Alright guys it is Wednesday-
 

We have enjoyed (and will continue to enjoy) the win, but lets start talking Colts. Do you think we can win, and if so, if not -why? I do, and I think we can because their D is not as good as Minny's, and I do not think they have the level of threats on O that Minny does. Their running game to be specific, and at the best they have an = amount. I think our defense is better than theirs, and if we protect the ball (and can handle being in the SB) we can win this game. I believe that Indy played two teams with a one dimensional Offense, and are yet to have to stop an O like ours. I also think we played a team better than they are this past week. Anyway- what do you guys think??

Re: Alright guys it is Wednesday-
 

I think we win if we show up. If Drew comes out with confidence, and the receivers stop "dropping" the balls! Yes, we caught some good passes Sunday against the Vikes, but we also dropped some key ones. I think our defense really rose to the occasion Sunday, and if they have just ONE MORE WEEK like that....forcing turnovers, etc., then we win. I think a whole lot of it is mental, and the guys are gonna have to find a way to calm their nerves and play ball!

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An interesting point to note has been raised many times over the years by players that have made it to the Super Bowl. To a man they have all said that the pressure felt in the Conference Championship game was many times greater than that experienced in the Super Bowl. I feel the lack of the normal sharpness that we saw against the Vikings was a direct affect of the added pressure. The Saints had everything to lose this past Sunday. They had made the Championship game just four years earlier, but fell short of the Big One. The pressure was on and they struggled with penalties, dropped balls and tentative passing. But, they won and now the pressure is off. It is all gravy now. Now is the time to go out and have fun. I think we are going to see the Saints clicking on all cylinders both offensively and defensively.

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Personally, if you asked me which team I'd prefer to play for all the marbles, Vikings or Colts, I probably pick the Colts.

The Vikings are built exactly like teams that we've struggled with since Brees/Payton arrived.

We just barely got past the physical smashmouth team, now we face a team I think we match up much better against.

As far as playing against these 2009 Saints, I think the Vikings were a tougher draw than the Colts will be.

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that true.. I think we got out of our game plan... A few 3rd and 1's and 2's for -yards. Those are the game changers

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If the Saints team that whupped the Patriots and the Cardinals shows, I think winning will be a "Brees". If it's the team that played Dallas or Tampa Bay 2........

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The Colts defense is a little under rated. Now hopefully this ankle injury will slow Freeney down a bit because I'm not sure Bushrod can handle his speed, I know he can handle his power but not sure on his speed. Our LB corp has to do a better job on covering the TE. Dallas Clark will tear us up if we cover him as poorly as we did against Shanicoe. I believe Porter and Greer can cover Garcon and Wayne and put Gay on Collie. Offensively I believe we can handle Indy provided that Payton and Brees are patient enough to take what the Colts cover2 allows. The Colts do change their packages and Brees is smart enough to change the play at the right time to catch them in the wrong coverage. Running will be tough but we do need to run the ball to keep them biting on play action. If we settle down and come out like the Saints we know we can be we win this game 38-24.

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From a Colts fan perspective...

The Colts pass defense is WAY tough. It has been all year. They give up very few big plays, and lead the league I believe in TD Passes allowed. They also have only given up 2 TD's off of turnovers all year, and one of those was the sack/fumble against the Jets after they pulled the starters. The defense only allowed the NFL's BEST rushing offense 86 yards last week. Sure the Saints are more balanced. granted... but the Colts Defense was #8 in the league for points allowed. And they are really stingy in the red zone.

No one can cover the Colts receiver corps man to man down the line. Sure Darrell Revis covered Wayne... but the other guys lit them up. LB's have a REAL tough time covering Clark. He's too fast for LB's and too big for most BD's. Then there is Garcon and Collie. Both had great seasons, and are on page with Peyton, and all are playing with a lot of confidence. Not to mention the RB out of thebackfield, all of which are pretty good receivers too.

The Vikings tougher than the Colts? Please. the Colts were 14-2 and THREW away their shot at perfection. They simply tossed it away against the Jets, then again vs the Bills. They did that in the BEST division in the NFL (AFC South - check the stats if you doubt me).

I like the Saints. They surely are not the Ain't anymore. I like Drew Brees, I mean he's from Purdue after all. The Saints got a good shot. The Colts are gonna have to bring it, no doubt. But, I solidly believe the oddsmakers have it right with the Colts as the favorite.

Either way... a great organization will win. Congrats to everyone involved.

Jabba

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The only thing that scares me about this Colts team is P.M...We have an equal passing game..better run game...way more physical D..and better special teams..Only way we lose is if we beat ourselves...We get after cookie boy and we take this game...Yes Indy has a fast D...but our offense is way more physical than the Jets ...Im thinking positive and seeing things for what they are...Dont let the talking heads..fool you.... we match up well with the My Ponies...The Texans should have beat them twice this year.. but they are way to mistake happy were not ..so bring on Cookie boy..Mr McCray has something to say!!!

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Actually, the Colts finished the regular season ranked in a four way tie for fewest passing TD's allowed (19) with Dallas, Washington and Houston. The Saints, on the other hand, finished the season in solo possession of 5th place in the rankings with 15 TD's allowed. One important point to note is that only ONE of those 15 came against CB's Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter (64 yarder by Roddy White on a push off that was not called). Greer and Porter missed a combined 12 games.

As for red zone stinginess, the Colts were tied for 12th with Carolina for Opponents Red Zone Scoring Percentage (ORZSP) at 50%. The Saints were ranked 3rd in the NFL at ORZSP at 42.2%.

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The Saints need to turn in a better offensive performance against the Colts to win the game. Only 15 first downs in the last game....not enough to win most games. There were several missed opportunities in the game after the defense forced some turnovers. The offense would go out there and go 3 and out. We have to have a better clock management, have more 3rd down conversions and the defense has to turn in another great performance.

I think I said it a few days ago when a lot of people were concerned about Drew's play in the game. Drew didn't play bad, he just didn't let it fly like he usually does. I really believe Drew was trying to manage the game and didn't want to make mistakes. He didn't want to be the reason the Saints didn't make it to the SB. He didn't take the chances he usually does. Well, that pressure is gone. The NFC Championship is sewn up and Drew will air it out in the SB. I think we will see Drew being Drew in the big game. I don't think that the Colts can get in the way of fate. The Saints will win this game.

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From a match-up standpoint against the Saints... YES the Vikes are tougher.

Tougher doesn't mean better. But the Vikings absolutely dominated us on 3rd and short. We finished 3 of 12 on third down conversion. It was like trying to run through a brick wall. The Colts are not quite as stout along the front as the Vikings are. I don't think we struggle as much on 3rd and short against the Colts.

The Colts are the best team in football, but I stand by my statement that the Vikes were a tougher "match-up" for our personnel.

You guys also don't have the run game that Minnesota does. They averaged 5.8 YPC against us. And I also doubt that we'll be penalized for 88 yards again, with most of those penalties on 3rd down giving the Vikes 1st downs.

We had twice the penalties and twice the penalty yardage we normally have.

Re: Alright guys it is Wednesday-
 

I will start here:

Shockey need to play the way he did in 1Q against Arizona.
Coleston needs to land with the ball still in his hands.
Reggie needs to Show up.
Everyone needs to play like this is their last game.

To the Colts fan:

On Turnovers: The Vikings came into that game feeling the same way. They were not going to turn it over like everyone else did. I will quote Warren Sapp " The Saints lead in scoring because of their Defense getting turn overs, the VIKINGS will not turn the ball over". WRONG

On QB: You have an epic quarterback. We faced two of near equality in the last two weeks and heard the same (Saints do not stand a chance against Epic Quarterbacks with playoff and SB experience like Warner and Farve) WRONG

At this point stats do not matter. The winner will be the team that shows up and commits the least fatal errors. It is about Smart Football not hard forceful football.

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the onlything that worries me is PM..we need to drop his arse to the ground like we did to brett...and he doesnt throw those INT's like brett did...PM is the key

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The Saints have to keep Manning off the field. I hope that the Saints use a lot of PT. To me, PT is the key to a Saints win.

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When PM starts to worry you and keep you awake at night just think about BF and KW

http://media.nola.com/saints_impact/...d265_large.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2...1264403539.jpg

Re: Alright guys it is Wednesday-
 

They need to put Manning's pants on the ground, just like Favre Bean.

Turnovers will be huge again, just like in the Cards and Vikes games.

I'd include special teams as an Xfactor too, but our whole team is special.

:P

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LOL. I wonder if the Colts should even bother showing up. After reading this thread, I feel they have no chance.

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Y'all absolutely have a chance. The talking heads and others not in the know are already totally discounting the Saints. We are simply pointing out that there is much more to the Saints than many understand. The Colts have been able to overcome the media darkness of a small market through their recent success. New Orleans, on the other hand, is still a mystery to many.

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On paper, I can see why oddsmakers would pick the Colts over the Saints. They clearly have the better defense, and their offense is in many respects on par with ours, although we have the better run game. However, if our guys play loose and aggressive, they have a real shot to win the game. It will come down to turnovers. For all of our defense's shortcomings, they do create a lot of turnovers. I know the Colts don't usually turn the ball over, but that was also the case for Favre this season until we forced him into 2 INTs. If we can find a way to create turnovers and don't give the ball up, we will win. PM has been known to throw some picks. We have the ability to run on the Colts, which will open up our play-action passing game. Even though I would never say the Vikings are better than the Colts, our offense probably does match up better with the Colts' defense. They have more team speed than the Vikings, but they don't bring the same wood against the run. Now I know they stopped the Jets' running game, but that was because they could bring their safeties into the box, since the Jets' passing game wasn't much, and because Green got injured. Bring those safeties into the box and see what Drew Brees, as opposed to a rookie QB, does. Also, as odd as it sounds, I also think our D matches up better with the Colts' offense because their run game is not nearly as stout as Minnesota's, and that will make it easier for our defense to keep the game one dimensional. The Colts will score points, but if we play up to our capability, so will we. And if the D takes it away a couple of times, that could be all the edge we need. Geaux Saints!!!!! Who dat!!!!!!!! :bng:

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Yep, I second this.

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Lots of good points made in this thread. I think it's as simple as this: We ain't holding the Colts under 20, and the Colts won't be doing it to us either. A late kick, turnover, or ST play could make the difference. This is anybody's game.

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This is the best analysis of the game in the entire thread. Nobody knows who will make the handful of plays or mistakes that this game will turn on, but you can bet that both teams will put some points on the board against the other's defense. Unless Manning or Brees just has a really bad day, I can't see either team pulling away.

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Yup. I've got to agree. I expect both QB's will play quality ball overall. I don't expect many mistakes, but I do expect some and they will most likely be critical.

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Flip of the coin. Both sides are exceptionally good. Offensively, the 2 best QBs are coming in and Mr Manning is probably the best. Without any shadow of a doubt, the Colts will score and score some. But so will the Saints. The Saints will give up a big play or two in the air and the Colts will probably get one big play rushing. Can Manning escape the Saints secondary that will come and come again with the overall defense applying all-game pressure. I think not totally. If the Saints get two breaks there then along with the ST we have a game breaker. It is that close.

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I completely agree with this.

If we play like we did for the first 5 weeks we are golden! If we play like we did against Washington or the VIks we are screwed!!:doh:

Re: Alright guys it is Wednesday-
 

Colts can be held to 20 or less

1 Sun, Sep 13 Jacksonville W 14-12

8 Sun, Nov 1 San Francisco W 18-14

9 Sun, Nov 8 Houston W 20-17

11 Sun, Nov 22 @ Baltimore W 17-15

16 Sun, Dec 27 NY Jets L 15-29

17 Sun, Jan 3 @ Buffalo L 7-30

DIV Sat, Jan 16 Baltimore W 20-3



The Saints are better than those teams who held the Dolts to a low scoring game. Granted, Manning wasn't in two of those games...

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But the thing is, the colts have made a lot of changes. Let's cut through the BS. Both teams deserve to be here, and it should be a good game. The only thing I take away from this year is, that every game the Colts wanted to win, they have. I know there are no moral wins in the NFL, but we are undefeated when our starters play. Just sayin.

Remember Dallas? ;) Was that a real loss, or were you just playing with them?

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Yup! Just like you said. When our starters played. As key ones did not against Dallas. Good point!

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The colts are also undefeated when the starters play the whole game. So?

Don't you people realize the NFL is tough? People say that you "barely won" or "it wasn't convincing". Throw that stuff out the window. This is the big boys league last time I checked. There are millionaires on every team. Just because you don't "blow out" every team doesn't mean squat.

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So, you pulled your starters in that game? News to me. Can any other NO fans back him up?

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I can't remember if we actually pulled any starters, but we had a few out for injuries.

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The colts didn't even suit up 7 starters in that game. Most were on defense. But last time I checked, the saints tried to win that game. We all know the colts mailed in the last 2 games.

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Nope. Shockey, Greer and Eckel did not start. They were key loses. Then, Bush pulled up lame early in the game and had no impact at all. We were also missing other key special team and back up players. We were forced to play out of our offense. So, no, not pull players, but Dallas was an excellent team and when played at less than full force was a force.

That said, we lost by seven points and were driving to tie before the Ware strip.

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Listen, all I know is the 2 best teams this year, are going head to head. Are you kidding me? This is a dream matchup if you like offense.

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I agree. This is the superbowl match up, I wanted to see in 06, before the Bears "weather" ruined our chances.

This game is going to come down to defense. Whoever's defense shows up, will win this game. The Vikings can blame the refs, and bad calls all they want, but the stat that killed them, was the 5 turnovers. And guess who has the most redzone recovered turnovers in the league this year? You guessed it, the Saints. As said before, you can rack up the yards all you want from goal line, to goal line, but if you throw interceptions, or fumble when you get there, you are screwed.

I'm only saying this, because I've watched him, and with all of his talent, which is ALOT, Manning is NOT without his flaws. Just like Favre, Brees, Eli, or Romo, he makes mistakes, when he's under pressure. Get to him often, and early, and he will make bad throws. And our secondary LOVES bad throws. And honestly, I see this being the game plan on both sides. The Colts are going to try and do the same thing to us, because they recognize the same weakness.

Who's better against the blitz.... Manning, or Brees? I call this one a toss up this year. This is going to be a heckuva fight.

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Thing is... Manning is Stellar against blitzes as is our offensive line. The Jets got to him a little in the 1st quarter... but after that nothing. They adjusted, and protected Peyton perfectly. The way to get pressure on Manning IMO, is to have a D-Lineman beat someone mano y mano. You can't audible out of that. That is where any successful pressure will come from. You really can't scheme pressure on the Colts for very long. Those guys are smart. Not only Peyton and Tom Moore and Howard Mudd, but Jeff Saturday and the other O-linemen too. They are absolutely unbelieveable when it comes to protections, and figuring out how to read, pick up and beat blitzes.

I said in another thread I thought the whole game comes down to IF the Colts protect Manning or not. If they do... they win. If they don't they lose.

11 days till the most anticipated SB I can remember. When the Colts beat the Bears... I KNEW Chicago has little chance. Even after Hester took the opening kicj off to the house. My wife was like... "Uh oh...". I told her relax. There is a LONG way to go. I still give the Bears about a 2% chance of winning this game. There was simply NO-ONE in the NFC that year that had a sporting chance to beat, whoever won the AFCCG. This year is different though. It's NOT a slam dunk for who wins. I believe the Colts have the edge... but its 60/40. not 98/2 like last time.

11 days to go.

Jabba

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Yep. I feel good about our ball club being able to "hang around" for all 4 quarters, which always gives you a chance to win, like vs. Redskins and Vikes.