In what is becoming a familiar theme, the Saints continued their streak of primetime Superdome beat-downs, by shellacking the Detroit Lions 31-17 on Sunday night. Here’s the breakdown on the way the black and gold performed on both sides of the ball
Saints Passing Offense: A +
Drew Brees unleashed another monstrous game, throwing for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns. Though he was a bit shaky on the Saints first two possessions, Brees quickly found his flow and gutted the Lions defense.
Stud Tight End Jimmy Graham led the way with eight catches and Robert Meachem had the big play of the night, hauling in a 67-yard touchdown pass, where he abused the Lions secondary with a number of quick cuts after catching a bomb from Brees.
Saints Running Game : B
The Saints had another respectable game on the ground, picking up a 100 yards on 25 carries. Rookie running back Mark Ingram led the way with 54 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown: Scat back Darren Sproles contributed 28 yards on 4 carries, most of which came on a 20-yard run.
Saints Passing Defense: C
Lost beneath the excitement of the Saints dynamic passing offense was the fact that Detroit moved the ball very effectively in the air as well. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 408 yards on 31 attempts, including two 40+ pass plays to Nate Burleson and Titus Young.
Burleson led Detroit with five catches for 93 yards, but also had three long gains called back for offensive passive interference. Detroit superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson caught six passes for 69 yards and also had his way with the Saints secondary.
Saints Running Defense : B
The Saints did a fairly good job of keeping Detroit’s running game in check. Running back Kevin Smith led the way with 6 carries for 34 yards, before departing early with an injury. Maurice Morris took his place, but got little work on the ground as the Lions spent the entire second-half playing catch up, forcing them to rely primarily on the pass. Leading the Saints in tackles was middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who recorded ten.
Special Teams: B
Saints return man Darren Sproles was held in check, with his longest kickoff return measuring 27 yards. John Carney nailed 1 of 1 field goal attempts, while punter Thomas Moorestead averaged 44 yards per punt.
The Saints gave up no significant returns and Patrick Robinson blocked a field goal with seconds left in the first half.
Coaching: B
The Saints looked as dynamic as usual on offense, clicking on all cylinders and accumulating just under 450 yards. However, the Saints defense gave up over 400 yards passing for the second time in two games, an ominous sign considering that a playoff matchup with Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay may be in their future.
