Saints Game Previews & Analysis - pre-game Intel

[Sean Payton's Vicodin]

Welcome back been wondering when you'd pop in this week and I know that had to hurt typing it out. Said in another thread now you guys know what we went thru lately. Hardy drama=Galette drama, Hurney bad drafting and contracts=Loomis bad drafting and contracts, and the salary cap hells. Delhomme crashed faster and harder than Brees but time is catching up to him, too. Kind of feel bad for you since I know how much all that hurt, however, you know, division rivals and stuff. You know what I mean

poor saints :(

they were relevant for a decade and won a super bowl title and are just now crashing back down. i'll fly my flag outside half mast in remembrance.

[saints4lifeagain]

Saints may get lucky and get Lewis, Byrd, and Ellerbe back this week.

[Icege]

I get the opposite feeling for KB_fan threads that I get for PanthersUnited threads

 

Keep up the good work (when you're not working, of course!)

[ed bell]

Blue Goose Quality thread

[O-Ther]

Saints may get lucky and get Lewis, Byrd, and Ellerbe back this week.

Interesting injury report for you today

Saints Injury Report:
Did Not Participate

S Jairus Byrd (Knee)
WR Brandin Cooks (Ankle)
G Jahri Evans (Knee)
DB Keenan Lewis (Hip)

Limited

QB Drew Brees (Shoulder)
LB Dannell Ellerbe (Toe)

l'll be watching that ankle injury of Cooks very closely

 

[Carolina Cajun]

Saints may get lucky and get Lewis, Byrd, and Ellerbe back this week.

Ellerbe could help, but Lewis and Byrd aren't gonna make a dramatic difference in the outcome of the game IMO.  The panthers are terrible at WR, but good thing for us is the Saints front 7 is putrid and we should be able to run.  I know yalls secondary catches a lot crap from saints fans, but honestly you can't cover forever in today's NFL and between Cam Jordan's injury and cutting Jr Galette, yall are incredibly thin or basically non-existent from the pass rush perspective.

On offense, I haven't seen the Saints play this year (been busy watching the panthers), but the thing that's stuck out to me from the stat sheet is the run/pass%.  The Saints sunk a ton of money (Money they don't really have mind you) into the run game this offseason and moved on from Graham and Stills, yet Brees has thrown the ball like 85 times in 2 games.  I'm sure some of that is from playing behind, but I'd venture to guess there were multiple times when the saints had the opportunity to run the ball and they passed.  If the Saints want to be successful, their Run/Pass ratio needs to be closer to 50/50, or hell I think 40run/60pass could even work.

All of that said, Anything is possible, but the Panthers personnel just matches up well with the saints right now, your front 7 is weak and our O-line and run game is our strength.  Brees can't push the ball down the field  and that means he's gonna pass into the teeth of our zone defense.  If yall would choose to try to run, you're choosing to try to take on one of the best front 7's in the NFL.  My prediction for this weekend is the Saints come out with fight, we take a couple body blows in the first half from a desperate team, but panthers finish off winning like 23-17.

[Frizzy350]

I remain astounded by how much confidence Saints fans continue to have in Peyton & Loomis after they have ruined the last few years Brees has left with awful drafting and FA decisions.  They have been in denial for the last several years that their spending was unsustainable with a salary cap, and it has been worsened by really bad drafts and the fact Brees (while still very good) is not the "rising-tide -lifts-all-boats-force" he was for years.

 

I disagree with this.  I think the Saints figured they have to start from scratch when Brees' final days were up.  Might as well go on a spending spree and try to win another Superbowl while you still have him.  You are back at square one when he retires, your screwed anyway, who cares about your salary cap?  Suck a few seasons, clear the cap space, draft a new QB, rebuild.

[KB_fan]

Here's a Times Picayune discussion of the game, admitting that it doesn't look promising for the Saints with or without Brees and with our without Luke.

It also contains video & audio links to Drew Brees' press availability yesterday

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2015/09/drew_brees_luke_kuechly.html

[KB_fan]

Haven't read this yet.  But posting the link here in case it's of interest.  I plan to read it later today.

B/R Carolina - New Orleans game preview

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2571445-saints-vs-panthers-full-carolina-game-preview

[d-dave]

My biggest worry with the Saints is going to be their offense and how they spread the field.  If Luke is out, they are going to find more holes in our defense when they spread us out.  That's going to take blockers away, and we'll need Ealy, Johnson, Short and Co to come out and take advantage of those passing situations.  Or keep their hands in the air.  If they can get Cooks in space, we don't have the speed in the back 4 to keep up.

That's the biggest thing I'm worried about.  If a miracle happens and Luke can play at a high level, then I'll feel much better about our Defense.

Offensively, we just have to keep pounding the ball at them.  Take some shots, convert 3rd downs, but we can wear that defense out and pile up the rushing yards and eat the clock.

Say what you will about Payton and his coordinators, but they do know how to call a game and attack a defense.  That's my biggest fear this week.