GAMEDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! The season is upon us my fellow Saints fans and all of the bull$%&@ we dealt with as fans this offseason can take place in the rearview mirror because it’s time to focus on football ON THE FIELD again. Thank God for that, this honestly couldn’t have come soon enough. With that, I give you the five things I’m looking for in today’s game. WHO DAT.
1. Does the Saints offense look historical?
I always make it a point to emphasize that the Saints offense wasn’t #1 in the NFL last year, they were #1 in NFL HISTORY. So we’re not talking about just the best in the league this year or whatever, we are talking about the best of all time. That’s obviously a tough act to follow. My question is whether they can show up week 1 and pick up where they left off? Will they carve up the Redskins’ defense? The Redskins are good against the run – can Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas and co. move the chains? Can the offense move the football without Robert Meachem (of course they can)? Mostly I’m looking for the offense to come up and drop 35+ on the Redskins. Based on the high standard they’ve set, I don’t think that’s unreasonable.
2. How does the Ben Grubbs replacing Carl Nicks move feel on the field?
I don’t want to understate how big the loss of Carl Nicks was to this offense. Yes, Ben Grubbs is a good player and he was a great pickup considering the loss, but Carl Nicks was graded as the #1 guard in the NFL for a reason. The success the Saints’ had running the football last year was a massive part of what made them so difficult to stop. They weren’t even close to being one dimensional. That actually helped Brees throw for more yards. Nicks’ value was that he was a very versatile lineman that excelled in any situation, but his stock in trade was short yardage plays where he mauled big tackles in the trenches. The Saints will miss that. So I’ll have a close eye on Ben Grubbs.
3. How do the two new linebacker starters, Curtis Lofton & David Hawthorne, perform given their injuries?
The linebacker signings of these two guys was a huge relief and reason for excitement for all of us. I firmly believe these two players, along with Brodrick Bunkley, will go a long way in significantly improving the defense. But Lofton comes into this game with a high ankle sprain and Hawthorne just had a minor knee surgery (if there is such a thing). Both are listed as “questionable” but expected to play. But they won’t be out there at 100% in what will be their very first start for a new team in a new scheme. So I’m very curious how big of an impact, or liability, they will be given the bumps and bruises they already suffer from.
4. How does RGIII handle his first start as a rookie?
A lot of uncertainty surrounds Robert Griffin, III, mostly because of how little he played during preseason. The Redskins have purposefully been very secretive about their offense and how they plan to unveil it when the games start couting. From that standpoint, the Redskins will have the element of surprise threatening Steve Spagnuolo. What’s not uncertain is the consensus that RG3’s ceiling is absurdly high, and most think he will tap into most if not all of that very soon. I know every Redskin fan I’ve talked to has much more excitement surrounding this guy than most Colts fans do for Andrew Luck. And most Colts fans believe Andrew Luck is the next John Elway. Still, let’s be real, this is a rookie quarterback making his very first start. I’d be shocked if he’s completely immune to butterflies and mental mistakes this early into his career.
5. How does Aaron Kromer manage his head coaching debut?
Kromer will debut as a head coach and I’m anxious to see how he’ll handle the duty. How does he manage the referees? How does he command the sidelines? Does he look in control? Does he look lost? Does he keep a level head throughout or does he let emotions get the best of him? I’m looking forward to getting a feel for his style. Admittedly, we’ve seen so little of him as fans we’re still trying to get a feel for his personality and style.
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