Still in contention for both the NFC South title and a Wild Card berth, the 5-6 New Orleans Saints find themselves in a crucial battle to keep their playoff hopes alive. Their task on Sunday is to knock off the 7-4 Detroit Lions in the Superdome, a team that’s caught fire by winning six of their last seven games.
New Orleans is two games behind division-leading Atlanta and trails a host of other teams seemingly fighting for the last Wild Card berth. That means that there’s no margin for error in this game, especially against a team that’s developed a knack for making late comebacks to pull out victories.
The Saints have no problem putting points up on the board, considering they are currently among the league leaders in points scored. In six games this year, they’ve scored more than 30 points and broken the 40-point barrier on three of those occasions.
When it comes to the New Orleans defense, they’ll have to contend with Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford, who hasn’t been quite as prolific as Brees, but has quietly played himself into a crowded MVP race. He’s thrown for nearly 2,900 yards, but his main asset this year has been his leadership ability in the clutch. Keeping him in check is imperative, which might be a challenge considering that the Saints have allowed the third-most points in the NFL this season.
That ability to light up the scoreboard is because of the continued production of veteran quarterback Drew Brees, who’s thrown for nearly 3,600 yards with four games still to play. He doesn’t make too many errors, having tossed 30 touchdown passes while only throwing eight interceptions.
Brees’ main trio of targets of Michael Thomas, Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead have combined for 167 receptions and over 2,100 yards. The key player in the Detroit secondary is cornerback Darius Slay, who has to put up an All-Pro level performance if the Lions expect to win. Slay has been one of the Lions’ best players this season, proving he was worth the big extension the franchise gave him before the season.
Behind Brees, Mark Ingram gives New Orleans a game-breaking back, even though he’s scored more by receiving than by running. If Ingram and Tim Hightower can work in tandem, it can help balance the Saints offensive attack. Hightower has managed to be effective as a runner and receiver for much of the past month.
One problem that the Lions defense will have throughout the game is that they haven’t been terribly opportunistic, ranking in the Bottom 10 when it comes for interceptions and forcing fumbles.
With five of New Orleans’ losses coming by a touchdown or less, they can’t afford to let Detroit to stay close. The Saints know all too well about losing late, as games against the Raiders and Broncos will attest.
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