Monday Night in the Big Easy will be anything but easy for the Saints, even in the safe confines of the Superdome. New England comes off a statement win against the Jets, where they stood by Coach Belichick and played a hell of a game, especially defensively. The Saints spanked the Bucs last week to stay undefeated, but can they dodge the Pats to keep their streak alive?
Patriots on Offense
Many think Belichick’s controversial decision to go on 4th down was dictated by his lack of confidence in his defense, but I think it had more to do with his unwavering confidence in Brady and the offense. And with good reason; the Pats put up 414 yards of total offense against a Jets defense that previously ranked 3rd fewest in points allowed. Brady was solid- 28/41 with 310 yards and 1 TD. Maroney had 77 rush yards and 2 TDs. Expect him to be productive against a mediocre Saints run defense (115.7 yards allowed per game) as long as he gets enough touches. Moss had a relatively quiet week against CB Darelle Revis, who may have gotten the best of him. But it didn’t matter because of one man- Wes Welker. Welker had 15 catches for 192 yards (both career-highs) and should continue to be Brady’s go-to-guy against the Saints’ aggressive defense. When pressured, Brady has to bank on dishing the ball to Welker and Kevin Faulk and hope his veteran O-line shows up amidst the Superdome chaos. Defensively, New Orleans has to get to Brady with pass rushers Will Smith, Charles Grant, and blitzes. A couple of turnovers can change the flow of the game for the Saints at home.
Saints on Offense
Offensively, the Saints have so many weapons that anyone can be the star on any given Sunday (or Monday Night). Last week, backups Robert Meachem, Mike Bell, and David Thomas had all of New Orleans’ TDs. Top dogs Jeremy Shockey and Marques Colston will show up in a big way on Monday Night. Both guys thrive in big games and both present big mismatches for the Pats secondary. Brees will keep the pressure on the Patriot defense by exploring all of his targets. With his quick release and outstanding O-line (only 13 sacks allowed), Brees should be comfortable in the pocket. Then again, New Orleans hasn’t faced a good defense in a while, and the Patriots will do everything to rattle him and force turnovers. Last week, SS Leigh Bodden and CB Brandon Meriweather had 4 picks collectively. Granted, Drew Brees is not Mark Sanchez, but if the Patriots can throw Brees out of his rhythm, they’ll find themselves in a ballgame. But New England’s average rush defense will also have to face the Saints ground game, which is no simple task considering New Orleans has 3 able backs with 3 different running styles in Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, and Reggie Bush.
New England will come out focused, but with some help from the Who Dat Nation, the Saints will fluster Brady and the Pats. This time around, it’ll be solid defense and rushing that will keep New Orleans undefeated.
Prediction
New Orleans 34
New England 27
