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Deke: Saints - Bills preview

Deke Bellavia Reporting
The Last time these two teams met in the regular season the game was held in San Antonio due to Hurricane Katrina. The Saints beat the Bills for one of their three wins in 2005.

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees needs just fifty-two yards to pass former QB Bobby Hebert for third place in passing yards in Saints History.

The Saints are the first team since the 1968 Oakland Raiders to score 45-plus points in their first two games. New Orleans is averaging 46.5 points per game in two games this season.

Buffalo is celebrating their 50th season of play. Back in 1960 the Bills started as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger.

The Saints Breakdown

The Saints are looking to start the season 3-0 for the second time under Sean Payton and the last time that happened was in 2006 when the Saints advanced to the NFC Title Game in Payton's first season as coach of the Black and Gold.

New Orleans has done far more things right than wrong in their first two games and regardless if you're a believer or not you have to admit that the Saints did get better in all phases of the game from week one to week two of the season.

When you get off to a fast start every game becomes that much bigger and this week's challenge in Buffalo is not a scary one but certainly one that is one that should be taken with caution.

For the second straight week the Saints will play on the road in the Northeast in a stadium that features some loud and passionate fans. Saints QB Drew Brees says that his team does not underestimate the Bills and they are a very good team.

"First of all, it's a tough place to play. Second of all, they're a team that is playing really well right now. They could very well be 2-0 and I think anytime you play the Bills, you know it's going to be a tough, physical test. You see it in every opponent they play; it looks like by the game is over they have just beaten them up physically. We have our work cut out for us and we have to make sure we're prepared."

The biggest challenge that both the Saints Offense and Defense face this week is the Bills no huddle offense. If there offense keeps the Saints Offense off the field that will play into the favor of the Bills and wear down the Saints Defense that has done a very good job of getting off the field on third down in their first two games.

The Bills Offense would ideally like to play ball control and limit the times that the Saints Offense has a chance to get on the field. Sean Payton says that Bills no huddle attack posses some problems for his team.

"They up-tempo the game; they don't change a lot of personnel groupings but they go a lot at the line of scrimmage, which is different for us than the first two weeks. They're explosive; obviously they have receiver speed with both Terrell Owens and Lee Evans and guys that are confident in making plays with Trent Edwards. The running back has played well for them � Fred Jackson � and they have done a good job of operating in that no-huddle and being pretty efficient. It presents a new challenge from that standpoint."

The Saints Offense has been on fire and this week they will probably be without the services of their leading rusher Mike Bell. Bell has been the work hoarse for the Saints in the first two games but Drew Brees says that all of the Saints RB's are play makers.

"Each guy brings a little something different. We have a great group of backs and we are confident in all of them," Brees said. Lynell Hamilton could get a lot of touches this week when the Saints try and run in ball inside and we could see Pierre Thomas for the first time this season also to go along with Reggie Bush.

The Bills have to be scratching their heads in trying to figure out which Saints Receiver they are going to try and blanket. In the first two games Brees has been masterful in distributing the football.

Against the Lions Brees completed passes to eight different receivers and last week hit connected with nine different guys. Buffalo will be hard pressed to try and shade or shut down one certain wide out.

The Saints Defense will once again go out and try and force turnovers. In two weeks the Saints have picked off six passes and they are plus three on the turnover department which has them 6th overall in the NFL going into the weekend.

New Orleans should be able to get some heat on Bills QB Trent Edwards as he is basically playing with a makeshift offensive line. The Saints Linebackers have bee very sound thus far as well.

The backers have done a good job against the run and they have also been in place to confuse opposing QB's. After being in the league for six seasons LB Scott Shanle is striking gold in his lucky number seventh season.

Shanle entered his seventh season in the NFL without a career interception. He has picked off two passes already including one last week that led to the Saint blowing the game open against the Eagles.

"The one in the Detroit Game was just a gift. It kind of came right to me," Shanle said. Last week I was in good position and had a chance to make a play on the ball and fortunately I came up with a nice play."

The Saints Secondary has been getting good grades this season and rookie CB Malcolm Jenkins is starting to get into a good rhythm. After getting into to training camp late Jenkins was a little behind his teammates.

Now he has been getting more playing time and last week he came up with the game changing play as he forced a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half of the Saints 48-22 win over Philly.

Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams has seen a lot of improvement in Jenkins and so have his teammates. "He has got the attention of his teammates now. He is practicing better. He's understanding better. He's very, very bright. But I don't care how bright you are until you get out here in the autobahn and have to play against some of the speed you saw against Miami. He got to play in that Miami game with that speed and all of a sudden it was, ugh. Then I had to go back to the drawing board and he's done well. He's done very well. I think you'll see him play more this week."

Conference: NFC

Division: NFC South

Head Coach: Sean Payton (4th Year 28-24 overall)

2008 Record: 8-8



The Bills Breakdown

The Bills should be 2-0. They dominated the Patriots in their first game of the season only to leave the door open for New England by making a few very costly mistakes. Now the Bills are set to take on the league's best offensive attack. Buffalo Coach Dick Jauron says the Saints are a balanced and their running game is something his team will have to try and contain.

"Yes, I think they have better than a little bit of a running game. They do an outstanding job. Anytime you can run the ball effectively, not matter who you are, it's going to affect your passing game. Anytime you throw it as well as they do, it's going to help your run game. If you're going to be a team and they are that contends, you have to be able to do both of those things effectively and they are," Jauron said.

The Buffalo Defensive secondary will have their hands full with Drew Brees and his talented core of wide receivers. Buffalo's secondary has collected three interceptions thus far including one that was returned 76-yards for a score by Donte Whitner that broke the game open for the Bills.

Jauron knows that the best chance that his defense has against the Saints Offense is to try and pressure QB Drew Brees as much as possible. Jauron says that will be easier said than done.

"You have to try to mix it up a little bit, but he's seen it all. It's very hard to confuse Drew. He reacts so quickly to things too. It's difficult, but you kind of have to play your game and hope things go your way a little bit and then throw in a few wrinkles to try to confuse him. It's hard, they're very, very talented players, but it starts with the quarterback and he's been around a good deal of time and he's seen most things you can do. It's a tough assignment."

The Buffalo Offense ranks 14th overall in the NFL. They are 6th in rushing and 20th in passing. Although their featured RB Marshawn Lynch is not playing again this week, Fred Jackson has taken advantage of Lynch's absence.

In just two games Jackson has accounted for nearly half of the Bills Offensive production with 328-yards of total offense. Jackson has rushed for 220-yards including 163-yards last week in the Bills 33-20 win over the Bucs and he also has 108-yards receiving.

QB Trent Edwards has relied on three primary targets in the Bills first two games of the season. Terrell Owens has five receptions for 98-yards and one score, Lee Evans has caught four passes and a TD and former LSU Tiger Josh Reed has four receptions for 26-yards.

With the Saints averaging 46.5 points per game the Bills best option to win this game will depend on their ability to control the clock. Jauron has been impressed with the Saints Offense.

"There's no doubt about that. You go out in the NFL and put up 45 or 48 points, that's a lot of points going up on the board. They've kind of made it look easy. It's a little scary. We're working hard at it. They've done a terrific job."

Conference: AFC

Division: AFC East

Head Coach: Dick Jauron

2008 Record: 7-9


The Big Chief's Final Analysis

Many people including myself think that the Bills should be 2-0. With that said, I don't think that the two teams they played were very good during those games. The Patriots are still a mystery and the Bucs are going to be hard pressed to win five games this season.

Look for Buffalo to try and control the clock or at least try and limit Drew and the Saints Offensive possessions. Buffalo will try this by utilizing RB Fred Jackson and three solid WR's in the short passing game.

Buffalo does not have to keep the ball for forty-five minutes like the Dolphins did last week against the Colts but they do want to limit the Saints Offensive possessions in the game.

Special Teams could be huge in this one. The Saints got a big boost from their special teams last week and the Bills special teams are always among the best in the league under Bobby April.

To me this game is much bigger than most are making it because the Saints can get to 3-0 and then come home for two big ones against the Jets and Giants with an open date in between.

There is nothing that can ever top the Saints game versus the Falcons when the Black and Gold returned home after Katrina. But if this team beats the Bills, and they come home to face a possible 3-0 Jets team next Sunday, "Who Dat's" will make as much noise in the Dome for that undefeated match-up!

I don't think they will get to forty this week, but take the Saints and lay the six points to the Bills. How about 28-17 Black and Gold?

New Orleans Saints (2-0) @ Buffalo Bills (1-1)

Sunday September 27th @ Ralph Wilson Stadium

Noon First Take / 3:05PM Kickoff on WWL 870 AM / FM 105.3

Series Record: Series 4-4

Last Meeting: October, 2 2005 - New Orleans 19 Buffalo 7 (San Antonio)

Who Dat Nation...are you ready? Sunday the (2-0) Saints head to Buffalo to take on the (1-1) Bills. We'll bring you 9 hours of wall-to-wall coverage, starting at high noon... first up-"First Take" with Mark Chifici and former Saints offensive lineman, Steve Korte. Then at 1-"Countdown to Kickoff" with the "Cajun Cannon" Bobby Hebert and "Big Chief" Deke Bellavia...Game time is 3pm. After the game-sound off on "The Point After" live from Deanie's Seafood in the French Quarter til 9p,. It's football time...and the Who Dat Dream is alive...on SAINTSradio-WWL-AM-FM-and dot com!

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jeanpierre

Jenkins' strip of the ball to start the second half was huge...

Force Edwards to beat you and he'll implode...

The Bills game will be about the Turnover Ratio (in the Saints Favor hopefully)...

Hamilton has gotta step up this week...

This will be Reggie's opportunity...