A Damn Good Whacking 9-7-07

I always say there are 2 things I know about the NFL:

1.  You win by hitting the other quarterback and protecting yours

2.  Defensive coordinators will eventually catch up to an offense

Both were in play last night when the Saints laid an egg and made the Indianapolis Colts look like Super Bowl Champs.

I have again boldly predicted that the Saints will go to the Super Bowl.  This is a prediction that I will boldly make each year from now on, because

a.  I will be right some day

b.  I can say I told you so

c.  I can mortgage the house and go

d.  I’m in the twilight of my life and 40 years of this is enough damn it.

 

Last Night the Saints opened the NFL season and didn’t hit Manning and let Brees get pressured.  We know that if you hit Manning over and over your chances of beating him increase from 10% to 20%.

Tony Dungy apparently spent every minute since the Super Bowl devising a defense to slow down the Saints innovative offense, which displayed none of the sharpness it did just 2 weeks ago. 

He employed one of my old flag football strategies:  Don’t get beat deep.  If they catch the ball in front of you with a 4 yard gain, you can come up and make the tackle, plus they have to do it 3 times in a row to get a 1st down.  I think this is a new strategy for their defense, as Jason David, whom we stole from their roster, was not familiar with it.  Be honest, you were yearning for the good ole days and Fred Thomas, weren’t you?

 

The word is blueprint.  I suspect this will be the blueprint for every team that plays us going forward and if Sean Payton’s offense is going to be successful, it will have to mutate and develop to attack this.  The game from last year which has stuck in my memory was the loss to the Redskins when the master Joe Gibbs, who otherwise has not done much, did a great job of shutting down the Saints.  Tony must have been illegally watching that film.

 

So, the dreams of a no-hitter went up on the first batter.  We won't be breaking the Dolphins record for going undefeated.  Not this year.  But, it's a long season, and I think the Saints will be fine.  I won't be surprised if the offense gets slowed from time to time.  But there is no question the defense will have to play better.  Getting thoroughly beaten on both sides of the ball will usually wake a team up.  They should be in a foul mood going to Tampa.

 

We got whacked.  Now, snap out of it.