2009 Schedule Preview: Week 1 vs. the Detroit Lions
by Saintsational on Jul 14, 2009 6:00 AM CDT
67 comments
We begin now with our early look at each of the Saints 2009 opponents. These posts will offer just a brief overview of each opponents off-season moves, detailing the more important ones, and quickly discuss how each team might match up against the Saints this year. We begin at the very beginning, a very good place to start: The Detroit Lions.
Of course we all know the story of the winless Detroit Lions of last year, right? Presumptuous Saints fans will consider this a sure win and an easy start to a Superbowl season. Well guess what...it's not 2008; the Lions are banking on that. That means anything can happen. Heck, if the Lions were in the NFC South, a first place finish in the division would be a lock. Fortunately they're not, but the Lions have nowhere to go but up. A new head coach, Jim Schwartz in his first season at the position, mixed with a heavily revamped team with a lot to prove, could be a dangerous combination. Let's take a look at how far the Lions have come and what we might expect right out of the box.
Lions Offense
It's not really possible to even begin to speculate on what the Lions offense will look like next season. With rookie quarterback Matt Stafford expected to be the starter from week one, there is sure to be a learning curve and a "getting to know you" period before anything begins to really click. This should be good news for the Saints, who get to play the Lions early and before they go on any sort of Cinderalla story-like tear.
Stafford will have some decent targets to throw to in Detroit. Though the Lions enter 2009 without Shaun McDonald or Mike Furrey, the team still has an incredible receiving threat in Calvin Johnson, they've added Dennis Northcutt, Bryant Johnson and Ronald Curry through free agency and drafted tight end Brandon Pettigrew late in the first round of the draft this year.
In the running department the Lions leading rusher, Kevin Smith, returns as the inevitable starter while newly acquired Maurice Morris should take over backup duties from Rudi Johnson, who is no longer with the team. They also added fullback Terrelle Smith.
The Saints defense may very well be going through their own transition period at the time with new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams calling the shots but they should still have the advantage in this matchup.
Lions Defense
The Lions defense finished dead last in so many categories last season; there is no place for them to go but up. With improvement needed everywhere, the team has attempted to add depth at nearly every position. Detroit upgraded their line with Grady Jackson to offset the loss of Shaun Cody, added veteran linebacker Larry Foote for help in the middle and signed Phillip Buchanon and Eric King to help stop the pass. They also drafted safety Louis Delmas with their third pick in the draft.
That being said, if the Saints offense can peform at nearly the same level as last year then expect the black and gold to win this matchup hands down.
Lions 2009 Season
0-16 record
Last Meeting
December 21, 2008
Week 16
1
2
3
4
OT
Final
Saints
14
14
14
0
0
42
Lions
0
7
0
0
0
7
Why the Saints can win
Because the Lions were really bad last year. Really bad.
Why the Saints can lose
Because the Lions have to win eventually.
Prediction
Saints 35 - Lions 10
Lions 2009 Season
0-16 record
Last Meeting
December 21, 2008
| Week 16 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Final |
| Saints | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Free Agent Pickups
RB Maurice Morris
WR Dennis Northcutt
WR Ronald Curry
WR Bryant Johnson
TE Will Heller
OT Daniel Loper
OT Jon Jansen
DE Jason Hunter
DT Grady Jackson
OLB Julian Peterson
ILB Larry Foote
ILB Cody Spencer
CB Phillip Buchanon
CB Eric King
CB/S Anthony Henry
2009 Draft Picks
QB Matt Stafford
TE Brandon Pettigrew
FS Louis Delmas
LB DeAndre Levy
WR Derrick Williams
DT Sammie Lee Hill
RB Aaron Brown
OT Lydon Murtha
OLB Zack Follett
TE Dan Gronkowski
Key losses
QB Jon Kitna
QB Dan Orlovsky
QB Drew Henson
RB Rudi Johnson
FB Moran Norris
FB Jon Bradley
WR Shaun McDonald
WR Mike Furrey
TE Dan Campbell
TE Michael Gaines
TE John Owens
OT George Foster
OT Junius Coston
OT Jon Dunn
DE Corey Smith
DT Cory Redding
DT Shaun Cody
DT Langston Moore
OLB Ryan Nece
OLB Alex Lewis
ILB Paris Lenon
CB Leigh Bodden
CB Travis Fisher
CB Stanley Wilson
Linkage
CSC: Saints @ Lions: Who Dat Say!?
CSC: Saints @ Lions: Making the Grade
Detroit Lions 2009 Transactions
2 recs |
67 comments
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Comments
Huh?
“Heck, if the Lions were in the NFC South, a first place finish in the division would be a lock. Fortunately they’re not”
Can’t say I’d go so far as to call them a 1st place lock in ANY division, though I do think they’ll be improved from 2008 considerably.
by coldpizza on Jul 14, 2009 6:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I believe the joke here is that in the NFC South the past few seasons, we’ve had a constant “worst to first” thing going on, the team that ends one season in last place is ending the next in first.
That said, if Detroit were in the NFC South, they’d break that trend…like a 3-year old knocking a Ming dynasty vase off a high shelf!
by GSO Saints Fan on Jul 14, 2009 6:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I like all three WRs
the Lions brought in. That’s a whole lot of speed and athleticism. They signed Keary Colbert late last season, also. Not the steadiest of performers, but another one who could present problems, if he breaks into the open field. Not sure what to expect out of Stafford. We’ll have a better idea by then, based on his exhibition play. Pettigrew should get a lot of looks early on, as Stafford becomes better acclimated to the speed of the game. Delmas seems like a steal in the 2nd. He’s someone I imagine the Saints would have seriously considered in the first, had they elected to trade down. Or had Jenkins and Orakpo both been off the board.
by coldpizza on Jul 14, 2009 8:57 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Delmas' Wonderlic
was pretty damn low. I don’t know if he has what it takes to develop into the “quarterback of the defense” that Gregg Williams wants. He may well be a good player for the Lions…but I no longer regret not being able to draft him. Not yet, anyway.
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Don't the supposedly
already have that in Vilma and/or Harper?
by coldpizza on Jul 14, 2009 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I reckon so
…and that was a big part of the reason why they never seriously targeted Delmas. But another big part of the reason was that he’s dumb as a bag of hammers.
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good write-up, one correction
and drafted tight end Brandon Pettigrew in the second round of the draft this year.
Pettigrew was a 1st-round pick (#20)
by n4ry4 on Jul 14, 2009 9:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
that is correct
thank you. The change will be made.
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by Saintsational on Jul 14, 2009 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Saints always seem to tank against lesser opponents
but I don’t think they can mess this one up. Lions are probably going to win some games down the stretch. The only way this one can be interesting is if our O-line sucks and our defense can’t get it together at all. I do not think that the Lions receivers are better than our d-backs anymore. I think Porter can cover just about anyone and I like the other guys on our team, at least going into the season. I do not think Stafford will be on target. He just kind of jacked the ball up most of the time at UGA and his excellent receivers could bail him out. I really don’t think he’ll have that kind of luck in the NFL but if he does it won’t be during the rookie season.
by xen-cuts on Jul 14, 2009 10:21 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Rude awakening on opening day
The Saints’ defense is going to be flying around. Stafford has probably never seen anything at all like a Gregg Williams defense—even Nick Saban’s defenses at the college level don’t compare to the speed, ferocity, and complexity of an attacking pro defense. Unless we’re totally discombobulated, Stafford’s going to take 3-4 sacks and throw a couple of picks. I see the Saints on top by three scores. Still—that’s an improvement over five scores in 2008.
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with you Mtn
Saban’s D was other than say Florida’s D the most NFL like talent (maybe USC) the 3-4 is a little change but similar aggressive style… with GW’s defense it think the game will go a lot like the UA-UGA game w/ Stafford getting rattled in the beginning and Saints pulling ahead and then him calming down in the second half and them getting some points.
Another thing Detroit has a very solid receiving core when Furrey gets healthy they WILL make Stafford look good (and that is who is going to get the credit and praise) you have Johnson, Furrey, Curry, Northcutt & Pettigrew (looks pretty damn good to me) as well as a solid RB to hand off too… if that O-line is half-way decent the Lions will definitely get a few wins and the damn media are gonna be Hot about Stafford wonder boy … it makes me sick already
by Norml912 on Jul 14, 2009 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
not too sure about that
“He just kind of jacked the ball up most of the time at UGA and his excellent receivers could bail him out. I really don’t think he’ll have that kind of luck in the NFL”
Just don’t forget about Calvin Johnson, the guy’s a beast and I think he will be the top receiver in the NFL by next year.
by J Rock on Jul 14, 2009 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah, me either
Stafford is often criticized for not matching his talent with production, but in his three years he was probably more plagued with his receiving corps’ bad hands than any other top-flight college quarterback in recent memory. Unlike, say, Jamarcus Russell, who could really just air it out to Dwayne Bowe or Buster Davis (that or a bubble screen, it always seemed), Stafford couldn’t rely on his receivers to actually catch the ball in clutch situations.
AJ Green was one of the SEC’s leading receivers last year, yes, and Mohammed Massoquoi was a draft pick, but both of them had Braylon Edwards-like inconsistency (ironically, Massoquoi is a Brown). This was most egregiously evident in the Florida and Alabama games, where all Stafford’s attempts at a furious comeback were ruined when Green and Massaquoi would drop balls on third downs. Consider the success Richt has had with wideouts at Florida State, and this is even more noticeable.
All this is to say, don’t rag on Stafford. He’s got talent, football IQ, dedication to study, and leadership ability. He won’t be another Jamarcus Russell (who has only one of those things), and he’ll be able to rely on a balanced attack against the Saints (Kevin Smith was really pretty promising as a rookie, and didn’t fumble much). Assuming that the Lions have any manner of a cogent offensive philosophy by Week One, this will be an early test for our defense. Say, for instance, that we do a zone blitz after the Lions have had some success rushing, and Stafford recognizes it—do you want to see Darren Sharper on an island against Calvin Johnson?
Anyways, their defense is still going to be very bad, as Jim Schwartz (a smart guy who has as good a chance as anybody of turning the team around) can’t pretend away his secondary’s lack of talent. Ernie Sims will have to generate a superhuman effort to pressure Brees, and even then their corners can’t hold up against our wideouts, and Reggie will probably have a field day if Foote mans up on him. I’ve got very little confidence in Delmas, whose propensity to jump routes will probably cost him against a wide-open, vertical offense. Saints take it by multiple touchdowns, but I’m not ready to pencil in a victory on the strength of our defense.
"They held somebody, but they sure didn't hold LaRon Landry."
by Walter FTW on Jul 14, 2009 1:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If the Lions can get him completing short passes in the flat
and get Jones rushing a little, they could have a chance to win this matchup. It’s all about the line play, as usual. I don’t see Stafford being able to throw over the top unless there is a blown coverage or something.
Maasoquoi seemed amazing in college. Green, too. I know they were up and down but when they played LSU they looked like #1 draft picks. Otherwise, I didn’t watch a log of UGA foosball.
by xen-cuts on Jul 14, 2009 4:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
well
True enough concerning line play. Concerning big plays deep—well, let’s just hope Darren Sharper is who we think he is. I was pretty high on him to begin with (and there’s no doubt that he’ll be an improvement, because we might as well have just not fielded a free safety last year) but Football Outsiders, whose analysis I tend to trust, stated flat out that Sharper can’t start anymore in this league. If he proves them wrong, and our line can really bring some heat, then we can probably run a Cover-2 shell effectively against Detroit, which is really Vilma’s (and David’s and Sharper’s, just while we’re on the subject) best scheme, and save our more interesting blitz packages for divisional opponents.
As for the Georgia receivers, they lit up a terrible LSU secondary, whose general greenness was compounded by the fact that the defensive line wildly underachieved. When they faced tough press corners with great safety help (Bama, Florida), they got knocked out of routes and got prone to dropping balls, usually when they most needed to catch them.
"They held somebody, but they sure didn't hold LaRon Landry."
by Walter FTW on Jul 14, 2009 4:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You're assuming Sharper DOES start
What if Usama Young starts?
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 5:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i think it's his spot to lose
for at least this first year
Superbowl bound!!!...I hope? Go Saints! :D
by skinnykinney on Jul 14, 2009 5:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1
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by Saintsational on Jul 14, 2009 5:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
is that kinda like "boom - rec'd it"?
I’ve been seeing that around the Chronic lately…
"Knock 'em the (- -) out!" - G Dub
by HansDat on Jul 14, 2009 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think it's his spot to lose, too
Number 2 receiver was Donte Stallworth’s job to lose. He lost it (coldpizza lost it too, and still hasn’t gotten it back).
The NFL is littered with starters who lost their jobs.
Now, I’m not saying I know anything in particular about Usama…but you never know. If Sharper really is washed up, I don’t think he’s going to fool Gregg Williams.
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 7:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
D-Sharp
still looked pretty good at mini-camp. As far as reads… since they weren’t running full speed. Maybe training camp will give us a better read.
by ReggieVilma on Jul 14, 2009 8:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Saints need savvy from Sharper, anyway.
We’ve had a bunch of dummies who are athletic (jason david) but we’ve lacked somebody with good game knowledge. Safety has got to be a position in which you can give up some athleticism due to age and still be able to use some of your smarts. At least, i think the corners we have now are going to be able to stick with receivers so sharper doesn’t end up single covering anybody very often.
Why isn’t Jenkins being mentioned more? Does everyone expect him to sit the bench all year? I have to admit that I haven’t kept up with news on him. Well, I only read CSC so if you guys aren’t talking about him then I know zip.
by xen-cuts on Jul 14, 2009 10:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Jenkins
seems resistant to playing safety over corner, and I don’t begrudge him for that, as it’s not a position he’s ever played. He and Porter look like our long-term options at corner, now that we’re MM-less.
Tanard Jackson is one example of a big corner successfully transitioning to free safety in college (Ronnie Lott is another), but just because those guys are good doesn’t necessarily mean that Jenkins will be at that position.
"They held somebody, but they sure didn't hold LaRon Landry."
by Walter FTW on Jul 15, 2009 5:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
thanks for the update
yeah, i think jd or one of our other guys who can’t cover worth a damn but can tackle and fly around pretty well would be a better conversion…
by xen-cuts on Jul 16, 2009 7:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
kinda
it just means “ditto” or I agree.
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by Saintsational on Jul 14, 2009 10:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll give you Vilma on that one...
but not anyone else. The rest of our defense is guilty of sucking until proving that the new coaching can live up to the hype. I don’t think the Lions have a choice on their playcalling. They are insane if they try to make Stafford toss deep balls that early, even with CJ running around out there. But then again, it’s the Saints…so passing a lot is a great idea.
Talent is obviously on the Saints’s side. This game is really a solid chance for the Saints to shoot themselves in the foot. Remember last season when they managed to effectively win about 14 games before inexplicably breaking down and losing? It’s not like we ever really got beaten down last year. We just beat ourselves.
Starting off well against the Lions might be just the shot in the arm this team needs to turn the corner and start really hammering out some wins. I hope our execution turns this into an exhibition by the middle of the 3rd quarter when, after we’re up by 5 touchdowns, Harrington and AARP can play and Mike Bell can carry us home.
by xen-cuts on Jul 14, 2009 11:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Any Given Sunday
ANYBODY can win in this league, EVEN the lions. As long as the Saints know this and respect this and not go into this thinking oh it’s the lowly lions who didn’t win a game last year we can and WILL go there and take care of business.
by BigTMill on Jul 14, 2009 11:46 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Let's hope
that never crosses a Saints coach’s mind. The Saints’ magical power is laying down for “weak” teams.
by FuSoYa on Jul 14, 2009 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Historically
they’ve lain down for strong teams pretty well, too.
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah those too.
Maybe their magical power is just laying down
by FuSoYa on Jul 14, 2009 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
they've got a real matchup problem with the Lions, though...
The Lions are today’s best at lying down. Period. I think they have more magic for now.
Gawd I hope this season gets us to the playoffs…
by xen-cuts on Jul 14, 2009 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I would seriously be worried about that if...
It didn’t happen to be the first game of the season, in the Dome. I think the positive emotions and psychological benefits from the fact it is the season opener, at home, will trump any possibility of a letdown by the Saints. If this game was in Week 4, then I’d be worried…
Who IS the Stig?
by Hollywoo! on Jul 14, 2009 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Lions
should have a much-improved passing game this year, but I doubt that will gel in week one with a rookie QB. I didn’t think much of Stafford anyway, but he does have receiver talent and a running game around him. I do fear the Saints D this year will get softer against the run, as we skewed so heavily toward stiffening the pass defense and pass rush this offseason. Maybe the Saints D will be better, maybe not. As long as the offense is as good as last year, balanced or not, there’s small chance we lose a shootout. I think the only routes to a loss for the Saints are if their defense drops that final third in rank, and/or if Payton actually decides to push the running game, and it turns out we really don’t have one. Oh yeah, and losing the turnover differential.
by FuSoYa on Jul 14, 2009 11:52 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
i think, in the end we will be about the same rank vs the run
by Norml912 on Jul 14, 2009 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I tend towards a little weaker.
Our LB’s are as exploitable as ever, our DE’s are, in my understanding, more catered to speed than push, and it remains to be seen if our “new, improved” secondary has any run support capabilities. I think Detroit will have to come out 60/40 run/pass, and take a few chances deep. Smith provided a serviceable running game last year, and they added Grady Jackson to the line. If they’re clever, they might try draws against us if we really do blitz as much as they say. Detroit will be watching Stafford, and New Orleans will be watching Gregg. If Harper is gunning for the QB, that just leaves Vilma behind the line with any tackling prowess to speak of, or vice/versa. But maybe G-Dub is as good as they say, and his new kids will beat Shwartz’s new kids. It’s just got heartbreaker written all over it, and the Saints have to let me down at some point, if my deep scars of memory serve.
by FuSoYa on Jul 14, 2009 1:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Paul Spicer and Rod Coleman have anything left in the tank
we may actually be stronger against the run. Plus, it’s our pass support capabilities in the secondary that are really important—because that would turn Roman Harper loose to play closer to the line in run support.
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
harper is a better run stopper than pass defender
by Norml912 on Jul 14, 2009 6:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
My point exactly
If our secondary is improved to the point where Harper is turned loose, then our run defense gets better at the same time.
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 7:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
But he plays safety.
He’ll need to be covering slot receivers and tight ends as job 1, blitz job 2, run support job 3. I like Harper, but he’s the only one back there I have any reason to like right now, and he can’t(and won’t) be everywhere. A reliable free safety would make me more comfortable with Harper’s use.
by FuSoYa on Jul 14, 2009 8:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let's not forget
This time last year we were all mostly predicting a pretty much dismal season from the Falcons. They were also in total rebuild mode and trotting out a rookie QB in Matt Ryan. They turned out to be pretty good and later made the playoffs where we did not. There are no gimme games in the NFL. I hope the Saints players and coaches don’t fall asleep on the Lions in week 1. With the entire offseason and preseason to prepare, I don’t see how they could make a horrible mistake like that, but similar embarrassing defeats have certainly happened in our past. Just the home-field advantage alone should be enough to give us the edge in this game and start us at 1-0. Break out the paper bags if we lose this one.
Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.
by satchmo26 on Jul 14, 2009 12:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
agreed
don’t be stupid and cocky and we can easily win this one. i don’t expect us to be like that though. we will come out playing hard trying to get our rhythm going for the season. Stafford…well I won’t say much but the 4 or 5 games that I watched him he didn’t seem very great. He was ranked #1 mostly, IMO, because the team offense was more like an NFL offense than most of the others. I would have taken Sanchez personally. I don’t expect a “Matt Ryan” type of year out of him. We should win easily but don’t sleep on it.
PS: Bring the paper bags just in case b/c we are the Saints.
Superbowl bound!!!...I hope? Go Saints! :D
by skinnykinney on Jul 14, 2009 5:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
In 43 seasons
this will mark the 30th time the Saints have opened the regular season at home (.698). In the 29 home season openers prior, they are 9-20 (.310). Of the nine home season openers they’ve managed to win, only three have been by 10 points or more:
1983 vs St. Louis Cardinals (28-17)
1989 vs Dallas Cowboys (28-0)
1993 vs Houston Oilers (33-21)
Meanwhile, they’ve been blown out to the tune of 63-7, 40-9 and a dozen examples of double digit home deficits. Sean Payton is 1-0 is home season openers, edging Tampa Bay — on Scott Fujita’s game-clinching INT — last season. It also marked the only such win this decade, as they hadn’t won a home season opener since 1999, under Mike Ditka. They’ve obviously never opened the season with an opponent quite as inept the season prior as Detroit. Key words: “the season prior”.
Home field “advantage” has never proven to be much of one for the Saints. As a franchise, they defy the laws of averages just about any which way you can break them down. Our only hope as Saints fans is that the entire history of the team is resting on some ridiculously off-kilter curve of destiny and (eventually) things will level off and start to balance out. Which, if my calculations are correct, should make us a perennial Super Bowl contender for roughly the next four decades.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
by coldpizza on Jul 14, 2009 2:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Long term history, sure, home field hasn’t done much for us. But this is a Sean Payton team, for better or worse, so looking at our home records during his tenure might be a bit better place to look than all time. And last year, with one of the worst defenses in the league, we still went officially went 6-2 (and we all know just how much it would have been 7-1 if the vikings game hadn’t been 11-on-17) in the dome. The previous years, with a better defense (at least in yards allowed), we were worse in the dome. Which simply means that trying to predict tomorrow based on the past is an exercise in futility.
by FriarBob on Jul 14, 2009 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I guess if I believed
in Payton more than I have any other head coach in Saints history, I might buy into that “new day” philosophy.
by coldpizza on Jul 14, 2009 8:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
he's
the only coach to get us to the NFC Championship
by ReggieVilma on Jul 14, 2009 8:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
But he's not
the only coach to follow his success with years of mediocrity.
by FuSoYa on Jul 14, 2009 8:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Pros/Cons
Pros:
We’re going to be a more sound team, regardless of playing at the Dome or not, than Detroit.
We’re playing at the Dome. All Saints fans know this year is make or break, the emotion is gonna be sky high.
Practically everyone is gonna show up healthy and ready. A fully healthy Saints team – even an idiot knows that’s a dangerous combo.
Gregg Williams isn’t exposing or hinting what his D-schemes are going to be in the home opener. This is a great sign – no, we’re not taking Detroit lightly. We’re gonna be ready for anything to happen.
Cons:
Week 1 in ’08:
Lions vs. Falcons
Atlanta had such a terrible ‘07 (4-12) compared to a more sound Detroit ’07 (8-8), that I ultimately felt the Lions couldn’t possibly lose this one. Come on, an unproven rookie QB?…that threw TD bomb after another…with a pounding RB grinding out 100+ yards and, what, 2 TD’s? No one expected the Falcons to win.
Bears vs. Colts
The entire nation had the Colts winning this one. The opening game at the new Lucas Oil Stadium, with over a thousand rabid Colts fans? What happened? Manning and Co. flat out didn’t show up, and the Bears ended up dominating.
Conclusion of this? Week 1 “Easy Win” games are no laughing matter. Hell, who knows, maybe Stafford will end up throwing over 300 yards and Kevin Smith will grind out over 120 yards rushing? Who knows if Detroit is gonna have the better D compared to the new-look Saints D?
Also, Detroit is super, super hungry to squeeze out a win. Keep in mind, they’re not gonna be afraid of us.
Conclusion:
I do think the Saints will win…34-10. The Lions lose again, yet this year I see them winning at least 5 games. They’ll take the Rams, 1 game from the Bears, 1 game from the Pack, and also the Browns. The shocker? Watch them squeak by THE RAVENS. Baltimore will have a down year, and give up a win to Detroit, just watch. Remember, they did go 0-16, but they ALMOST WON four games: Their Bears home game, their GB home game…and 2 games that could’ve been crucial to the ’08 Saints = They almost beat not only the Bucs, but also the Panthers. If no one remembers, look back at the quarter scores and prepare to be amazed.
’09 will Finally Be Our Year.
by Jee on Jul 14, 2009 4:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Damnit Jee
I’m scared again…
Who IS the Stig?
by Hollywoo! on Jul 14, 2009 4:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kevin Smith is not Michael Turner/Jerious Norwood. The thing about Atlanta was that they had a really good running game. Smith will be a good running back but not great. Turner had proven that he could run but not everyone was sure he could do it for a full season as a starter. Ryan didn’t have to be great for them to win, just good. He had 16 TDs to 11 Ints. Turner beat that out by himself w/ 17. Norwood added 4 more. Smith only had 8 TDs last year. Not saying that Stafford/Smith couln’t put out some good production if we don’t show up but it won’t be like the Atlanta vs. Detroit game of last year. Detroit was a surprising(in a good way) 8-8. New Orleans was a surprising(in a bad way) 8-8. But who knows, they could just have our number that week. I like the pros vs cons though besides the Atl vs Detroit comparision(although it’s possible) :D
Superbowl bound!!!...I hope? Go Saints! :D
by skinnykinney on Jul 14, 2009 5:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
week 1
every year there will be some surprises in week 1, but were you really surprised in those two games?
bears vs colts: nobody doubts manning, but everyone was doubting his pass protection (i forgot exactly what the situation was but he had some clown playing LT who should not be in charge of protecting manning). i still thought the colts would win, but i would have taken the bears against the spread.
falcons vs lions: matt ryan (unfortunately for saints fans) is the real deal, if he would have been in this years draft everyone would have dropped stafford down a notch. against the lions (who cares if they went 8-8 the year before) its a coin flip. again, not really surprised.
im sure brees will put on a qb clinic for stafford and show him how its done.
prediction 45-10, brunell comes in the 4th quarter and throws a td.
by DrewBreesManCrush on Jul 15, 2009 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ask Matt Stafford
NFL.com is about to run a chat with him at 6:15 PM ET. Let’s ask him if he’s shaking in his cleats yet over his week 1 matchup. I’m sure Gregg Williams can’t wait to give him a proper NFL welcome.
Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.
by satchmo26 on Jul 14, 2009 5:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
DO NOT
blow this by giving them bulletin board material in July. Let Stafford feel comfortable.
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 5:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i agree with mtn
if we’re the first team they beat and it’s b/c of the bulletin board material that probably marks our fate down as last in the division even behind TB and them being at least 1-15. Also, we’ll all have to find out where you live and TP/Egg your house forever. not to mention the crap in a bag that’s on fire and anything else we could think of. :P
Superbowl bound!!!...I hope? Go Saints! :D
by skinnykinney on Jul 14, 2009 5:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
LOL @ bulletin board material
Yeah, I’m sure NFL players get reeeeeal fired up when they read about fans of the opposing team talking dookie during online Q&As. Such a terribly uncommon phenomena. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you guys take the internet a little too seriously.
by coldpizza on Jul 14, 2009 5:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree
This only becomes bulletin board material if it’s coming from the Saints players’ mouths. Trash talking fans won’t phase them. I was actually only joking about asking Matt that question. It wouldn’t have filtered to him through the NFL.com screeners anyway.
Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.
by satchmo26 on Jul 14, 2009 5:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Do you think athletes are superhuman or something?
That they’re “above all that”? If New Orleans fans crowd onto an NFL.com chat talking smack straight at Matt Stafford, I guarantee he’ll have added incentive to stick it to us in the Dome come the season opener. I would even venture to guess that the other members of his team would pick up on Matt’s discomfiture as well. They might even side with him.
As for taking the internet too seriously…look at all the Twittering players. They live this stuff in their off time. I probably take the internet less seriously than any of you.
This is OUR year!
by MtnExile on Jul 14, 2009 8:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If that's the case
I think we should all pretend to be Lions fans and talk smack to Saints players. Wouldn’t every team’s fans do that, if it truly made one bit of difference? NFL players are definitely “above all that”. What you or I or even nationally syndicated columnists type about them rolls off them like water off a duck’s back. Anyone who’s been playing a game for more than half their life has heard it all before guaranteed.
by coldpizza on Jul 14, 2009 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
nice write up dave
Superbowl bound!!!...I hope? Go Saints! :D
by skinnykinney on Jul 14, 2009 5:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
thank you kind sir
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by Saintsational on Jul 14, 2009 5:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
yup, I agree with skinny
And good timing – it feels good to be discussing live game action (although it isn’t going to actually come to pass until another 2 months).
"Knock 'em the (- -) out!" - G Dub
by HansDat on Jul 14, 2009 7:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
btw I voted for Saints win in a squeaker
to keep my cautious optimism evenly in place…
"Knock 'em the (- -) out!" - G Dub
by HansDat on Jul 14, 2009 7:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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