Saints in the New York stretch (1 Viewer)

[st dude]

The Saints get three New York teams in a row sporting a combined record of 5-1. First we get 1-1 Buffalo, then the surprising 2-0 Jets ending with maybe the best team in the NFL now, the 2-0 Giants.

I do not know if statistics such as this are kept, but has anyone played three New York teams in a row?

These are all going to be tough games against good football teams. The Saints schedule softens up later. It would be huge if they could take at least two out of these three games, starting with the Bills. Winning all three would be awesome.

There is a Louisiana conection with all three teams. Kyle Williams and Josh Reed of LSU play for Buffalo. Northwestern fans will remember Demitrius Bell who is listed as a starter at right tackle.

The Jets have two LSU players as well, Alan Faneca and Howard Green. Faneca has been a steady all pro.

The Giants have three players with Lousiana connections. Corey Webster of LSU starts at cornerback. CC Brown, who played at UL, is a safety. Brandon Jacobs who is from Lousiana but played at Auburn and then Souther Illinois, is their monster running back.(As an aside some will remember Jacobs was at Auburn with Cadillac Williams and Ron Brown. What a group of backs!)

This will be quite an interesting stretch. Beating a New York team is like eating chinese food. Right after you beat one you feel like beating another one.

 

[Seve]

Another New Orleans Connection

Buffalo Bills Asst Head Coach and Special Teams coach Bobby April from Da Parish.

 

[St. PJ]

New York Teams Critical (long read)

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With the Bills, Jets, and Giants as our next 3 opponets, we will know all we need to know about this team. If we win all 3, I definately believe we will have home field advantage - even thought two are in the AFC. Here is why.

Buffalo has a decent running game, two decent options at WR, and a defense that plays disciplined and just seems to get the job done. The Bills seem like an easy win. We aren't worried about them, except for the "trap game" cliche. I equate this game as less of a trap game in the traditional sense, and more as a "how a team handles success" kind of game. Much like the last preseason game after an impressive win over Oakland. Of course it was preseason, but Miami is much like Buffalo in that they are SCRAPPY in that they hang around. They will capitalize on any kind of emotional letdown that leads to "us beating ourselves"-- the kind of letdown "young" teams have after an emotional win against a towering opponent or on nationally televised tv. I know we are the second oldest team, but it will be a test of how this team handles success, because traditionally we have not been successful consistantly. If we blow up Buffalo, that tells us this team doesn't read the papers and still has to prove something to themselves. If we win an ugly game, that tells us that despite maybe not being quite as focused, they can regroup and find a way to win as good teams do when they play bad.

The Jets really scare me. Not because of their offense, but because of the style of defense they play. I really equate their defense to Baltimore's (o.k., that's obvious) because of 1- of course Rex and his philosophy....2- which also comes players like Scott who are versatile and allows Rex to do confusing things schematically....3- which leads to a very violent and physical play.

The reason that scares me is because when we played defenses like this in years past, we lose. It starts with pressure getting in Drew's face faster than a 3 step drop, and a turnover or a rushed throw and an offense that is ineffective for a quarter or so. Then we wind up getting one dimensional and Drew throws for 400 yards playing catchup. What teams like this do is send more than we can block, and they do it over and over and over again. And because they are so athletic and versatile, Drew makes a presnap adjustment and post snap the pressure comes from elsewhere (Trent Dilfer showed the same thing Jets vs Patriots tonight). And the short, high percentage passes we use as a substitute for run to open up the deep throw are either off due to pressure, or are well defended due to the speed and versatility of the opposing defense.

In the past, a serious running game would seem to be the remedy, a matching a physical against physical to give play action credibility, to make defenders flow more to the intitial read and catch them on misdirection. So to me, the teams that scare me most (superbowl wise) are teams like Pittsburg and Baltimore who have intimidating defenses. Test two is how will this offense respond when getting hit in the mouth by a defense that does it on ability. Philidelphia always had good defenses, but their defensive players don't scare you. Their coordinator did. Jets, Balitmore, and Pittsburg scare me with both their players, their attitude, and their coordinator's schematics.

Many thought (myself included) the Jets wouldn't be that formidable. Well they are. Leon Washington scares me in the return game. And if we can't have some semblance of a short yardage running game against that defense, I fear for the health of Drew. Revis is a shutdown corner. They have good/great LB's. We have many options, but will Drew have the time to get to his 3rd or 4th progressions while the game is still close?

Before the season, I thought the bye was at a terrible time. But the more I think about it, the more I like it. We get to refocus, no matter what happens vs the Jets and really prepare for the Giants. I think the test the Giants will give us is the test of a complete opponent. They have a QB who has ice running through his veins. All the "Eli is overrated" talk comes from people who don't know as much as they think they do. He's the real deal. And the development of Smith and Manningham could be scary. Add to that an offensive line who can both run block and pass block, as well as a defense that can get pressure with their front 4 and has a pretty solid secondary and you get a well balanced team, offensively and defensively. A mature team that has the confidence to win. Anyone notice how they looked during the final drive of the Cowboy game? This will be a good barometer as to how we play against a well coached, complete team who we may meet in the Championship game.

My hopes are up, but boy, if we beat these next 3 opponents-- which to me represent every type of team other than the Arizona/New Orleans air-it-out bread and butter team, I think we can honestly beat every team, and barring injury, I think we will go far into the playoffs.

We just can't drop the next game vs Buffalo because then we could potentially finish the New York teams at 2-3. But can you imagine the bandwagon if we win all 3? We must. Drew deserves what should have been his 3rd MVP this year.

 

[St. PJ]

Cory Webster is playing at a probowl level right now. What parish is April from?

 

[Six Saint]

The Saints get three New York teams in a row sporting a combined record of 5-1. First we get 1-1 Buffalo, then the surprising 2-0 Jets ending with maybe the best team in the NFL now, the 2-0 Giants.

I do not know if statistics such as this are kept, but has anyone played three New York teams in a row?

These are all going to be tough games against good football teams. The Saints schedule softens up later. It would be huge if they could take at least two out of these three games, starting with the Bills. Winning all three would be awesome.

There is a Louisiana conection with all three teams. Kyle Williams and Josh Reed of LSU play for Buffalo. Northwestern fans will remember Demitrius Bell who is listed as a starter at right tackle.

The Jets have two LSU players as well, Alan Faneca and Howard Green. Faneca has been a steady all pro.

The Giants have three players with Lousiana connections. Corey Webster of LSU starts at cornerback. CC Brown, who played at UL, is a safety. Brandon Jacobs who is from Lousiana but played at Auburn and then Souther Illinois, is their monster running back.(As an aside some will remember Jacobs was at Auburn with Cadillac Williams and Ron Brown. What a group of backs!)

This will be quite an interesting stretch. Beating a New York team is like eating chinese food. Right after you beat one you feel like beating another one.

And Eli Manning from N.O.

 

[drbleedgold]

Cory Webster is playing at a probowl level right now. What parish is April from?

St. Bernard Dawlin'.

 

[st dude]

And Eli Manning from N.O.

duh me.

 

[bkmowad]

i have very high hopes/belief in this team, and that it is super awesome, but you have to temper the excitement, because the chances of winning all 3 of these games and being 5-0 are really low. even if we are 4-1 we are still super awesome IMO.

 

[mmule]

The Saints get three New York teams in a row sporting a combined record of 5-1. First we get 1-1 Buffalo, then the surprising 2-0 Jets ending with maybe the best team in the NFL now, the 2-0 Giants.

I do not know if statistics such as this are kept, but has anyone played three New York teams in a row?

We actually play one team from NY, and then 2 teams from New Jersey.

 

[mrbeebe228]

The Saints get three New York teams in a row sporting a combined record of 5-1. First we get 1-1 Buffalo, then the surprising 2-0 Jets ending with maybe the best team in the NFL now, the 2-0 Giants.

:

im not so convinced the giants are the best team in the nfl, i think that espn has brainwashed everyone into believing that.. they have only really beat washington, and relied on tony ****'s three interceptions to beat the cowgirls.. im really looking forward to this match up so we can shut all the haters up.

 

[Saint Jeremy]

im not so convinced the giants are the best team in the nfl, i think that espn has brainwashed everyone into believing that.. they have only really beat washington, and relied on tony ****'s three interceptions to beat the cowgirls.. im really looking forward to this match up so we can shut all the haters up.

I agree. But they still won. Now with Kenny Phillips gone for the year and Tuck maybe hurting, things could get worse, but they have a fairly soft schedule the next couple of games.

 

[Mojomajik9]

Not looking past the Bills at all, but I really want the Saints to smack the Jets down a few pegs. They're a little too cocky and I hope they talk as much trash about Drew and the offense next week as they have their other oppenents. Give Drew some extra motivation to torch them.

 

[inmodify]

We're interviewing for a Superbowl spot.

 

[The90s]

We actually play one team from NY, and then 2 teams from New Jersey.

Beaten

 

[The90s]

Buffalo Bills Asst Head Coach and Special Teams coach Bobby April from Da Parish.

The best Special Teams coach in the NFL

#1 ST unit 3/5 years, #2 the other two years. Thanks for him, Louisianans. (Did I spell that right?)