Official Game Day Thread
 

Discuss Saints game day football here!

Introduce breakdowns of their opponents each week, discuss whether or not they will win, discuss keys to victory, and all else that is associated with Saints game day football!

Geaux Saints!

A few days early but I just can't hold back generating some thoughts/discussion for this game. I've been waiting the whole off-season for it.


This is a tough match up for an opener, it should be one of the most exciting games in Week 1. It is widely expected to be a "Shoot Out" and for good reason as 2 of the league's best Offenses square off on national TV. I think this a great test for our team to see how we stack up against the AFC Elite, with all the Super Bowl hype of the off-season. Some of my key thoughts for this game:

- Will Smith & Charles Grant absolutely have to step up with huge games and show why they are Pro Bowl caliber players who are regarded to be one of the better DE tandems in the league. It's not all about sacks, Peyton Manning is one of; if not the most difficult QB to sack in the league simply because he's so great at feeling and avoiding the rush, and getting rid of the ball quickly. What I feel is most important is getting enough consistent pressure to force him to get rid of the ball before he wants to.

- Jammal Brown is also another key player along the trenches for this game. It'll be a monumental task for Brown who is coming off a knee injury and is probably rusty after not having played in a pre-season game for a while to just step right back in and block Dwight Freeney, one of the best pure pass rushers in the game. As long as he can hold his own.. I expect to see us give him a lot of help by rotating in a Tight End on his side, and sending a RB to chip Freeney.

- I hope we utilize Roman Harper as a extra Linebacker down in the box to Shadow Addai and cover him on those quick dumpoffs and screens Manning loves to check down to. I'd also like to see us bring him on the blitz.

- This was a rough draw as a first game to throw our Secondary into. This was our weakest unit last season, and although I think it is improved. Facing a QB like Peyton, and all those weapons in the passing game. (Harrison, Wayne, Clark, Gonzalez) is a monstrous challenge for any Secondary. I'm already expecting us to give up 200+ yards passing but I think the key is buckling down and getting the key stops down in the redzone, and on 3rd downs.

- We have to sustain long drives and eat up clock to keep Peyton and co. off the field as much as possible. They'll try to do the same thing to us so the Defense has to get off the field and can't fail on 3rd downs.

Also I can't believe we are only 4 days away from this game.

I have butterflies. Seriously. Not because I'm worried that we'll lose, but just... SAINTS FOOTBALL!! YES!! I'm almost giddy. By Thursday, hopefully my satellite situation will be fixed but if not.. some way I will see the game from the beginning.

I'm nervous, just because of the sheer magnitude of opening night on the National stage.. but I'm already tired of waiting for meaningful NFL Football I just wish I could fast forward to Thursday already.

I am definitely ready for Thursday. We kick off the season against one of the better teams in the NFL. What I am looking forward to most is seeing how our defense handles the pressure of facing the Colts offense.

Gameday today!

I touched on this on the Colts' gameday thread, but I wouldn't overlook that Saints HC Sean Payton has devised a gameplan for today's matchup. His gameplan against the Bears might have fallen short in the NFCCG, so that probably adds motivation if anything for him to get it right against the Colts today, with the benefit of a dome. Hopefully the Colts defense is ready and executes well, it's a given that there will be plays that they haven't seen on film before and/or take advantage of their aggressiveness. I'm expecting at least one double reverse, one reverse, and one halfback pass from the Saints tonight.

Best of luck in both teams staying healthy (especially as I have Drew Brees in one FF league and Reggie Bush in another :p ).

im excited for this game, wish the saints luck...should be very close, and being on turf i expect both teams to play their best...But it would be really tough for me to see the colts starting the season losing the first game, it hasnt happened in so long, so it will be a tough one for the saints

I don't doubt that Payton will have some new wrinkles for tonight, on the other hand the Colts run pretty much the same Offense every year under Peyton and Moore but they execute it so flawlessly.

I'm excited but also worried. The Colts have been an outstanding team especially at Home, and with the emotions of hanging up their Super Bowl banner the atmosphere should be electric, and I see the Colts coming out with extra motivation because of it. I just hope we can withstand and temper the initial wave of emotions. It would be a big disadvantage to get down by a few scores early against this team, with those pass rushers.

I just wish it would be 8:30 already...

I just wish I'd be able to watch the game live, but the starts at like 2:30 AM CET and I have to be up at 7 AM. I'll watch tomorrow though :D

i hope that this turns out to be a shootout. and i hope the saints end up with the ball last. i hope henderson has his track shoes on. :D

Half an hour until Gametime. Who's ready!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEWczq-bRGQ

Well first half is over game is tied 10-10.

We didn't play a good half of football we're playing well enough just to hang in there but if not for a Jason David strip and fumble return for a TD we could be down by 2 scores right now.

The Offense that we expected to be a huge strength is getting shut down. We don't look as crisp in our execution and seem to be a little jittery, and dare I say this we seem to be a little conservative in our play selection. (but our O-line hasn't really shown they can contain the Colts speed rush quite yet)

The good news is that there is still a half of football left to be played. Except we must play exponentially better to be able to pull this one out.

This team is not showing me anything to indicate that they'll be better on defense. I don't care if its Indianapolis, they're letting guys run free.

This game has gone from frustration to full on disaster. The offense looks really bad and the defense IS really bad. If they play like this all year we may be looking at a 6-10 football team.

Honestly. I can't disagree with you right now.

It's a 16 game season, and there's no way I'm giving up yet but this definitely is not looking like the Super Bowl team we thought of in the off-season.

Its not even close to a championship defense at this point. Its a long season, I agree, but man they look awful on defense. It would be different if they were making Indy earn these yards, but they're not even bothering to check Wayne or Harrison at the line and they STILL can't stop the run.

The offense looking so mediocre has really shocked me though. I thought for sure they'd score some points.

Haha..this was almost comical.

41-10? Why not.

I just don't know man...

comparing this team to last year so far is like Day, and Night. Some of the mistakes we've made are mind boggling. The only starters we've lost have been Horn, and Conwell but we look a lot worse.

Just don't know.

D looks worse. O forget they have Deuce.

I think they read too many press clippings.

Back to reality in NO -- the talent is not that good.

Only 19 games ago that was a 2-14 team.

I'm really hoping that this game was not indicative of how good the team really is..but I'm afraid it is. That defense was just pathetic.

it really wasn't the defense. the only person that really looked absolutely like **** was Jason David. how do you honestly give up that many touchdowns and not only that look like you are giving MAYBE half of an effort during replays. it disgusted me. i wanted to shank him with my prison spoon.

I'm trying to stay positive as hard as that might be right now. The bright side is that we were playing the Defending Champions, and the best QB in the league, and maybe we did read into our press clippings too much.

I guess David was bad tonight, but McKenzie gave up a few deep plays as well. Also have to keep in mind without David's strip and return we probably aren't tied 10-10 at the half.

Whatever the case may be. The team has to forget this game quickly, and move on to focusing on Tampa. We can't start the season 0-2 under all costs.

Your safeties were of no help and your pash rush stunk.

Goes way beyond an over priced FA Tampa-2 Corner.

Actually the worse news is the Offense looked pathetic too.

We knew the D was iffy but the O being held to 3 points by the Colts?

They need to commit to Deuce McAllister. Ten carries for him, against that defense, is not nearly enough.

David was horrible, but they couldn't stop the run. Mike McKenzie got burned a lot, there was no pass rush to speak of, the linebackers were non-existent..it was a pretty bad defensive showing on all fronts.

I agree but the Offensive lines performance was just dismal tonight. They were missing blocks, and not playing with the physical intensity you need to blow guys off the line.

we tried to establish the run in the first half but couldn't muster much consistent yardage. I agree Payton probably gave up on the run too early but the Offensive line just failed miserably tonight just like it did in Chicago. I hope this doesn't become a trend because for most of last year that line played solidly.