Game Thread: New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks

[blstoker]

Positives:

Marshawn Lynch - The Saints are one of the worst teams at stopping the run, allowing nearly 4 yards per attempt. They've been able to keep teams from truly exploiting this by getting ahead, so the Saints have been run on the 3rd fewest attempts in the league. The Seahawks will need to keep the game in their favor so they will be in a position to exploit a weak run defense.

Century Link - The Saints are a much better team at home than they are on the road. Their offense averages 80 yards fewer a game on the road than at home, while their defense allows 80 more yards per game on the road. This is even before it is considered that Seattle has the best HFA in the NFL.

LOB - Even without Thurmond and Browner, the Seahawks still have the best defensive backfield in the NFL. Maxwell and Lane could start for other teams, just like Blackmon was picked up when he was cut earlier. This team is deepest at CB, so this unit will still be important to win this game.

Negatives:

Complete team - The Saints are the only team in the NFL that is ranked in the top 5 in both offense and defense. It's been said that the Saints defense doesn't scare some, but they've been very good this year, especially when they are able to get ahead of their opponents.

Drew Brees - He's one of the best passers in the league, and he has all the weapons he needs.

Suspensions - I feel that NFL careers are made with situations like this, so Maxwell and Lane have a chance to solidify themselves as NFL players. The only reason I truly see this as a negative is the possibility that this could be a distraction and leave the team less focused on the game at hand.

Matchups:

Darrn Sproles vs. KJ Wright - The Saints throw to their RBs more than any other team, with over 10 receptions per game going to the backfield. The entire defense will need to recognize screen when it happens and the LBs need to keep the assignments tight and tackling sure.

Jimmy Graham vs, Kam Chancellor - It's unlikely that the team will play much man against Graham, or Sproles for that matter, so Chancellor will not be an exact strait up match up. But, the Seahawks have had really issues with the TEs this season, so they're gonna need to play very solid, and tight, defense against the best TE in the league this season.

Cameron Jordan vs. Russell Wilson - Jordan leads a team that has gotten a lot of pressure on the QB, while Wilson has been the most pressured QB in the league. Rob Ryan will throw some exotic defenses at the young QB, but Wilson is one whose attention to detail is second to none.

Overview:

The Seahawks will be facing a team whose greatest strength is the Hawks greatest weakness - TEs and RBs in the passing game. If there is a team that can give the Hawks defense fits, it'll be the Saints. The Seahawks also match up well against the Saints, so this game could be a shoot out or a low scoring affair as the defenses attack their weaknesses and not allow the other team to have that part of their game. Either way, I expect a very good game.

 

[Perpetual_Beast_Mode]

I hope that we use a good dose of read-option to keep the Saints DE's from crashing in so quickly. They've got a great defense, but it seems to be overly aggressive at times. The Falcons seemed to have a lot of success with the draw play last week and with a QB as mobile as Wilson, maybe we can exploit that that over-aggressiveness even more than the Falcons did.

 

[BloodType49]

Damn you guys are getting it started early...I'd say good luck but I'd obviously be full of it. Stay healthy for our game next week, looks like we will be down 2 O lineman unfortunately but your O line has been banged up all year so no excuses.

I think as usual once Lynch gets going its pretty hard to stop you guys, and I'm still not sold on the Saint's D, Rob Ryan likes to show a lot of exotic looks to try and confuse a QB so will be interesting to see how Wilson fares. The Niners were close to snatching a win the Dome and the Saints did lose to the Jets on the road (LOL). Contain Jimmy Graham and you guys should be ok, I'm predicting something like 27-21 Hawks.

 

[Cloud]

It's been some 15 days since the last game, so everyone is a bit edgy I guess. lol.

I do agree that containing Graham will be the key and this is why missing a guy like Browner could hurt us.

 

[Cloud]

It also look like something gotta give tonight.

Saints 9 straight MNF wins.
Seahawks 7 straight MNF wins.
Seahawks 13 straight home wins.

 

[FirebreathingMonkey]

A really good story about the Beast Run and something to do while we await tonight's game.

Enjoy.

Epic run by Marshawn Lynch still reverberates for Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints - ESPN

 

[dkmightyhammer]

Weather for tonight's game is going to be about 4C (That's about 39F for you non-metric types south of the border ) and it's not supposed to rain or snow. The cold weather should favour Seattle. It would have been nice if it could have drizzled a bit and made throwing more difficult, that would have favoured Seattle as well.

 

[blstoker]

Damn you guys are getting it started early...

I usually post a game thread about the same time every game day, it's just that today the game is a little later than most.

 

[Doublejive]

Darrn Sproles vs. KJ Wright - The Saints throw to their RBs more than any other team, with over 10 receptions per game going to the backfield. The entire defense will need to recognize screen when it happens and the LBs need to keep the assignments tight and tackling sure.

Jimmy Graham vs, Kam Chancellor - It's unlikely that the team will play much man against Graham, or Sproles for that matter, so Chancellor will not be an exact strait up match up. But, the Seahawks have had really issues with the TEs this season, so they're gonna need to play very solid, and tight, defense against the best TE in the league this season.

Crucial right there imo.

 

[Doublejive]

 

[Doublejive]

 

[Logicallylethal]

I was hoping the weather conditions would be more in our favor but oh well now there's no excuses with the field being too wet or too windy. It's going to be perfect weather for a high flying game.

31-24 Seahawks win

 

[Uhsplit]

It also look like something gotta give tonight.

Saints 9 straight MNF wins.
Seahawks 7 straight MNF wins.
Seahawks 13 straight home wins.

Adding 2 things...Seattle has a best 70% win ratio on MNF including 8-5 on the road.
Of NO's 9 straight, only 2 were on the road.

 

[SeattleOspreys]

I hope that we use a good dose of read-option to keep the Saints DE's from crashing in so quickly. They've got a great defense, but it seems to be overly aggressive at times. The Falcons seemed to have a lot of success with the draw play last week and with a QB as mobile as Wilson, maybe we can exploit that that over-aggressiveness even more than the Falcons did.

I have to agree with anything that tames the blitzes and aggressiveness that Ryan is going to throw at us and boy, it should be coming.

I want to pound and pound Beast right at them like the Jets did.

Then mix in some read option, my incessant 2nd down play action screen game like N.O. is going to give us a dose of and more quick hitters to Zach. It's not like Hawthorne is going to contain him. I'd like more rollouts where RWill is most effective. We have the personnel, it's going to be who wins the chess match between Bevell and Ryan. No empty backfields, please.

I hope we lock Sherman up on Graham. Brees will still try to fire into tight windows and Sherman is so good locating the ball that I could see some tipped pass interceptions. Since most of Sproles screens are to the strong side, I hope Irvin is more into containment than getting too far up the field because he will then be out of position where quick backs do well. Contain and then attack the screen.

I like Haushka over Hartley which is huge.

This game is going to be the ultimate chess match and in game adjustments. Whoever makes 'em will win this game.

I believe we win this game. Somewhere in the 27-23 range.

 

[Mr. Tacoma]

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Is anyone else having anxiety attacks?!

It feels like we haven't had any Seahawks football in a year and all we've heard is bad news over the last week. Just start the damn game already!!!!

 

[HaroldSeattle]

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Is anyone else having anxiety attacks?!

It feels like we haven't had any Seahawks football in a year and all we've heard is bad news over the last week. Just start the damn game already!!!!

Game can not start soon enough for me. Nervous? Yeah, I always get a bit nervous when the Seahawks are in a big game. You start thinking things like that home win streak can't go forever. I got to banish such thoughts.

Such a big game for a regular season game. Kind of reminds me of last year when the 49ers rolled into town. Lets hope it ends the same way, with a beat down of the Saints.

 

[Doublejive]

Hah i am not nervous,this is our house the toughest place to play in the NFL and the 12th man is going to be rocking the joint.


This game will be another in the list of statements the Hawks have made,,,Go Hawks!

 

[SeattleOspreys]

Game can not start soon enough for me. Nervous? Yeah, I always get a bit nervous when the Seahawks are in a big game. You start thinking things like that home win streak can't go forever. I got to banish such thoughts.

Such a big game for a regular season game. Kind of reminds me of last year when the 49ers rolled into town. Lets hope it ends the same way, with a beat down of the Saints.

I can't wait for the game but I'm at peace. I had an unusual feeling that Tony McDaniel makes a big play. I'm like what? I like him but he doesn't make big plays and is rotational. Of all guys, he might be the least likely. Maybe it was Bennett "letting out some steam" on Brees.

 

[Mr. Tacoma]

Game can not start soon enough for me. Nervous? Yeah, I always get a bit nervous when the Seahawks are in a big game. You start thinking things like that home win streak can't go forever. I got to banish such thoughts.

Such a big game for a regular season game. Kind of reminds me of last year when the 49ers rolled into town. Lets hope it ends the same way, with a beat down of the Saints.

It's six o'clock on the east coast and the sun has already set. I need some football or I'm gonna lose it!

I did have this same feeling before the Atlanta game so maybe it's a good sign! Two fingers of bourbon and a cigar at kickoff and I should settle in nicely.

Let's go Hawks!

 

[blstoker]

Just saw Dilfer say on ESPN that Thomas and Ingram will have more rushing yards than Lynch. His reasoning is that the Seahawks have given up 150 ypg and 4.9 ypc since week 8. I find that funny, since 1 - the Saints don't run the ball with any real frequency, and 2 - the Seahawks held the Vikings under 4 ypc two weeks ago, and had they not put a majority of reserves in at the end of the game it would have been worse (AP averaged 3.1). I just don't see the rushing numbers being in the Saints favor, especially since they are ranked in the bottom 3rd in the league in every rushing category.

Dilfer's just seems to have something up his butt about the Seahawks, and he just refuses to say anything positive about them. This is just rediculus to think that a team that runs more than it throws and is the #3 running game won't be able to match the rushing total of the 23rd rushing offense, but I guess he doesn't have confidence in the Saints passing game against the Seahawks #1 ranked pass defense?