The Saints look dominant at 7-2 with a 7 game winning streak and several rookie of the year candidates.
They shuffled the Buffalo Bills right off their own field 47-10
with the most dominant running display they’ve ever shown. Six Rushing touchdowns (and none passing) has
never happened before. They never punted. I have been a Saints fan since their
inception, and they’ve never had a running game this good. Not in the days of Reuben Mayes or Deuce
McAllister or Dalton Hilliard or Reggie Bush or Darren Sproles or Pierre Thomas
or George Rogers or Ricky Williams or Chuck Muncie or Tony Galbreath, or Hap
Glaudi, or Buddy DiLiberto, and on and on.
Did you ever think the Saints would rush for 300 yards and 6 touchdowns
in a game? In recent years those were
the numbers you’d expect in a month, not one game.
Last year I said Sean Payton didn’t appear to be able to
construct a running game. Two first
round draft picks on the offensive line have corrected my perception. I just saw one publication name Andrus Peat as
the best left guard in the game. Who’d
have predicted that, after he struggled as a tackle? Right Tackle Ryan Ramczyk would be a rookie of the year candidate, but he'd have to go through Alvin Kamara to get there.
Watching these guys plow through the defensive lines, and
then lead around an end or on a screen is a joy to watch. Brees is the least sacked QB in the NFL. Much maligned (mostly by me) Mark Ingram is
enjoying lanes he has never seen before.
If the Saints continue to run like this, they may plow themselves right
to Minnesota.
Then there’s the defense.
The same publication named Marshon Lattimore all-pro for the first
half. When was the last time the Saints
had ANY defensive player, much less a rookie, that was being mentioned as a
potential first team All-Pro? Rickey
Jackson? A second rookie, Safety Marcus
Williams is getting better every game. Free
Agents Klein and Te’o have upgraded the linebacker corps.
The Saints still have 2 divisional games against the
Falcons, and one each with their other two rivals. So, nothing is assured, but much is hoped
for. Nine down, seven games to go. Redskins next.
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