unless you count the last two plays of the game to run out the clock, New Orleans had three fewer drives than New York and still had a five-minute advantage in time of possession.

I’d say they ran the ball effectively.

 

2. Neutralize tight end Dustin Keller.

Keller was thrown to five times and caught three passes for 31 yards and no touchdowns.

He had one catch for 23 yards but was otherwise ineffective.

 

3. Shake, Rattle, and Roll quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez had two rookie moments in the game and both led directly to New Orleans touchdowns.

The first was when he stared down his receiver in the end zone and threw his first interception to Darren Sharper.

The second was when he couldn’t feel the pressure on his blind side as he rolled in the end zone and got stripped.

Sanchez had a bad game, but he showed signs that he’s going to be a good quarterback in this league.

 

Questions that were answered in week four…

 

1. How well will the Saints handle the success of starting 3-0?

Very well, apparently.

The Saints came out with a swagger, but did not seem over confident.

Now the Saints are 4-0 for the first time since 1993, and I guarantee that they will remain undefeated after next week. (They have a bye)

 

2. How will the pass protection on the left side hold up?

Much was made about the Saints having to start Zach Strief at left tackle due to injuries to Jammal Brown and Jermon Bushrod.

Streif’s name wasn’t called once during the game and that’s a good thing.

No penalties. No sacks.

Next up, Giants defensive end Justin Tuck.

 

3. How will Marques Colston do against Darrelle Revis?

Brees was just 2-for-6 when throwing to Colston and Revis was a big reason why.

Revis has shut down Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, and Colston in the first four weeks of the season.

He’s headed for his second Pro Bowl and is likely the toughest corner the Saints will face all season.

 

For two weeks in a row the Saints have won with defense and an effective running game. I think there’s a pattern developing here.

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As Saints Vilma Hosts Familiar Jets, Current Teammates Are Stepping Up

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan looks to give his former New York Jet teammates a rude welcome when the Jets visit the Superdome on Sunday.

Vilma, who was a first round draft pick by the Jets in 2004, is now in his second season as the leader of the Saints new and improved defense.

During his first two seasons manning the middle of the Jets’ 4-3 defense, Vilma received numerous accolades. He was the AP Defensive rookie of the Year in 2004 and was named to the pro bowl the following season.

Coach Eric “the Mangenius” Mangini (how does that moniker look now?), who was hired as the Jets’ head man in 2006, switched to 3-4 defensive alignment. The alignment, which does not suit Vilma’s strengths, took a toll on his production.

Vilma was traded to the Saints after the 2007 season, a season which was mostly spent rehabbing an injury to his leg that he suffered in the seventh game of the season.

Vilma’s impact was immediately felt in New Orleans in the middle of their 4-3 defense.

He led the team with 132 tackles and did not miss a single defensive snap.

Vilma’s 2008 production came from necessity. No other Saints player came within 40 tackles of Vilma’s total.

This year is a different story.

While Vilma’s production may be down just three short weeks into the season (16 tackles, one sack), he has not had to be the only play-maker in the front seven this year.

Strong safety Roman Harper has been playing closer to the line of scrimmage this season and leads the team with 23 tackles.

Linebacker Scott Shanle has been all over the field stuffing the run, covering linebackers, and intercepting passes. He is on pace to set a career high tackle mark for a season.

Free safety Darren Sharper is tied for the NFL lead with three interceptions.

As frustrating as last season may have been for Vilma, this season has been rewarding.

The Saints did not get their third win until week six against Oakland and did not post a winning streak longer than two games as they finished 8-8.

The defense, which now ranks 14th in points allowed and 10th in yards allowed, was ranked in the bottom half of both categories just a season ago.

 

The Saints will win on Sunday if they…

 

1. Run the ball effectively.

This will be the best defense the Saints have faced thus far and maybe the best they will face all season.

The Jets rank in the top five in points allowed, yards allowed, and passing yards allowed.

New York is tied for second in the league in quarterback rating against (50.2) and has only allowed five plays longer than 20 yards.

New Orleans proved last week against Buffalo that they can run the ball when necessary as they rolled up 222 yards on the ground. Pierre Thomas was a big part of that (126 yards, two touchdowns) and the Saints are counting on him again.

While the Jets have just four sacks in three games, they blitz often and aim to put pressure on the quarterback.

The best way to slow down a pass rush is with a good running game.

 

2. Neutralize tight end Dustin Keller.

Keller doesn’t have overwhelming numbers, even for a tight end (nine catches, 140 yards, and a touchdown), but he could be a huge part of the Jets’ plans against the Saints.

Philadelphia’s Brent Celek (eight catches, 104 yards) showed that teams can have success with the tight end against the Saints.

The Jets are going to want to use the short passing game as a way to eat the clock and keep the New Orleans offense off the the field for as long as possible.

 

3. Shake, Rattle, and Roll quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Now we know why USC coach Pete Carroll advised against Sanchez entering the 2009 NFL draft. He wanted Sanchez for himself.

Sanchez has looked like anything but a rookie in his first three games as a pro.

He has completed 59 percent of his passes and owns a respectable 87.7 passer rating. He has been sacked five times in three games, and the Saints have the play-makers to get to the quarterback.

Sanchez will have to account Sharper on every play as the veteren will be looking to confuse the rookie on every snap.

 

Three questions to be answered in Week Four

 

1. How well will the Saints handle the success of starting 3-0?

It’s easy to feel on top of the world when you’ve had consecutive disappointing seasons and are now experiencing success.

New Orleans last started 3-0 in 2006 on their way to their first ever NFC championship game.

The last time the Saints started 4-0 was in 1993 when they started 5-0 but finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

The year’s squad has a much better quarterback to lead them than the 1993 team.

 

2. How will the pass protection on the left side hold up?

Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown’s season is officially over before it begins now that he’s been place on injured reserve.

Jermon Bushrod has done a decent job in his absence but he suffered an ankle injury last week and was replaced by third-stringer Zach Strief.

 

3. How will Marques Colston do against Darrelle Revis?

Revis faced Houston’s Andre Johnson and New England’s Randy Moss in the opening weeks of the season and held them to eight catches and 59 yards combined.

Colston has had a nice season so far but is going to have to be at the top of his game to produce against Revis, who has established as a top-five corner in the NFL.

 

Prediction Time

I see this as a grind it out game that matches the wits of Saints coach and offensive guru Sean Payton and Jets coach and defensive whiz Rex Ryan.

However, don’t forget to throw in Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Shottenheimer.

Williams has whipped this defense into respectability while Shottenheimer has been instrumental in Sanchez’s development.

The Saints, who have not trailed at all this season, won’t either in this game as they pull away in the second half.

New Orleans 23, New York 10

 

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