The Saints opened their season with a football nation-stunning 38-3 victory over the highly regarded Green Bay Packers. Leave it to the Saints to provide a shot of adrenaline to the hurricane-beleagured who-dat nation.
Who could have seen this coming? Well I did, because when your supremely talented but aging MVP Quarterback spends the offseason trying to beat out Blossom to host a game show, while courting his latest movie star girlfriend and complaining about his rapport with his bosses, that’s a recipe called “too much on your plate that doesn’t included training.” As amazing as Aaron Rodgers is, he’s 37, and he looked it today, mostly because of the Saints smothering defense.
Dennis Allen is in his 7th year as defensive coordinator and is it is a luxury to have someone this good for so long. Usually they get hired away, but the maturity, schemes, and disguises he employs allows him to overcome the occasional shortage of personnel. Saints fans have been worried all year about the cornerback position, but 3rd round pick Paulson Adebo picked off Aaron Rodgers In his first NFL start. Someday he’ll be telling his grandchildren about that play as a career highlight, or the first of many interceptions. Next week the Saints will be joined by another top flight cornerback they just traded for, Bradley Roby. Don’t look now, but the Saints looked like the best defense in the NFL on opening weekend.
On offense, they were just as good. Hopefully all year, the Saints will execute the run-first, time chewing, ball control offense they used this day. Limited possessions, keeping high powered offensive superstars watching from the bench with growing impatience, as they methodically worked the ball down the field. It’s a great formula. Early in the game when Jameis Winston was unexpectedly running for first downs, and the Saints running back tandem was grinding away, I knew Sean Payton had landed on one of his formidable game plans. He did it each time Brees was sidelined the last 2 years. He did it to Tampa Bay twice last year. The Coach can flat out put a game plan together.
So, how will you know if things are going the Saints’
way? If the Quarterback is perfectly set
up for success the way Jameis Winston was today. Five Touchdown passes with only 148 yards
passing is simply unheard of. The statistical
edge the Saints had in all areas was amazing today, and I could recite them,
but will just let them speak for themselves. The Saints theme for the year should be "no shootouts." It will put every opponent in Jeopardy.
When a Hurricane like Ida just ravages its way through the land you love, leaving varying degrees of devastation in its wake it is a helpless feeling, like there’s nothing you can do up against a superior force.
The Green Bay Packers just got a taste of that feeling.
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