After displaying their comeback ability last week against Houston, the New Orleans Saints came into Week 4 of the 2011 NFL season wanting to win in a dominating fashion. Enter: the Jacksonville Jaguars, a struggling team with a rookie quarterback and a coach whose seat just got a little hotter. The Saints were able to improve to 3-1 after defeating the Jaguars 23-10.
Although the Saints posted a season low 23 points, the offense executed very efficiently. Drew Brees threw for 351 yards on 31 for 44 passing, as well as a touchdown. Brees also threw for 2 interceptions, which is somewhat of a concern. Flashbacks of last year’s games against Cleveland and Arizona certainly came to mind. I don’t know if Brees is forcing more passes than he did previously, or if the receivers are running bad routes, but the increase in turnovers will limit this offense. If turnovers can be kept to a minimum, the Saints will be very tough to beat.
Jimmy Graham led all receivers with 10 catches and 132 yards, along with a touchdown. Graham continues to be an integral cog in the offensive machine, and he creates such a mismatch against pretty much every NFL defense. His development is absolutely impressive, and clearly Brees is gaining more confidence in his abilities each week.
Darren Sproles should be illegal. He averaged 10.7 yards per carry against Jacksonville (75 yards on 7 carries), and came up big in the passing game, with 56 yards. He possesses the quickness and speed that Sean Payton wants out of a backfield pass catcher. However, his good decision making and football intelligence are arguably his greatest traits. He grasp of the offense and ability to contribute right away has been incredible, given the fact that the offseason was shortened due to the lockout.
Defensively, the Saints played about as well as they have all year. Although Maurice Jones-Drew had 84 yards on only 11 carries, he never really got into any rhythm and was a non-factor. QB Blaine Gabbert was leaned on a little too much this game for Jacksonville, as he attempted 42 passes and only completing 16. The lack of a consistent running game allowed for the Saints to pass rush effectively. Will Smith had a very good game, sacking Gabbert twice.
Overall, the Saints played a thorough game. Jacksonville isn’t very good, and the Saints need to win against bad teams, which they problems doing last year. If New Orleans can improve on the turnover margin, they should be one of the top teams in the NFL.
