Saints Game Preview

[kerouac9]

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/what2watch4-saints-at-cardinals/

No matter what happens, let's remember that Week 1 is not necessarily indicative of the rest of the year.

 

[TJ]

CJ Spiller is out for this game.

 

[82CardsGrad]

With Spiller out, it will come down to Brees. If we can only create pressure via the blitz, Brees could have a big day by carving up the secondary. Brees is also accustomed to featuring the TE and though Graham is gone, he knows the Cards simply can't cover even a high school TE!
The Saints pass defense is putrid and so if we can keep Palmer upright, he should have a monster day.
I'll go with Cards 28, Saints 27.

 

[Shane]

With Spiller out, it will come down to Brees. If we can only create pressure via the blitz, Brees could have a big day by carving up the secondary. Brees is also accustomed to featuring the TE and though Graham is gone, he knows the Cards simply can't cover even a high school TE!
The Saints pass defense is putrid and so if we can keep Palmer upright, he should have a monster day.
I'll go with Cards 28, Saints 27.

Mark Ingram is no joke... Broke out last year and will be even better this year especially with unger on that line....

 

[ajcardfan]

Mark Ingram is no joke... Broke out last year and will be even better this year especially with unger on that line....

I don't see this being close until the end. But, I do think the Cards put it away late. 28-17 Cards

 

[Iceman]

I truly believe Cards win this one by at least 10. Not having Graham is like the Patriots not having Gronk. The offense is just not the same. IMO

 

[Garthshort]

My only concern about the game is that Las Vegas set the line at AZ, -3, and in NY it has been bet down to -2.5. And Las Vegas isn't often wrong, but when they are it is usually early in the season. IMO, the line would have been, -6.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Cards lack the instinct to put away an opponent. They also play to the level of the opponent which usually means close games.

This is not an easy win like so many here believe. I look for a close game that could go either way.


Note: after watching D Williams run hard for Pitt last night I'm hoping that's what we have in CJ which would be huge for the O

 

[Cardsfanstl]

24-17 Cards. Brandin Cooks has a big day for Saints but Palmer carves up the Saints DB's

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Cards should be able to move the ball through the air at will. Saints secondary isn't that good to being with and their #1 is out.

 

[DVontel]

I really hope we don't shadow Cooks with Peterson. If we can't get no pressure, that's just asking for disaster.

 

[Shaggy]

Cards lack the instinct to put away an opponent. They also play to the level of the opponent which usually means close games.

This is not an easy win like so many here believe. I look for a close game that could go either way.


Note: after watching D Williams run hard for Pitt last night I'm hoping that's what we have in CJ which would be huge for the O

You see the holes he had thought? Anyone could have gained over 130 yards with those holes that he had to run through.

 

[crisper57]

I've said it a lot and I will keep saying it. The Saints SUUUUUUUCK on the West Coast. Hell, they SUUUUUUUCK West of the Mississippi.

Rob Ryan would love nothing more than to load the box and bring the heat. But with his back end decimated by injuries, that is a recipe for disaster if they can't get to Palmer.

Brees is working without his favorite target from the last several years, but he is the only hope they have for even making this thing close. You can never count out an elite QB and a great HC entirely.

Other than that, they were a sucky team last year and they haven't really done much in the off season to make me think this is a short rebuild.

 

[crisper57]

My only concern about the game is that Las Vegas set the line at AZ, -3, and in NY it has been bet down to -2.5. And Las Vegas isn't often wrong, but when they are it is usually early in the season. IMO, the line would have been, -6.

I have never seen prognosticators be so all over the board when assessing the a team's potential at the start of a season. Some thing the Cards are Super Bowl Contenders. Others think they will finish last in the NFCW and lose 10 straight games. I don't get it. They won 11 games last year, many of which were with backup QB's. Now they have their QB back, they enter the season relatively healthy at key positions, and the reigning Coach of the Year is still at the helm.

 

[kerouac9]

I've said it a lot and I will keep saying it. The Saints SUUUUUUUCK on the West Coast. Hell, they SUUUUUUUCK West of the Mississippi.

Rob Ryan would love nothing more than to load the box and bring the heat. But with his back end decimated by injuries, that is a recipe for disaster if they can't get to Palmer.

Brees is working without his favorite target from the last several years, but he is the only hope they have for even making this thing close. You can never count out an elite QB and a great HC entirely.

Other than that, they were a sucky team last year and they haven't really done much in the off season to make me think this is a short rebuild.

I'm not sure that there's a big enough sample size to say much about west-coast travels, but you're welcome to keep saying it, I guess.

I kind of expect Marques Colston to play the Jimmy Graham role for Brees. They obviously have a long-term rapport, and Colston still has size if not speed. I also think that if their running game gets untracked early, the Cards will be vulnerable to play-action.

 

[crisper57]

I'm not sure that there's a big enough sample size to say much about west-coast travels, but you're welcome to keep saying it, I guess.

I think the sample size is large enough for a 16-game season. Went back through Sean Payton's tenure to look at all their trips West.

 

[kerouac9]

I think the sample size is large enough for a 16-game season. Went back through Sean Payton's tenure to look at all their trips West.

Yeah, but how long ago is that? How much consistency is there? How can St. Louis be considered a "West Coast" city? That data set doesn't really say much more to me than that playoff teams tend to win at home.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Drew Brees is the X factor here. If the Cards fail to put pressure on Brees, he will eat our defense alive.

 

[kerouac9]

Drew Brees is the X factor here. If the Cards fail to put pressure on Brees, he will eat our defense alive.

I don't know. That sounds like the Saints offensive line is the X-factor.

IMO, the flex point for the Cards is really the middle of the defense. That's where the biggest change is in terms of talent and experience.

I've been pretty annoyed by the reappearance of the "slant" nose technique that we've been using. It disappeared when we converted to a conventional 3-4 defense, but it's back now as we emphasize speed and pass rush on the DL. I hate it so much — it was a feature of Clancy Pendergast's terrible defenses.

I think that if the Cards can't bottle up Mark Ingram running between the tackles with Gunter, Weatherspoon, and Minter/Bucannon, it could be a very long game.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I don't know. That sounds like the Saints offensive line is the X-factor.

Sure, its the Saints OL vs the Cards pass rush. The Cards DC vs the Saints OC. In the end can the Cardinals defense make Brees uncomfortable and get into his head?

 

[kerouac9]

Sure, its the Saints OL vs the Cards pass rush. The Cards DC vs the Saints OC. In the end can the Cardinals defense make Brees uncomfortable and get into his head?

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BreeDr00/gamelog/2014/

I don't know how they did it — I thought it was pressure up the middle, but Gerald McCoy was injured for the last game. The Saints could've qualified for the playoffs by beating the lowly Bucs in Week 17 and lost on the road.

In two games against Lovie Smith's Tampa-2 defense Brees completed "only" 62% of his passes with 3 TDs against 6 INTs. Hopefully we've been watching a lot of Bucs film.

 

[daves]

I've been pretty annoyed by the reappearance of the "slant" nose technique that we've been using. It disappeared when we converted to a conventional 3-4 defense, but it's back now as we emphasize speed and pass rush on the DL. I hate it so much — it was a feature of Clancy Pendergast's terrible defenses.

I think that if the Cards can't bottle up Mark Ingram running between the tackles with Gunter, Weatherspoon, and Minter/Bucannon, it could be a very long game.

K9, when did Cardinals resume using the "slant" technique?

FWIW, the Cardinals D had the 2nd lowest rushing yards per attempt against (2.8) and 3rd lowest yards per game (69) of the preseason. Not that there's much correlation between preseason and regular season performance, but based on the preseason, there's not much not to like about the Cardinals' rush D.

On the other hand, the Cardinals D got the 5th fewest sacks (6) but still managed the 12th best passer rating against (78) in the preseason... perhaps indicating lack of pass rush pressure balanced by better secondary play.

Again, it was the preseason, so should be taken with a shaker of salt. Just wondering what you saw from the "slant" technique that you didn't like.

...dave

 

[kerouac9]

K9, when did Cardinals resume using the "slant" technique?

FWIW, the Cardinals D had the 2nd lowest rushing yards per attempt against (2.8) and 3rd lowest yards per game (69) of the preseason. Not that there's much correlation between preseason and regular season performance, but based on the preseason, there's not much not to like about the Cardinals' rush D.

On the other hand, the Cardinals D got the 5th fewest sacks (6) but still managed the 12th best passer rating against (78) in the preseason... perhaps indicating lack of pass rush pressure balanced by better secondary play.

Again, it was the preseason, so should be taken with a shaker of salt. Just wondering what you saw from the "slant" technique that you didn't like.

...dave

This preseason. Maybe it's an aesthetic bias on my part:

https://www.xandolabs.com/index.php...the-strong-side-run-game&catid=100&Itemid=167

I also think it has to do with using smaller nose tackles and trying to create additional pass pressure.

I don't give any credence to preseason game stats. That doesn't make me feel better at all.

 

[Matt L]

Is there a more overrated coordinator than Rob Ryan? If he didn't have those flowing silver locks would anyone know who he is?

Can we make bets on how many times the camera will point him out during the game? I am thinking he gets at least 5 headshots.

 

[ajcardfan]

Hell, the Cards beat the Saints with Max Hall at QB. When the NO offense was better than it is now, and a Saints defense that is WAY more talented than they one coming in this week.

If we don't crush the Saints, it could be a disappointing year. The only way this game is close is if we make a lot of self-inflicted wounds.