Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints: Keys to the Game

by Dave Cariello on Sep 9, 2009 6:00 AM CDT

Stop the Run

In an effort to build Matt Stafford's confidence and ease him into the league, the Lions are going to want to put as little pressure on their unproven, inexperienced new quarterback as possible. This means handing it off a lot. Kevin Smith should be seeing the bulk of these carries. If the Saints can neutralize Smith and the Lions on the ground, they'll put all the pressure on Stafford and force him to make plays and win it through the air; a good position for the Saints to be in.

Score Early

Putting points on the board quickly and forcing the Lions to play from behind will accomplish the same goal as stopping the run: Putting the game in the inexperienced hands of Matt Stafford. I have the utmost faith that Drew Brees and the Saints offense will be able to pick apart the Lions defense, but the key will be doing it early. For reference, a good example of this would be their performance against Oakland in week three of the pre-season.

Knock 'Em the %&$# Out!

If all goes well and the Saints accomplish the one-two punch of stopping the run and scoring early, listed above, they can finish the job and go for the knockout by doing exactly that to Matt Stafford. The rookie quarterback has only played pre-season games thus far and has no idea what to expect now that the score actually counts. We all remember Gregg Williams' famous quote from the off-season and I certainly expect to finally see the full force of his attack style blitz. The delayed suspensions of Charles Grant and Will Smith could be the worst news Matt Stafford has gotten all week.

Players to Watch

Darren Sharper - Nobody on the Saints defense knows the Lions better than Darren Sharper, the former Viking who had to play Detroit twice a year. Sharper has 11 career interceptions against the Lions, his most against any team. Being such an integral part of Gregg Williams' system, I would expect the veteran to play a big role on Sunday.

Mike Bell - Mike Bell looked amazing during pre-season but let's be real...that was one game. With Pierre Thomas likely out for the game, Bell should be seeing significant time and this will be his big chance to prove he's not just a flash in the pan. If the Saints can grab a healthy lead early, they'll want to keep the ball on the ground and control the clock. In that situation, it will be crucial for Bell to grind it out and continue getting first downs.

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I Hope the Saints start utilixzing a "Run Blitz"

I am not 100% certain what actually defines a run blitz, but I am pretty certain, if utilized properly, it can cause loss of yardage in the running game or at least no-gain, and also serves the purpose of putting pressure on the QB if it is a play-action pass or even a straight passing play. This would be ideal against a rookie QB.

"Indecision may or may not be my biggest problem" - Jimmy Buffet

by Philinwood on Sep 9, 2009 6:34 AM CDT reply actions

Run Blitz

I know I don’t post here often so you can take this or leave it. In its most basic terms, a run blitz utilizes defenders in a ‘blitz’ package (meaning more than the normal 4 down linemen in the standard 4-3 formation) that blitz in the normal offensive line gaps. A linebacker or the free safety or even a cornerback will come into the line of scrimmage through the normal gaps of the offensive line and try to disrupt an inside run while simultaneously going after the quarterback.

Just my dos pesos.

KILL THE LIONS!!

GEAUX S88S!! Konichiwa!!

by s88fan on Sep 9, 2009 7:08 AM CDT reply actions

that's basically what I thought

thanks for the clarification! I would like to see a lot of that this season- it seemed like I never saw it last season or if I did it was very lame and ineffective.

"Indecision may or may not be my biggest problem" - Jimmy Buffet

by Philinwood on Sep 9, 2009 7:17 AM CDT reply actions

it works in madden.

i’m excited to see how roman harper performs in a system that encourages him to be the “hard-hittng” safety he has shown flashes of in the past. if the preseason is any indication, though, the whole defensive unit is going to be pretty hard-hitting.

and nice break-down, dave, but i think a really critical key to success is winning the turnover battle. historically that’s been our achilles heel in losses, but if gw’s system is truly effective we should dominate that stat column and leave the lions no chance to steal a win from us. if we can monopolize the game clock/number of possessions, it’ll force jim schwartz to put the ball in the rookie’s hands, thereby removing the threat of kevin smith (who is a better RB than most assume) and the ground game. it would also be a great sign for the rest of the season if we can snag some INTs or force some fumbles about the state of our defense—sort of like the opposite of that season opener against Indy.

WHO DAT

by jful on Sep 9, 2009 8:25 AM CDT reply actions

I'm shocked...

…that you would leave Calvin Johnson out of your keys to the game. The reality is that the Lions defense will have a VERY difficult time keeping the Saints off the scoreboard, so in all reality they are going to end up airing it out whether they want to or not. I am guilty of being a Lions slappy, but I like to think I can be objective too. Calvin Johnson is a beast! Not a nuisance, but a big, scary beast for defensive coordinators. He’s big, has tremendous hands, and is usually the fastest player on the field. From what I’ve seen of pre-season, and what I saw the Saints do to the poor Lions defense last season, I’d be much more concerned with Calvin Johnson than I would be Kevin Smith.

by Mushy on Sep 9, 2009 10:57 AM CDT reply actions

I definitely agree

Johnson is a threat. But it takes two to complete a pass. If the Saints can keep Stafford nervous in the pocket all day, he won’t be completing too many passes to Johnson. I also feel if the Saints can make the Lions one dimensional (Stafford to Johnson) it wouldn’t matter too much. Johnson could grab three TD’s for 200 yards but it still shouldn’t be good enough to beat the Saints.

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by Dave Cariello on Sep 9, 2009 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions

Johnson is

one of the few receivers in the league who can actually improve his qb’s play from the wr spot, but by putting the rookie in for the season opener, in the dome, I think Detroit has to establish the run to give Stafford any chance at success. Detroit’s drastically improved O-line play, coupled with our to-be-seen D-line performance gives them a shot at that. Of course, if Stafford proves to be good with the three step drop, and can find Johnson on short receptions with room to run, Detroit could find success that way, too.

by FuSoYa on Sep 9, 2009 11:06 AM CDT up reply actions

If...

…and it’s a big if…the Lions can control the ball enough with a run game early, and keep the Saints Offense off the field as much as possible, then this is a possibility. I just think that if…and this is not such a big if…the Saints are up by two TD or more early, the run game will be abandoned and Stafford won’t have a choice but to throw downfield.

by Mushy on Sep 9, 2009 11:58 AM CDT up reply actions

That's what I'm hoping.

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by Dave Cariello on Sep 9, 2009 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Will be Interesting to see how noisy the dome is

Sometimes the crowds are crazy and other times they are lazy.

by xen-cuts on Sep 10, 2009 6:54 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Will be Interesting to see how noisy the dome is

Sometimes the crowds are crazy and other times they are lazy.

by xen-cuts on Sep 10, 2009 6:54 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Yes yes yes...

…Calvin Johnson is a beast.

But if Stafford is lying on his back every time he drops back to throw the ball, does it matter? You do realize that with the Lions weak offensive line, GW will be blitzing on almost every down, and Matty will either be running for his life or lying on his back, right?

I expect at least 1 long play to CJ, tops 2.

Irony: An atheist Saints fan.

by GSO Saints Fan on Sep 9, 2009 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions

The problem...

is that we haven’t really seen much from the pass rush. So I don’t think it’s safe to assume Stafford will be on his back all day.

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by Dave Cariello on Sep 9, 2009 11:39 AM CDT up reply actions

Agreed, it's an unknown...

…however, based on GW’s past history, he will be attacking in the “real” games, and I’m betting on a pretty aggressive blitzing scheme, including some safety and corner blitzes, to overwhelm and confuse Stafford. The goal is to either have him on his back, or back on his heels the entire game, IMO.

I don’t think the rookie will be able to deal with it after he gets a couple of blindside hits from Roman Harper or the like. Once the kid’s cage is rattled, they’ll REALLY step into him….sharks with blood in the water.

The thing that will stink for me is that I’ve got to go to a damn trade show this weekend, so all day Saturday & Sunday I’ll be stuck in some dingy convention hall…I’m going to avoid radios, TV’s and the internet until I get home…anyone know where I can stream a re-run of the game? :-\

Irony: An atheist Saints fan.

by GSO Saints Fan on Sep 9, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Other than TiVo-ing off satellite,

another member posted an article about a new service NFL.com is offering this year, where, for a fee, you can stream any game rerun you like. It might be cool, especially if you’re employed on Sundays, and can avoid the media for a few extra hours.

by FuSoYa on Sep 9, 2009 1:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Here is the link to the NFL Game Pass

Stream the game replays to your computer…

Who IS the Stig?

by Hollywoo! on Sep 9, 2009 5:14 PM CDT up reply actions

I think our player

to watch is more both Reggie and Bell. Bell definetly with PT hurt but will that increase Bush’s carries as well? If what was being said about Bush in the preseason(running more aggressively up the middle, etc.) then he should be the one to watch. I want to see if Reggie really is ready for the season.

Superbowl bound!!!...I hope? Go Saints! :D

by skinnykinney on Sep 9, 2009 3:22 PM CDT reply actions