This week our New Orleans Saints Roundtable looks back on the Saints loss to the Rams, both sides of the running game, and the NFC East. Don’t forget to check out Hell Yes Fest all weekend long around New Orleans.
1. The Saints performance against the Rams two week ago: hiccup or sign of a serious problem
Chris Trew-Hopefully sign of a serious hiccup. My dream is that after we win the Superbowl in February we’ll laugh at this Rams game and be all, “remember how we panicked after St. Louis rode their World Series momentum to Saints upset?” If only we knew now what we’ll know then (and what I know right now), which is the 2011 Rams are the 2009 Tampa Bay Cowboys.
Jake Madison – Somewhere in between. I think it just reinforces the problems the Saints have had all season, namely tackling and the run defense.
Jonathan Christensen – A hiccup. The Saints, after coming off of the emotional high of a huge win against Indy, didn’t show up for this one. This team is still very good, and the problems on display against St. Louis will be corrected.
Jake Lipsman- Hiccup. In our defensive preview, it was noted that this had the smell of a trap game, and it seems that might’ve been our best prediction this season so far. These happen to teams coming off huge wins. It’s unfortunate that it happened in such a winnable game, but I don’t think it will affect the future. That said, this was an opportunity to jump way out in front of the NFC South, and as a result, the margin of error for the rest of the season is significantly reduced.
2. Bigger concern: Run D or Run O?
Chris Trew- Offense. I blame them for everything that happened last week. Them plus Albert Pujols, David Freese and Chris Carpenter.
Jake Madison – Run defense. The Saints’ passing game is so good that they can win games while being one dimensional on offense. They wont win games if they let teams run all over them like on Sunday.
Jonathan Christensen – Run D. Brees keeps the offense afloat, and Ingram will get healthy soon. Consistency in stopping the run, especially against bigger backs, continues to be a huge concern.
Jake Lipsman- Run D. The pass offense can keep the Saints in a game in which the running game struggles, but if the Saints fall behind in a playoff game, the inability to stop the run can seriously shorten the game for the opponent and make it impossible for the Saints to come back.
3. Who is the best team in the NFC East?
Chris Trew- Best team that has the most talent and is really going to put it all together really soon, seriously? Dallas Cowboys. Best team that has Vince Young? Philadelphia Eagles. Best team from either the District of Columbia or the New York Area? Tie between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants. Best job of avoiding this question? Chris Trew.
Jake Madison – The Giants right now but I think the Eagles will be at the end of the season.
Jonathan Christensen – The Giants. Philadelphia is too sporadic on defense and depends too heavily on the big play on offense. Dallas is the model for inconsistency on defense and I don’t trust Tony Romo. Washington, although solid defensively, doesn’t have a solid QB in a pass-friendly league. That leaves the Giants, who possess an elite pass rushing defensive line and a sneaky good Eli Manning at QB. They will win the division.
Jake Lipsman- This is like asking who my favorite character on a reality show is. This division is so fluid that it looks entirely different from week to week. Coming into the season, I assumed it would take Philadelphia a few weeks to get their chemistry down, and at least at this point it looks like they finally might have it together. For now I say the Eagles coming off a huge win against the Cowboys. Ask me again after the Week 11 Monday Nighter in New York.
