How will the Saints' offensive deal with Urlacher and Co.?
 

RE: How will the Saints
 

I see screen passes to Bush, and short slant routes to back that LB corps up. Our O line can handle their line for the most part. The trick will be taking the LBs out of the mix. Urlacher is fast from sideline to sideline, but as stated before, he can't seem to bead on a RB with moves as well, as one that runs North and South. Bush is going to be a major factor in this game plan, so he better shake off the mistakes from last week, and show up to play. I also see Karney playing a role, similar to the one he played in Dallas. If he gets locked up, we go to the Tight ends. That's the thing about our offense: If one factor gets negated, then we have about five more to choose from. Our offense, when clicking, is the best one in the NFL right now, no doubt about it.

Reggie's huge runs?
 

thx for the reply.

Screen passes? They are great when they're executed right, or good for a ten yard loss when you got fast linebackers "going wide" to cover them, as I'm sure Brian Urlacher and his cronies will surely do.

Either way, maybe Bush is fast enough to overcome the Bears' linebacker that will spread out wide, to "screen-the-screen" sotospeak.

Right on! The tightends should get yardage with Bush getting double-teamed. I will be shocked if the Bears DON'T double-team him, you HAVE to respect Bush's outside speed. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Reggie beat the Bears' defense for big plays!

During the S'hawks-Bears' game, Heller and Stevens continued to get great tightend yardage; it seems they were open for the S'hawks on every pass! Broken-fingered Hasselbeck couldn't connect when he needed to, to Branch.

I think the Saints' ace in the hole is Brees, as he should show his true grit versus Grossman. Rex looked super worried out there, even during his win over S'hawks.

RE: Reggie
 

I wouldn't run screens against the Bears unless they blitz with the LBs. The Bears LB corps excels at sniffing out screens and swings.

Reggie, Bears' linebackers, and Saints' linebackers
 

Reggie will have to do the wide receiver routine, to get open. I agree, screens won't necessarily work versus Urlacher and Briggs, unless one of them misses a read.

I don't see Reggie displaying the Shaun Alexander talent > patiently waiting and picking the right O-line hole to get big yardage, as he so blatantly did versus Da Bears, only to have Matt Hasselbeck mess everything up w/the 4th qtr. interception.

Reggie's talent seems to be break-away speed out on the wings and even on wide receiver routes. Hopefully even Reggie's presence will draw Briggs and Urlacher away from Brees.

Anyone here know who's better = The Saints' Linebacker corp or the Bears' Linebacker corp? (SACKS & TACKLES totals, for their last game versus Philly and S'hawks, respectively? ? ? ?)

I'm looking for oodles of crossing patterns by Colston and the tightends all game long to keep the backers busy. I just see far to many options by the Saints for the linebackers to zero in on any one player.

Where Urlacher makes a difference is in the passing game. Drew will have to watch where Urlacher goes and, in most cases, throw the ball to a different area. It'll also be interesting to see how well the Bears do against that Deuce-Reggie reverse-or-run play that's been working so well against the rest of the league.

Block them. change direction. run at them. run away from them. pass over them. sneak under them.

Whatever. They've been just like any other defense for the last 8 weeks.

The checkdown receivers will have to make an extra effort to get open. The notion that the primaries will be the only contributions necessary would be absurd. The game Billy Miller had versus Philadelphia could prove to be huge in deciding how Payton could utilize him. Copper and Henderson and the whole squad as a whole could take some extra time in practice to catch a ball in potentially cold climates. I don't mean that as a smite but we do not want receivers to freeze up when their contributions mean more than ever now. Hey Payton, is the offensive line in the weight room? No? Get 'em in there! :x

get urlacher alone in space with Bush. Urlacher got faked out by AB

Saints' Offensive attack
 

Great replies,.....it makes sense = do anything, just keep the routes mixed up for Brees, to keep the vaunted Bears' linebackers guessing. As for Deuce and Reggie, they better work together, none of this show boatin' nonsense, leave that to the Chargers = we all know what that led to against the Pats!

This is for sure though = the Saints will lose if they go into the game displaying cocky, over-the-top chest thumping every time they gain a 1st down, or worst yet, rush the field for every little Touchdown! The Chargers showed everyone what that accomplishes when the lost to Brady and Company. This game will require the full time allotted for the Bears to lose, we won't beat them in the 1st or 2nd quarters, this will go down to the final 2 minutes!

They best keep quiet, stick to the task at hand, which is WIN THE DAGNABIT game. Don't celebrate the 1st downs and Touchdowns, celebrate beating the Bears after the clock has expired!

Go Saints!!! Fleur 'Em !!!!!!

Tommie Harris being out is hurting us badly. Mike Brown too... :x

Halas,
Granted, Harris and Brown being out may only rally your Bears to work harder!
Sure Harris particularly has been hard to replicate his stats since his absence, but your Bears have the 12th man in the Soldier Field, not to mention the subzero temps that most Southerners are not good at playing in.

I still say the Bears have the upper hand, ESPECIALLY IF BREES, REGGIE, AND DEUCE go into the game all cocky and arrogant, rushing the field after every little touchdown. The Bears will take this game down to the final 2 minutes, and if the Saints don't stick together, emphatically move the ball upfield WITHOUT all the shenanigans-A-LA-THE-CHARGERS, they can lose the game!

Sure, the tandem of Reggie & Deuce is a better point gaining team, but the Bears' defense will be all they need to negate that if the Saints don't stick to the game plan: shut up, move the ball, and score! The minute they score, the Saints got to rush the Defense back on field, do their business and tire the Bears out! Don't give the Bears any chance to get fired up over some onfield cockiness!

Fleur 'Em, Go Saints!

Good points crow, it should be a tight game. Along with the cold it would be nice to see 2 or 3 inches of snow to stop Bush from going east/west. That little "bounce off the guards butt and run around the end for 20 yards" is not something I want to see this weekend!

There was a report that the Saints are practicing inside? Any truth to that?

Yeah, they'd rather not have to worry about the weather while they install their strategy. I'm sure a few guys passed the ball around outside just for yucks. Preparation on strategy is more important than practicing in cold weather. Especially since it won't be all that cold.

Somebody hasn't been paying attention. This will NEVER happen to a Payton coached team. It's just not their style. Payton would hang them all by their feet if they tried that.

Does Malcom in the Middle really wield that kind of power?

They will line up in the I, and use Karney to beat them into the ground, paving the way for Deuce to run over them and Bush to run around them and through them like they don't exist! After the front seven of the Bears can't get it done, the safties will cheat up to help and Devery, Colston, or Miller will be wide open down the middle.

I sure hope for the Saints' sake, that their coach instills in them that discipline, = no chest thumpin' the 1st Downs 'cause it looks classless. They sure as heck better not pull that Charger-esque, Owens-esque charade in the endzones, too much fodder for the Bears to feed on if they fall for that.

I say the Saints have a chance sure = pray there's no snow though. As long as they shut up, do their jobs, and cut the celebratory rants, they might just win! Celebrate AFTER a win!


What's the Saints' record in the snow?

Go Saints!

I can't wait to see Karney and Urlacher. The Seahawks had some success right up the middle, look for Karney followed by Deuce. If that has any success, it will be fake to Duece and Bush around the end, or a plat action pass. I think it will be a fairly low scoring game with big plays accounting for points on both sides.

If reruns of old tv shows is the best you can do, you need to stay off other sites. I've been around for a while and I don't get into gun fights with a pea shooter. So I choose to walk away.