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Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

Thanks for your effort SF76. The post was pretty good but getting that stupid song stuck in my head was turrble and plain wrong.

Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

I don't think we can stop the Cards, their offense is simply too good. But what we can do is limit them, and force turnovers.

During the GB game, I saw Cardinal WR's open by 5 to 10 yards. With Greer and Porter back to 100%, I just can't see their WR's getting that open.

Warner excells against the blitz, but I'm not sure what Williams does (in his 3-4 package, sending a 4th player) is actually what we normally call a blitz.

He will send a LB or Safety, but its basically still a 4 man rush, its just that you never know who that 4th guy is. Technically I guess its a blitz, but its not like we're sending 5 or 6 defenders.

Williams will certainly have to mix it up in order to get to Warner with a 4 man rush. What we must do as a defense is have everyone on the same page. If we have a breakdown, Warner will exploit it.

On offense it appears everyone is playing a 2 deep cover to keep us from going long. The answer to that has been hurt or out for several weeks. We have to exploit the holes left in the middle with Bush, Shockey, Pierre Thomas and David Thomas.

It also appears that teams are exploiting Bushrod. We'll probably chip with Shockey and Thomas which is fine since we want them available for the short to intermediate throws and screens.

To me, almost all of our bad play lately is due to Greer and Porter (and Gay to some extent) being injured. With both at 100%, it changes everything about this defense from top to bottom, not just on the edges.

Having Shockey, Bush, and Thomas back on offense also changes things quite a bit. Not as much as much as our defense, but enough to win by two scores.

I can not see losing this game unless we lose the turnover battle. If we're ahead or even in turnovers, we win.

Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceshack149 (Post 191632)

Thanks for your effort SF76. The post was pretty good but getting that stupid song stuck in my head was turrble and plain wrong.

LMAO!! I knew that would happen :)

Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

Leave it to me to be the jackass.

At the top of Mount Everest the pressure would be less than at sea level. At least I think. LOL

Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saintsfan1976 (Post 191554)

So on to the task at hand - HOW do you stop the Cardinals?

DEFENSE

Under Pressure (doon doon doon duh-duh doon doon)

We all saw what Kurt Warner could do when given time. Gregg Williams must find a way to get pressure on the MVP QB. Gregg Williams will have to mix up his looks throughout the game - something Green Bay did not do. With Charles Grant out, stopping the run will be tougher than we think.

To me, our defensive game plan should mimic the one vs. New England. AZ doesn't posses the most potent rushing attack and if we can double Fitzgerald and jam guys like Breaston and Doucet at the line, then I believe we can get to Warner early and often.

I see three players who could make the most impact. Will Smith, Roman Harper and Jonathan Vilma.

Smith has the size to overpower the suspect left side of the AZ offensive line that Green Bay didn't.

Harper's blitzing off the corner has been very effective this year, he's great in run support (2nd on the team in tackles) and the only thing slower than Kurt Warner is a check from FEMA.

And probably the best way to get to Warner is straight up the middle (see Jonathan Vilma). Let him see you coming, and make him pull the ball or dump a pass. Teams have proven this year that getting to Warner early creates turnovers.

Porter and Greer have to have the games of there lives. There is no shutting down the cards but they must contain them. Scary thought bringing any safeties on a regular bases against them. I am looking for alot of LB blitzes if and when we blitz. Kurt ain't that quick.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saintsfan1976 (Post 191554)

OFFENSE

Limit turnovers

Green Bay basically spotted AZ 14 points before the game even started. We cannot afford to fall behind and become predictable.

Spread the field

AZ's defense lacks a proven pass rush and is susceptible to fast and multiple receivers. When it comes to 4 and 5 receiver sets, there may not be a better offense in the NFL than New Orleans.

I look for Shockey to have a big night.

Own the clock

The Saints must be able to rush the ball and convert on 3rd downs. Contrary to popular thought, our offense is our best defense. The Saints O line has proven they have to ability to be a solid run-blocking unit and with our star RB limited with 3 cracked ribs - we'll need holes for Reggie, Bell and Hamilton.

Agreed on all counts. I like the 34 for Bushrod's sake. Look for alot of stunts on the left side and Arizona to bring Dansby, Okeafor, Rolle or McFadden in on blitzs. Rolle is the one to watch. Rolle comes in on a blitz our TEs must take advatage of the mismatches.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saintsfan1976 (Post 191554)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Coverage Unit

Morestead. What more can you ask for from a punter? He's done a terrific job for us this year. BUT, what I believe could be the achilles hell of this team is our kick coverage unit. "But, wait - we've only given up 1 return for a TD!!" Yes, but the group has been sporadic as of late this season and if there's one play that will negate any momentum your offense just created by scoring, it's a long kick return.

Don't think so? Just ask head coach Sean Payton -

Big point. Coverage unit must keep the cards pin back and force long marches for points.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saintsfan1976 (Post 191554)

Return Unit

Courtney Roby leads ST in tackles, and averages 24 yards per return and when it comes to returns, he is a bigger home run threat than Reggie Bush.

Over the past three weeks, Payton has placed emphasis on ST and I fully expect the players to respond. As I said, nothing can negate the other team's momentum like a long kick return.

The return unit seems to be much better than our coverage unit. I bet Sean has been hammering thi point home all week.

Overall, I expect we'll be treated to one of the best playoff games in history between two of the best coached teams in the NFL. Arizona believes. But the Saints have faith.

Good teams find a way to win.

FINAL

NO 37
AZ 31
[/QUOTE]

If not higher. The team that forces the most field goals maybe the desiding factor in this game.

Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceshack149 (Post 191632)

Thanks for your effort SF76. The post was pretty good but getting that stupid song stuck in my head was turrble and plain wrong.

Can't help myself...I love the song...

YouTube- QUEEN - Under Pressure

Bah bah bah bah bah bah bah bah
Bah bah bah bah bah bah
Pressure pressing down on me
Under pressure
That burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets

Bah bah bah bah bah bah
Bah bah bah bah bah bah

That's o-kay!
Its the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming let me out
Pray tomorrow takes me higher
Pressure on people

Do do do bah bah bah bah
O-kay
Chippin around
Kick my brains around the floor
These are the days
It never rains it pours
People on streets
People on streets

Its the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming let me out
Pray tomorrow takes me higher
People people on streets
Turned away from it all
Like a blind man
Sat on fence but it don't work
Keep coming up with love
But it's so slashed and torn
Why why why?
Love love love love

Insanity laughs under pressure were cracking
Cant we give ourselves one more chance?
Why can't we give love one more chance?
Why can't we give love give love give love?
Give love give love give love give love give love
Cause loves such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care
For people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way
Of caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves under pressure
Under pressure pressure

Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

DEFENSE

one thing that nobody notices because of the 2 monsters on the outside is how many times the cardinals throw to the RB out of the backfield

tim hightower has the 2nd most receptions of any RB in the league this season with 63 and is only 2 receptions behind studs like steve smith and 3 and 4 receptions behind zach miller and calvin johnson

he is the 3rd leading receiver on their team and he is a threat....

but the thing is that he is usually a check down, not the main target.....as evidenced by his low ypc average(6.8)

what that tells me is that kurt warner gets a lot of time to throw the ball

he can check fitz and boldin and then have the time to check either breaston or hightower on nearly every play

one of the things we need to focus on is mixing up our coverage packages

when we blitz a lot, teams know we are blitzing.....when we dont blitz, teams know we are not blitzing......mixing it up is going to be key to our success

the cardinals average less than 100 yards rushing per game.....we need to make sure they dont get over 100 yards.....we must make them 1 dimensional

blitzing off the weak side where we are missing charles grant is going to be huge.....that will leave will smith 1 on 1 with the backup LT due to the line shift and that will hopefully give him the advantage

OFFENSE

Offensively we need to control the ball......carl nicks will have his hands full with darnell docket and #74 is going to get a major dose of chike okeafor off the edge.....this will be our biggest issue which is also drews blind side......i expect a lot of protection packages on that side

matching robert meachem up with pro bowler rodgers-cromartie will be key to our passing game.....cromartie bites on double moves and pump fakes more than any other DB in the league......and we all know what meachems strength is

no matter who our leading running back is, he needs to have at least 80 yards followed closely by our 2nd back.....we must control the clock and the ball....

i agree with your score prediction

Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

Canton, great call on Hightower - I knew he was up there but had no idea he's 2nd among all RB's.

I agree with you that 'mixing it up' is the key to confusing Warner and making him dump passes.

Shanle and Fujita will have their hands full. I disagreed w you on Shanle last year, but he's one of the most underrated LB's. I think he can limit Hightower's YAC.

By the way - Cowherd picked Zona yesterday. Boo!

Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhoDatQB (Post 191663)

Leave it to me to be the jackass.

At the top of Mount Everest the pressure would be less than at sea level. At least I think. LOL

Fixed it....

(dick)

LOL - Just kiddin man!! :p

Re: HOW do you stop the Cards? My analysis and prediction.

Our pressure has to come up the middle. Blitzing from the outside doesn't bother Warner much cause very few get to him. Crash the middle with Harper or Vilma but whomever blitzes the other has to cover the underneath dump offs. That's where Doucet ate up the Pack.