saintsfan1203

War Room scouts break down every NFL game. Here is a excerpt of their Saints-Colts matchup:

1. Blitz the left side of the Colts' line. With the sudden retirement of left tackle Tarik Glenn just before camp, GM Bill Polian looks like a genius for trading up to draft Tony Ugoh. Polian thought he was drafting Glenn's successor and figured the transition wouldn't take place for a year or two.

Ugoh protected Peyton Manning's blindside nicely in preseason against vanilla defenses, but this game will be his first true test. The Saints will attack Ugoh and guard Ryan Lilja by blitzing linebacker Scott Fujita and/or safety Roman Harper through the left side. This will make Lilja kick out wide to block defensive end Will Smith, a battle the Saints should win.

The Colts might be forced to keep in tight end Dallas Clark to help Ugoh in pass protection, easing the heavy burden on the Saints' secondary.

2. Attack the Colts' cornerbacks. The Colts lost both starting cornerbacks from the Super Bowl team, and Drew Brees should be sure to test replacements Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson. Hayden (6-0, 195) loses the size advantage to Marques Colston (6-4, 231), and Jackson lacks the quickness to stay with Devery Henderson out of breaks.

Look for Colston on hitch routes and jump balls, using his size to defeat Hayden. Henderson must use his explosiveness out of breaks to get inside Jackson after the snap and beat the cornerback on slant routes and go routes.

3. Use Reggie Bush on screen passes. Bush is the X-factor in this matchup because of his rare versatility. He can line up in the slot or in the backfield on any play.

Coach Sean Payton has a separate package for Bush because of his unique skill set. On screen passes, especially middle screens, center Jeff Faine can ride defensive tackle Raheem Brock down the line while right guard Jahri Evans climbs to the second level to clear out middle linebacker Gary Brackett. Once in the open field, Bush can use his agility and speed to create huge plays.

SportingNews.com - NFL - Week 1 Matchup: Saints vs. Colts

hagan714

X-factor= Duce