Just like that, two weeks of the NFL season are over. It always feels this way doesn’t it? It seems like the off-season takes forever to pass, training camp comes and although we’re all excited for the first preseason game, we realize in the 3rd quarter that we want the real thing. Before you know it, the real games start and the season is flying by. The better the Saints do, the faster it’ll go. After these first two games, I’m expecting a fast-paced season.
The Saints return home to play host to the Arizona Cardinals. New Orleans, coming off of a dramatic victory, sits in 1st place in the NFC South, a game ahead of the Atlanta Falcons. The two wins to start the year are especially important, considering both were NFC South games. The offense has surprisingly been the under-achievers so far, relying on the defense to win both games. They sit 10th in total offense in the NFL, a bit lower than usual. The yards are there, but the points are not. The Saints offense has managed to stall in the opponents’ red zone multiple times. It’s a trend they will have to fix if they expect to continue winning games. Thankfully, #9 is still the engine that makes the offense go, so they’re in good hands.
The Arizona Cardinals head to New Orleans with a 1-1 record. They very well could be 2-0, but let a 24-13 4th quarter lead slip away in their Week 1 game against St. Louis. Their defense finds themselves ranked 15th overall in the NFL, which is probably a little deceiving. This is a pretty good unit, with some talented young players. LSU Tiger fans are happy to see Tyrann Mathieu have a successful start to his NFL career, after troubled times in Baton Rouge. He is second on the team with 13 tackles and first in passes defended.
Pass Offense
Although the stats don’t show it, the passing offense has struggled a bit through the first two games. Drew Brees has been below average with his accuracy and decision making, leading to 3 interceptions, which is even with his touchdown total. His completion percentage is down to 64%, similar to his number last year in a bad season. Receivers have struggled to get open, combining for only 29% of Brees’ completions. Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles have been Drew’s consistent targets, hauling in exactly half of those completed passes. The pass-protection has been weak, allowing 6 sacks on Brees through two games. Still, though, the passing offense is averaging 318.5 yards per game so far, ranking 5th in the NFL.
The Cardinals pass defense comes in to this week after facing two pretty good passing offenses. They’ve seen the Rams’ sneaky good offense led by Sam Bradford, along with the high-flying offense of the Detroit Lions. They’ve given up 286 yards per game to those two, which is not bad considering both team’s number of weapons. Defensive end Calais Campbell has the Cardinals’ only sack so far, while oddly enough, defensive tackle Dan Williams has their only interception. Still, they have a very good secondary, led by former LSU standout Patrick Peterson. The 5th round pick from two years ago has wasted no time making his presence felt in the NFL. Not only has he been fantastic at corner-back, but also on special teams and most recently on offense. Former Tigers, Peterson and Mathieu, along with talented safety Yeremiah Bell, will combine to provide a tough challenge for Drew Brees.
Another week of practice and game film should help Brees get back on track. Hopefully he gets back to his usual self, rather than struggling like the last time these two teams met. Back in 2010, Arizona defeated New Orleans 30-20 in the desert, with Brees turning the ball over multiple times. Look for Brees to better both his accuracy and decision making, while Arizona will certainly attack the weak offensive line of the Saints.
Run Offense
There’s really not much to say here. While the offensive line has been terrible in pass protection, they’ve been flat out pathetic in run blocking. They’ve opened barely any holes and nearly costed the Saints the game last week. The failure to score any points with a 1st and goal inside the 1 yard line, in which the Saints ran the ball on three plays, was almost the difference in points. Thankfully, late magic from Drew Brees and Marques Colston saved the day. Surprisingly, they are ranked only as low as 24th in the NFL in rushing offense, with 76.5 yards per game. The running-backs are averaging a combined 3.1 yards per carry and have yet to score a touchdown. I mentioned in the Tampa Bay wrap up that I’m sure I’m one of the last few on the Mark Ingram bandwagon, but he’s still not being used correctly. There’s been a defensive lineman in the backfield on just about all of his carries and he’s still only getting a play or two at a time. Hopefully all it will take is a decent lead for the Saints to feed him consistently, because you can’t expect much from him until they use him that way.
The Cardinals sit at 2nd in the NFL in rushing defense after allowing only 58 yards per game so far. Neither of their first two opponents are teams that run the ball with a whole lot of consistency, so it’s hard to tell just how true that number is. Reggie Bush got banged up early in the Cardinals’ tilt with the Lions last week, so he was only able to muster 25 yards rushing on 9 carries.
Arizona’s high rank in terms of run defense doesn’t appear to be in much danger as they square off with the stagnant rushing attack of the Saints. The only thing that will help New Orleans run the ball this week, is if the offense is able to score a decent amount of points early and the defense continues to play at the level they’ve been at through two weeks. Don’t hold your breath while expecting much on the ground, as there is absolutely nothing to hang your hat on in terms of hope.
Players to Watch
Drew Brees
Look for Drew to get back to being himself this week. He is his own toughest critic, so if anyone knows how poorly he’s played, it’s him. A home game back on their own turf should help he and his receivers get back in sync.
Lance Moore
Moore has been very quiet so far this year. Pretty much all of the receivers have been silent, but he has always been one of Drew’s favorite targets. He typically has his best games when playing in the Superdome, so I expect Brees to look his way on lots of underneath routes, while the talented Cardinals secondary tries to take anything deep away from the Saints.
Jimmy Graham
From the cloudiness that has formed around the Saints offense, Graham is the one shining star. He has been absolutely unstoppable and through two games he already looks better than last year. It’s not surprising that his game has improved, with this being only his 5th year of football in his life. Regardless if the receivers continue to struggle or not, Graham will still be a frequent target. As good as he is, not even Patrick Peterson could shut him down at this point.
Prediction
I could see this game going one of two ways, with neither being a loss. I think the Saints defense is for real and will continue to play well enough to help the offense when they’re struggling. I don’t necessarily see the offense struggling, but it’s hard to predict that they’ll come out guns blazing like they normally do. I certainly could see that happening, though. I believe that’s what they need to get back on track and replenish their confidence. Until we see that, I’m going to keep my expectations tempered.
Saints – 24
Cardinals – 16
Who Dat?!
