It is gameday and it is starting a little later than usual with a 4pm eastern/3pm central kickoff. The final road game of a three game swing has the Saints playing yet another divisional foe in Tampa Bay. This series in the few years has had the road team winning at the other team’s home but to be fair the last two times Tampa Bay has won in New Orleans it was games that the Saints didn’t need to win. I am looking for a good contest in Tampa and here are five things that I will be watching for…
1. Can anyone cover or stop Jimmy Graham?
Before the start of the season I would say that Jimmy was an emerging star at tight end but he has gone above and beyond the expectations of the Saints Nation. I am watching the game every Sunday and wondering how would I defend him if I was an opposing defense. He is too big to cover with a corner or a safety and he is too fast to cover with a linebacker. Maybe you just try to contain him the best you can and try to not let him beat you but if its not him it will be someone else stepping up making plays. The other cool stat about Jimmy is he is second in the league in catches, and the Saints have never had that in a tight end. I guess I just answered your question Mr. Shockey on why you were given your walking papers.
2. Where is the Josh Freeman from last year hiding?
I have a theory about this question, it is all the lockout’s fault. It seems like all the young quarterbacks throughout the league are stuck in the mud making uncharacteristic mistakes and I think it can be contributed to a lack of offseason work. Josh has been good at times this season but he has also showed his youth. I also think that the Bucs don’t really have that many playmakers on offense and Josh tries to do too much in some games.
3. Who will get the tough yards for the Bucs today?
With the news that LeGarrette Blount is unlikely to play in today’s game the rushing attack will suffer somewhat. Expect to see Earnest Graham and Kregg Lumpkin get most of the carries in today’s game. I think this hurts the Bucs on short yard situations not having Blount in the backfield but if I was the Saints I would look for Graham and Lumpkin to come out of the backfield on screens or bootleg rollouts.
4. Is the defense is missing something?
I think the fact that the Saints have had to face some good offenses early in the season could be a reason it always seems like the game is a shootout. It also could be that really nobody is playing defense in the NFL anymore with it being a passing league. I just look back to the 09 season when it seemed like when the other team was getting momentum, the defense would come up with a interception or a sack to end a drive. This defense doesn’t have that yet but it is still early in the season and hopefully it will come around if they want to go far in the postseason.
5. Where is all the media love for the Saints?
First off let me start by saying I could care less if they report on the Saints on the networks. Let all the other teams get it and that way the Saints will still be under the radar. I will say that after watching the NFL after five weeks it is a shame that Green Bay and the Saints can’t play in the Super Bowl because those teams are hands down the two best team in the league right now.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
