Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
This is what we've all been waiting for.
This is a football fan's dream week -- high school and NFL Thanksgiving football, college football yesterday and today and Sunday's NFL football.
And then the motherload: Patriots vs. Saints on Monday Night Football.
Yes, I'm ready for some football. And I bet you are, too.
Something's got to give when these two elite teams meet at the Superdome in New Orleans.
The Saints are 10-0 and the fancy off the league with a high-powered offense and a ball-hawking defense. The Patriots (7-3), well, they are that typical Patriots team of a great offense that is hard to stop and an opportunistic defense that makes the big plays they need to.
So this game should be a dandy.
As far as I'm concerned, it should rank right up there with the Colts game two weeks ago.
Let's hope the Patriots win this game, though.
What's there not to like about the Saints' offense? Led by Drew Brees, this team has the ability to put up points every time they touch the ball on offense. Brees is just like Tom Brady -- they both are accurate, smart and love to air it out.
Brees makes this offense go, and he utilizes every offensive weapon he has. And Brees has plenty of talented targets to throw to -- wide receiver Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, tight end Jeremy Shockey and running backs Reggie Bush (he missed last week's game with a knee injury so his status is unknown) and Pierre Thomas.
The Saints hit defenses with so many formations that it's hard to exactly predict what they're going to do. But make no mistake, the Saints are a pass-first team but have the ability to hit big plays with the run with Bush, Thomas and power back Mike Bell.
Just like the Patriots, it's pick your poison.
New England's secondary -- Leigh Bodden, Terrence Wheatley, Shawn Springs, Darius Butler, Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders Pat Chung, Brandon McGowan (whoever sees the field basically) is going to be tested in this one, but they held up fairly well against the Colts' talented weapons until the final quarter.
New England coach Bill Belichick likes to take away the other team's biggest weapon, and I'm betting Colston will be targeted in this one. The Pats will have to play a lot of nickel and dime packages to protect against the pass, but still must get pressure on Brees. If they don't, Brees is going to sit in the pocket and pick apart the Pats.
Actually, that's exactly what the Saints' defense needs to do, too. They must put heat on Brady and when they do, they must also get good coverage on Brady's best checkdown target, Wes Welker.
But the Saints' secondary -- a unit hit hard by injuries -- led by safety Darren Sharper (7 INTs), will also be challenged to fend off Randy Moss, Welker and Co.
It's all about defense in this one. Which defense can make the most plays and get turnovers? Whoever does, that's who's going to win the game.
Chad's Take: We're going to see quite a few points in this one. In hostile territory -- the Superdome is perhaps the loudest place to play in the league -- the Pats should be able to move the ball with relative ease, but they must score TDs and not settle for field goals. Kicking field goals is the easiest way to lose a game vs. the Saints.
The Saints, having already showed signs of feeling the pressure of being undefeated, are primed to lose their first game of the year. New Orleans had problems with Tampa Bay last week in the first half but won going away, 38-7, and they couldn't stop Steven Jackson running the football vs. the Rams (28-23 win) two weeks ago.
While the Saints have the ability to score and score fast, they've also sputtered at times and Brees does tend to turn the pigskin over (he's got 9 INTs this year).
The fan in me wants to see a track meet with Brady and Brees marching up and down the field, but some sort of balance (pass and run) will be huge. What running game will find success? The Pats have shown to be a tad more patient with running the ball, so Laurence Maroney should find some lanes to operate. Plus, the Saints have struggled lately with stopping the run. If the Pats want to keep the Saints' offense off the field, they may elect to give the Saints' defense a heavy dose of Maroney, and then hit the end zone through the air.
The Saints know the Pats might be the only team left on their schedule that have a shot at the knocking them from the unbeaten, so you can bet they'll get a little tense if the Pats have a lead in the fourth quarter.
New England is the underdog and it likes it that way. Don't ever bet against Brady when the spotlight is on. He's going to put on a passing clinic, and Moss and Welker might each catch 10 balls and go over 125 yards.
This is going to be a great game, but the Superdome is going to be real quiet after this one.
Prediction: Patriots 38, Saints 34
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