Fleur-de-Links: November 30, 2011

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MORE ON THE BIG BLUE BEATDOWN:

Greer Recaps Giants Game

New Orleans Saints offensive line has found its 'swagger' - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
As guard Carl Nicks "predicted," they haven't allowed a sack in past three games

New Orleans Saints, New York Giants talk about Monday's game - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
All agree that Drew Brees' play was critical

Drew Brees Puts Packers, and Record Book, on Notice - NYTimes.com
Drew Brees’s masterly performance Monday night raises a provocative question: how formidable will the Saints be in the playoffs?

Giants Appear at a Loss After More Breakdowns in a Third Straight Loss - NYTimes.com
The Giants, who have struggled to get their running game moving, were outplayed in every aspect in a Monday Night loss in New Orleans, and next face the undefeated Packers.

Brees, Hall, Peterson named NFC players of the week | ProFootballTalk
Saints quarterback Drew Brees is the NFC offensive player of the week for his performance against the Giants on Monday night. Brees went 24-of-38 for 363 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions, and also ran for a touchdown. That made him the first player in NFL history to complete at least 60 percent of his passes, throw for 350 yards with four touchdowns with no interceptions and run for a touchdown, all in one game.

New Orleans Saints' 'Monday Night Football' victory wins night for ESPN | NOLA.com
Nearly 14.5 million viewers watched Monday's New Orleans Saints 49-24 demolition of the New York Giants, according to ratings distributed by ESPN. The audience figure exceeded "Monday Night Football’s" season average despite the blowout, and gave the network the largest Monday night audience among all networks, broadcast or cable.

The game against New York was one of the all-time great New Orleans Saints performances: Film Study - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Jeff Duncan's weekly breakdown of the Saints game

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees racking up numbers few have achieved, but wins count most - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
The encomiums are pouring in for Saints quarterback Drew Brees almost as quickly as he accumulates passing yards. After his Monday night performance, a five-touchdown masterpiece that earned Brees NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, pundits throughout the land have apparently rediscovered his excellence and overnight have anointed the Saints as the one team that can perhaps knock...

NY Giants latest late-season collapse has plenty to do with lack of pass rush - NY Daily News
The Giants say there are no easy answers for what ails them as they teeter on the brink of another late-season collapse and face the prospect of another year of missing the playoffs.

LIONS @ SAINTS:

Suh can’t practice pending appeal | ProFootballTalk
Given that only a handful of players have been suspended for on-field conduct during the tenure of Commissioner Roger Goodell, not much attention has been paid to the league's procedures for such situations.

NFL says Ndamukong Suh is appealing his two-game suspension - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
League expects to make decision before Sunday's Saints game

Saints turn attention to Sunday night after Monday night ‘fun’ - New Orleans Saints - SunHerald.com
NEW ORLEANS -- Although very little went wrong for the Saints on Monday night, quarterback Drew Brees made his usual point of not sounding too satisfied. "We can always get better," he said. "There’s always something to prove. The challenges only get greater as you move through the season. "Sunday night football next week, we got Detroit coming to town, on a short week, so we’re going to have to get ourselves back on track out here pretty quick and ready for that game." On their own 12-yard line with 1:09 left in the first half of Monday’s game, there was no way Brees and the Saints were simply going to run out the clock.

Detroit Lions - NFL | Lions bring back running back Aaron Brown | The Detroit News

Quote of the Week: On Saints' offense - NFC South Blog - ESPN
As I drove out to One Buccaneer Place on Wednesday morning, I heard ESPN analyst and former NFL head coach Jon Gruden describing the Saints’ offense on "Mike & Mike’’. "They’re landing jet airplanes from around the world,’’ Gruden said.

New Orleans Saints will practice later this afternoon - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Schedule pushed back following Monday night game

Saints QB Drew Brees: Lions' line 'formidable' even without Ndamukong Suh | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
"I met Suh one time, at the Maxwell Award ceremony when he was coming out of college. He was receiving an award, and I was receiving an award. I met him there. Seemed like a really smart, intelligent guy and a nice guy."

LAGNIAPPE:

Out of Bounds by Jabari Greer 'Thoughts from a Bye' - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Saints defensive back writes a weekly blog, exclusive to The Times-Picayune

Comparing Saints and Packers - NFC South Blog - ESPN
"I think they are different,’’ Schwartz said in a conference call with the New Orleans media Wednesday. "They are completely different schemes. I think the things that are similar are very efficient quarterbacks that can not only run the offense but also make big plays. They can stay out of trouble and don’t take very many lost-yardage plays. They also have tremendous confidence to fit balls in. There are some throws that Brees and Rodgers will make that a lot of quarterbacks wouldn’t risk. They trust their receivers. They trust their playmakers.’’

Pat Yasinskas' QB Watch - NFC South Blog - ESPN
This time around, the Saints are much better than mediocre. They’re 8-3 and atop the NFC South.

Bucs at top of league in dropped passes - NFC South Blog - ESPN

VIDEO:

NFL Videos: Best offense in NFL: Packers or Saints?
Brian Billick breaks down the two best scoring offenses in the NFL and discusses which is superior.