New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

It's not often that a team can register eight sacks in a game. Eight teams in the league, including the New Orleans Saints, haven't even hit that mark yet this season.

So when Jahri Evans and Terron Armstead were asked the last time they could recall such a game happening, they both scratched their heads.

"It had been a while I think," Armstead said.

Added Evans: "It's been a long time."

At least until last Sunday.

Armstead, who was enjoying his bye last week, caught only a few minutes of the Detroit Lions win against the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions harassed rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater all day, forcing him to the ground eight times and pressuring him into three interceptions.

Things might not be so easy against Drew Brees. Brees has never been sacked eight times, although he's come close. Last season, he had four games where he was sacked at least four times, and was sacked six times against the Carolina Panthers when rookie left tackle Armstead joined the lineup.

Brees has only been sacked four times all this season.

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Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

More sacks and less interceptions, or no turnovers or sacks.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

I think it should read, "Detroit Lions face formidable challenge against Saints offense", but who am I? I'm with Evans & Armstead ... I can't remember the last time the Lions recorded eight sacks in a game or Suh even got two, :scratchhead:.

Let's talk "coverage sacks" ... 'Touchdown' Teddy Bridgewater probably could have avoided quite a few of those 8 sacks had he the wherewithal to chuck it to the sidelines. But then I thought I see comments Brees throwing INTs by trying to avoid the 'coverage sack'?

Now there's a huge difference between Brees & Bridgewater ... is Drew trying to force plays or not throwing it away properly? (Stafford frequently has on both counts & got himself in trouble).

This is probably where the game is gonna' be won/lost, IMO ... if the Lions can force some kind of pressure on Brees and their anemic offense can generate maybe three or more touchdowns, they got a chance. If they can't (and how many times have we seen Drew shred a defense like Detroit's?), I don't think the NO defense will have that much difficulty with the Lions offense.

There'll be some fireworks for sure & I'm figuring Drew'll go down once, maybe twice, but if the O/L has managed to keep him upright all but four times thus far this season, it's a good sign they'll probably manage to keep the Lions at bay, for the most part, :neutral:.

JMO.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Brees is a pure pocket passer. Polar opposite of Teddy

The Lions D will work to get a push up the middle, then "hands up".

I expect to see a lot of dink and dump from Sean Payton or timing / crossing routes.

To me, this game is on our Defense. They're facing a familiar system and players. Must limit scores.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Unluckily for the Lions, Brees threw his bone-headed pick 6 in the last game. Hopefully that is still front-of-mind and he doesn't repeat it.

Brees will be harassed, but he checks off and hits his first read as well as anybody.
Saints 31-21 (7 Prater FG's)

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

this a game were the war will be won in trenches for both sides.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Lions are pretty solid on the defensive side of the ball.
We have to keep them honest by running the ball.
Everyone knows Brees will be 7 deep, we have to make their front 7 pause...
and not just tee-off b-lining to that spot.
I would be glad to see good tackling and good angles this week.
Even that would be an improvement. Everything else would be gravy.
If Reggie goes for a buck-fifty we lose.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Agreed, I can't see him having that kind of game with those mistakes again.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

We will all know how the rest of the season is gonna go by how we play this week. We either play saints football or we don't.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

This is a fallacy. Each game of the season is a mini episode onto itself. The performance (good or bad) in one game does not readily translate into equal performance in the subsequent game or games?

How many times this season has a team that had been crowned fallen (Seattle, Cinncinatti)? Or a team that has left for dead all of a sudden become a top contender again (Green Bay, New England)?

I went to the Atlanta game the first game of the season. After that game one would have thought that the Lombardi had been graced upon the 'Clowns and that the Saints season was over. It's 5 weeks later and take a look at the standings.

There's a reason most atheletes and coaches stick to the "one game at a time" mantra. An NFL season really isn't a 16 game season over 17 weeks. It's 16 one week seasons, each unique and special.

Here's the simple fact: The Saints win Sunday and the Panther's take another loss (against a very tough opponent on the road) and the Saints will be up 0.5 games in the loss column.

It's not going to be that if we spank the Lions, we will instantly have another LombardiGras. Or if we make mistakes that the season is lost.

However, right at this moment the Lions game is the most important game of the Saints season. Why? Because it's the next game.

SFIAH

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Question: When is the last Saints game that you've seen where that formula has actually been used? My memory is a bit hazy...

SFIAH

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

There's a lot of truth in what you just said, and I for one agree with this 100%. The issue is this is the 6th game of the season and I haven't been impressed with our play in any of the games, so if the effort we have seen in the first 5 games continues after the bye, then I think I am absolutely correct

Nothing about that is a fallacy

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Fallacy may be a bit strong, but I can't help but think if our defense had just made one key stop in each game this season we'd be 5-1.

2 of our 3 losses could have easily, and I mean VERY easily gone the other way and we'd be 5-1 discussing how our defense has dodged some bullets but stepped up when needed.

I don't think we're as bad a team as our record indicates, but we're playing as bad as our record indicates. If that makes sense.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

we'd be 4-1, but would you feel good about it? I wouldn't

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

This, and that is why I said we will be able to tell exactly what to expect if we get the same effort we did the first 5 games.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Exactly. Our defense allowed game winning/OT forcing drives in both of the ATL/CLE games.

We don't even need a great defense to win. Honestly, if we could just have a mediocre/average defense, the offense would take care of the rest.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

true, and that is what seems so bad. I swear it is the line again this year. drew has no time. although he has limited sacks, I saw n article where his hurries are crazy.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

if we could get half of what we got from our d last year and our o would play the way it normally does, we'd run away with the division

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

But the flip side to the offense is true also. Throwing pick-6's and red zone interceptions and having critical drive killing fumbles and drops isn't real conducive to winning either.

The Saints need to play perfect football to be a great team. It may be too much to expect right now. But a team that simply cut down on mistakes on both sides of the ball could easily be formidable down the stretch.

I believe (and hope) that message has been drilled into everyone over the bye.

SFIAH

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Had a dream Joe Morgan caught two TD's this week. :)

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Huh? ...

http://omgreds.com/wp-content/upload...1973-topps.jpg

... (I know who you're really talking about, ;))

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

That's what I am hoping SFIAH.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

I think you missed my point. I'm not arguing one way or the other if running the football is the path to success. I too believe that the Saints would benefit from both running the ball more and more effectively.

My point is you have an offensive brain trust in Payton, Carmichael, and Brees that's been in place for 8 seasons now. The offense is etched in granite. It's an offense that from 2006 on has piloted the team to winning, elite, and championship level football.

My point is that wishing for a fundamental change isn't going to make it happen. At this point it would literally take flushing out the entire organization to effect such a fundamental change.

Currently what the Saints do well is run the ball effectively. They are #2 in the NFL at 5.2 YPA.

Also we always have this discussion as if the Saints do not run the ball at all. Or that each and every pass isn't a screen or a long handoff. It isn't really like the Cowboys are having 55 rushes per game and the Saints have 3. The actual numbers up until now is 33 attempts vs. 25 attempts. Note the 33 APG is tops in the NFL

So will 8 more rushes per game really make the Saints offense the absolute unbeatable juggernaut that will only end at the Lombardi Trophy?

As for QB and WR, history is changing. With the lopsided tilt of the rules to the offense in today's NFL "in the name of player safety" we will soon have 6000 yard passers, 25 TDs per year for receiver/TE and 60 TD/yr QBs. In the next 10 years, running the football on offense will simply be a distraction from the passing game. That's why there is so much emphasis in QBs and WR.

My bet is that there will never be another Trent Dilfer winning the SB. Not in today's climate.

Now I will admit that sometimes Brees and Payton get a bit pass happy. 57 pass attempts in any game is way way too much.

But the perceived lack of rushing really isn't the problem for the offense. The real problems are failure to convert red zone opportunities into TDs and turnovers.

Fix those two, along with the defense getting a stop or turnover a bit more often, and you'll see more of the rushing attack because the team will be executing that rushing attack in the 8 minute drill in the 4th quarter of games.

BTW, I see what you did. You didn't answer my question...

SFIAH

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

2010 Green Bay Packers. Running game in the 20s in every category that season. Middle of the pack in the playoffs.

SFIAH

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

I think its mush simpler than that.

We have an A offense and a D defense.

Its not too difficult to see which side of the ball needs the most attention.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

I disagree. We have a B- offense and a D defense.
Both sides needs attention. An 'A' offense scores when the red zone and doesn't give the ball away. I really want the Saints to have an 'A' offense for the rest of the season.

A 'B' defense gets off the field on third down, doesn't give up the big play, gets a turnover every once in a while, like once a game, contains the run, and pressures the QB. At this point I'd take a 'B-' or a C defense that does many of these items on a consistent basis.

An 'A' offense wins games, not lose them. The offense was just as much to blame in the Atlanta and Cleveland losses as the defense.

I really hope not to see those kinds of mistakes going down the stretch.

SFIAH

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Just my opinion, but you are out of your freaking mind if you think the offense was just as much to blame as our defense for those 2 losses, especially the Atlanta loss where our defense gave up nearly 600 yards.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Yards do not define wins and losses. Points do. Brees threw a red zone interception in the Atlanta game. He threw a pick-6 at Cleveland. Colston fumbled the ball in the Atlanta game. The only reason that we are not discussing the two awful interceptions in the Tampa game is that we finally walked away with a win.

I know that the team was up in both games up until the end of regulation. However, with mistake free ball by the offense, we may have been up enough that it did not require the defense to make a stop. The fact is that the defense was in exactly the same situation in the Tampa game because Brees threw those two terrible interceptions, including the pick-6. It just so happens that the defense did step up and get the safety that got us back in the game. But honestly if Brees had simply eaten the ball on those two plays, the game would not have been nearly as close a call as it ended up being.

Read it again, carefully please. I'm not saying that the defense is off the hook. They were terrible. I'm saying that the offense made critical mistakes to put the team in a position that winning the game depended on the terrible defense having to make a stop.

Regardless of the defense the offense has three jobs: score points, limit turnovers, and manage the 4 minute offense effectively. Those are their jobs to protect an inconsistent defense.

They have not been doing their job. So they deserve some of the blame.

SFIAH

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

You didn't say they deserve some of the blame, you said they were equally to blame.

The offense wasn't perfect and no one said they were, but to say the offense played equally as bad as the defense is ridiculous.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

I agree the offensive turnovers need to stop, Drew has made some questionable decisions this year that he doesn't normally make. Even still, the defense is a much bigger detriment to the team than the offense is at the moment.

Re: New Orleans Saints face formidable challenge against Lions defense
 

Super Bowl Winners
yards/game rank.

2013 - Seahawks - 4th
2012 - Ravens - 11th
2011 - Giants - 32nd
2010 - Packers - 24th
2009 - Saints - 6th
2008 - Steelers - 23rd
2007 - Giants - 4th
2006 - Colts - 18th
2005 - Steelers - 5th
2004 - Patriots - 7th
2003 - Patriots - 27th
2002 - Buccaneers - 27th
2001 - Patriots - 13th
2000 - Ravens - 5th

In this century the top rushing team in the NFL hasn't won the Superbowl. No team in the top 3 in rushing has won.
The worst rushing team in the league has won the Super Bowl.
Since 2000, there have been 6 Super Bowl winners that have had top 10 rushing games and there have been 5 Super Bowl winners that have been in the bottom 10 in rushing.
The average rank of the Super Bowl winning teams rushing game is 15th.

Since the turn of the century, there doesn't seem to be a correlation between rushing yards per game and winning the Super Bowl.

It's always good to have a great rushing game, in the same way it's good to have great passing game, great special teams or great defense, but it's just part of a bigger picture. Every team is built differently.