D_it_up

I'm going to run down what the Saints have done against #1 receivers on a team when both Porter and Greer have been healthy.

Week 1, Calvin Johnson: 3 rec., 90 yards (one was a big one for 64 yards early on; other than that, relatively quiet.)

Week 2, DeSean Jackson: 4 rec. 101 yards (one big 71 yarder early....again relatively quiet after

Week 3, Lee Evans/Terrell Owens: I'll throw both in there since they are about equals at this point in their respective careers. Combined for 4 rec and 31 yards. Oh, yeah. That was all Lee Evans since T.O. didn't catch anything but cold.

Week 4, Jerricho Cotchery: 5 catches, 71 yards. Decent game, but nothing major. Only two other receivers had more than one catch in that game.

Week 6, Steve Smith: 4 rec, 44 yards. Shut down all day long. Hakeem Nicks had the best game of the Giants receivers with 5 rec, 114 yards. However, 3 rec, 102 yards and a score from DAVID CARR came when the game was already well out of reach.

Week 7, Ted Ginn, Jr.: 2 rec, 16 yards. Manhandled all day. Their leading receiver was Brian Hartline with 3 rec for 94 yards. One big pass play of 67 yards.

Week 8, Roddy White: 4 catches, 108 yards. The only TD scored on either Porter or Greer ALL YEAR! Not going to whine about the non-call for offensive pass interference. Other than that play, they held White to 3 catches and 40 yards.

Now we skip to the playoffs. This is the first game that really mattered where Greer/Porter played in the secondary together because they were both healthy

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals playoff game: 6 rec, 77 yards. Didn't get his first catch until late in the 2nd quarter. They shut down the scoring machine. Never even sniffed the end zone.

Finally....

Sidney Rice, Vikings playoff game: 4 rec, 43 yards. This guy had a field day against the Cowboys the week before and the media said their secondary was better than ours? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

I know stats before this game don't mean a thing, but I did all that research to say all this. The Saints' corners have relatively silenced most #1 receivers all season. The proof is there. In those 10 games listed above, the #1 receivers were limited to 36 receptions for 581 yards and ONE TD! That's it! One friggen' score! This averages out to be 3.6 receptions at a 16.1 yard per catch clip and 58.1 yards per game.

Reggie Wayne is an elite receiver but he is not Superman. He was on my fantasy team, so I know of quite a few games where he was a non-factor. I know Peyton has the ability to make his other receivers better, and I'm not taking anything away from Dallas Clark, because he is the best receiving TE in football. However, his next two targets are both rookies and have yet to face the ball-hawking style of defense that the Saints secondary plays. I stress again....ROOKIES! Their nerves are going to be through the roof on the grandest stage of them all. Mistakes can be forced.

I'm not projecting a win. I'm not even going to predict a score this time. This game scares me more than any we have played yet, mainly because Peyton Manning is behind center on the other side. However, I do think that the Saints can play the same style of ball-stripping defense to cause turnovers that they have done all year. The Colts may win this game, but it WILL NOT be easy.

*Edit* In short, contain Wayne, have Vilma and Harper clog up the middle against Clark, and the other two rookie receivers will make mistakes. If this happens, we will win.