good to see another team interested in what our main blogger has to say and good to see a nice friendly exchange here (much different then the last 3 games against ny teams)

geaux saints

I feel smarter just by looking at the font. I don’t even have to read anything. The knowledge just permeates my skin, sinks into my cerebrum, and enhances my overall ability to decipher true football knowledge from the false.

Bless your soul Matty and bless your benevolence.

Saints/Dolphins. Due to the Broncos’ bye, this is the game I’m looking most forward to. It’s a shame that FOX wants those of us in Utah to watch Cowboys-Falcons in the late window instead of this game. While the Falcons are the real deal, Dallas is not and while I’m looking forward to Matty Ice, Michael Jenkins, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and Jerious Norwood giving the Cowgirls a potential beatdown, this game will be even more fun. I’m so intrigued to see how successful the Dolphins are with the Wildcat against a stout NO defense. Also, Drew Brees against a young, but talented secondary will be fun to watch. If the Miami defensive line can somehow dent an underrated Saints O-line, things can get really interesting. May the best team win as I like both squads.

Bringing lots of pressure against Drew is a recipe for disaster. I don’t know the exact numbers, but Brees is near perfect when defenses blitz. That’s not to say Miami shouldn’t blitz at all, but I think it has to be done a very particular way to be effective.

Basically, I think the key to success is to play 2 deep safety coverage to make sure Brees can’t go downfield, drop one or more LBs into coverage against the TEs, and blitz primarily in unexpected situations. Payton will have plays dialed up to take advantage of blitzes in the likely situations (3rd and long, for instance). It’s a tough defensive plan to stick to, because it does sacrifice a lot of run coverage, but in the end it will probably be worth it if Miami can get their offense clicking. Buffalo was pretty successful with this kind of defense, but an inept offense coupled with a failure to adjust to lots more running in the second half killed them.

culpeper over brees!

That the fans here are much more respectful than other blogs/areas that i’ve read from.

Anywho,first I just want to wish y’all goodluck in the game this Sunday,it’s sure to be one heck of a game!
The thing i’m worried most about is the wildcat formation yall run so effectively,the Saints gave up around a 4.4 avg against the Giants last week,and the running back tandom of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams is better than that of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw (I believe that’s his name?) but hey,that’s my opinion.

Looking back at the Dolphins – Colts game,the Phins should have won the game,they dominated the TOP by far,and if not for a missed catch by Ginn,the game would have been theres. Do I think that it could come down to an almost replay of that game this weekend? Possibly,but I do believe the Saints offense is a little better than the Colts,especially depth wise.

I’m hoping the Saints D can stop the rushing attack you guys have,if they do..it’s going to be another blowout win for the Saints as I don’t feel Henne can keep up with Brees in the passing game putting up 7 pts constantly.

However,if the Dolphins can establish the running game effectively throughout the game and keep Brees and co. off the field,it’s going to turn into a long game for the Saints.

Goodluck this Sunday :)

This game is actually going to do a lot of things, and very well could be a glimpse at the future of this franchise.

1) There is a very good chance we’re going to see exactly what Henne can do with that big arm of his. I had to say it, but I see us having to drive and come back from a 14 pt deficit in this game. This is only Henne’s 3rd start, but we’re probably going to get to see him wing the ball around quite a bit. We’ll get a feel for his accuracy under pressure, decision making skills when playing from behind, and a good feel for his composure (if we didn’t get enough of that during the Jets game). I think this will be a good starting gauge to see a lot about Chad Henne.

2) Our Wide Receivers. Look, its no secret we are loaded with #2 talent wide receivers. We know we have people that can catch the ball on those crucial downs. But this is going to be a game, where we’re going to NEED them to catch on those crucial downs. We’re going to need them to find a way to get open. I need to see a lot of Mr. Ted “Opps” Ginn Jr this game (and we all know I’m critical of him), he needs to break some coverage and make some big catches. No more 7 yard outs and then smurfing out of bounds. Was that catch and throw against the Jets something we can expect frequently, or was it a fluke? I need to see Hartline, Bess, and Camarillo continue to find the open slot in the coverage and make the critical 3rd downs. We’ll get a good gauge on the development of Hartline this game, as I think Chad will look his way in a pinch.

3) Our Secondary is a still rebuilding. I don’t think anyone feels we are “up to snuff” in the safety position, and our ILB’s are shaky at best in coverage. They can do a lot this game to help secure their positions next year on this roster. I know we signed some decent size contracts but if they can’t cover, and they can’t tackle, we might just need to take the hit on this one. The middle of our defense is going to be tested like crazy this game. Not only will they have to cognizant of the routes the Saints receivers are running, but they damn sure better know where they are on the field (down and distance), and better have one eye on Shockey and Bush, as Matty pointed out.

4) Our Defensive Line has played solid…. we’ve noted all year long that we aren’t’ getting the pressure on the QB. In this game, I’ll settle for a lot of Hurries, and Knock downs. We don’t NEED to get the sack, but I want to see Brees on the ground A LOT. His composure is one of the best in the business, and it may not help at all. But I want to at least give him a reason to possibly “expect the hit” before throwing his passes, a slight hesitation, a slightly off-the-mark pass….gives us a much better chance of defending it.

5) Pierre Thomas is the real deal. This guy is a power runner and makes play after play after play. I wish we could see Bush in the backfield more often, but we’re not going to get that lucky. Our D Line has to come off the blocks and seal those gaps.

6) Ricky and Ronnie….. just do what you do.

Anyway, just my thoughts.