Five Things to Look at in Saints at Seahawks – PLAYOFF EDITION!

Playoffs? PLAYOFFS?!?!?!

I started my last pregame road playoff game the exact same way as above, and we all know how that worked out in Philadelphia, so consider this both for amusement and a little voodoo to affect the outcome. The Saints are back in Seattle just a month after the 34-7 drubbing they took on the chin. But that was then, and this is the playoffs. Win or go home. The stakes are for a place in the NFC Championship game. Below are the five things I’ll be looking for.

1. Is passing an option for either team?

100% chance of rain and 21 mph winds certainly doesn’t bode well for either team to go in aerial assault mode. The weather will likely force this to be a physical, grind it out, who runs better and who tackles better type of game. You’d think that leans heavily in favor of the Seahawks, but the way their pass defense is (read: all world) I almost think this might even the playing field a bit. And don’t forget the Saints shut down Lynch last time these two teams played (and McCoy last week). And with the way Ingram, Khiry and the o-line looked a week ago I’m not feeling so bad about that right now. That said, given the conditions it will be interesting to see if either team can get anything going at all in the passing game.

2. Can the Saints run the football at all, and how does the offensive line play?

The performance of the offensive line will mean everything to the Saints’ chances. If we get a replica of December 2nd you can forget it. If we get a replica of last Saturday, it’s a brave new world out there. Starting with the ground game, the Saints rushed for just 44 yards on 17 carries last time these two teams played. That’s 2.6 yards a carry and they have to be better if they want any shot. Hopefully the Mark Ingram that showed up against the Eagles is the guy we can keep from here on out in the playoffs. The Saints only gave up 1 sack in that game, but it’s misleading because Brees was getting rid of the ball at record speed and getting hit a ton (6 times total). Charles Brown in particular was really poor in that game, so hopefully Terron Armstead can prove a bit better.

3. Do the refs flag the Seahawks’ secondary?

The Seahawks secondary toes the line between ultra aggressive and dirty. There’s going to be a lot of physical play, and with that always comes illegal contact, jersey pulling and the like. Some crews let that go, and others don’t tolerate it. It would be a huge win for the Saints if they’re able to get a crew that doesn’t let the Seahawks’ secondary get away with some of the stuff they’ve pulled on teams this season. That’s not a criticism of how they play, by the way, they are extremely good and IT WORKS. But it’s clear to me there are 50-50 plays where a flag could easily be thrown on them and a lot of times they benefit from a crew that lets them play. A tight crew would bode much better for the Saints.

4. Can the Saints avoid the early onslaught of getting down multiple scores in the 1st quarter?

Last time these two teams played was a disaster from minute one. The Saints went 3 and out, the Seahawks went up 3-0, then there was the fumble touchdown. 10-0. Then another three and out, followed by a Seattle touchdown. 17-0. You blinked and it was over before it every even started. The Saints need to weather the storm (pun intended) in the 1st quarter. The crowd will be intense, the Seahawks will be pumped, and they’ll be looking for a death blow early. The Saints cannot afford to get behind like they did in the previous matchup. If the Saints can play their way into this game and be in it at halftime, then it’s anyone’s game.

5. Do the Saints panick and go for too much, or do they play within themselves?

The key to this victory is for the Saints to play within themselves. That means staying patient, protecting the football, and picking your spots to be aggressive while staying balanced. Down 17-0 last time the Saints panicked and began to throw on every play. That completely backfired. It’s important for the Saints to realize that it is ok to punt, and it is ok to force Seattle to come up with the goods to beat them. If the Saints feel like they need to run a bunch of gimmick plays and take low percentage risks to even the playing field it will only make things worse. The Saints need to trust that their slightly conservative but solid play is enough to win. If it’s not, so be it, but being overly aggressive to make up for some weakness in this matchup will only make things worse.