The Saints have to be ticked off about how last week’s game went against the Bucs and they are likely going to take it out on the Colts tomorrow night.  The Colts have played decent in national T.V. games, but they are still downright awful.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are going to pass to get the lead and then grind it out on the ground in the second half.  The O-Line is going to have to keep DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis out of the backfield.  If that happens, the Saints might put 40+ points on the scoreboard tomorrow night.  Brees is going to spread the ball around in the passing game to keep everyone happy against a Colts’ D that is giving up 255.8 yards passing per game.  The three-headed RB (Ingram, Sproles and Thomas) will be taking aim at a Colts’ D that is allowing 136.7 yards rushing per game this year.

When the Colts have the ball:  The Saints are going to blitz Curtis Painter a lot in this game.  They will also likely double Pierre Garcon and force Painter to throw to someone else.  The Colts are likely going to run the ball a little more than usual tomorrow night with Joseph Addai, Delone Carter and Donald Brown as the Saints are giving up 109.2 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 33, COLTS 17

The New Orleans Saints are playing their 3rd road game in a row this weekend in Tampa.  They have won the first two games of the road trip.  The last time the Saints paid a visit to Tampa, they pounded the Bucs 31-6.  The Buccaneers are 2-1 at home this year, but they are coming off a 48-3 beatdown at the hands of the Niners last weekend.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints have been rotating their RBs so far this year and the results have been good.  Look for that to continue this weekend against the Bucs, who are allowing 123.4 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.  Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram will handle the tough stuff between the tackles while Darren Sproles will handle the outside stuff.  If Drew Brees has time to throw the ball (and he should tomorrow), look for him to have a huge game.  He likes to spread the ball around to a lot of different receivers which puts huge pressure on the opposing secondary.

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  With LeGarrett Blount out due to injury, look for the Bucs to throw the ball a lot more than usual.  The Saints are going to need to blitz Josh Freeman a lot tomorrow, because if he has time to throw the ball, he’s going to make some plays.  His favorite targets in the passing game are likely to be WR Mike Williams, TE Kellen Winslow and RB Earnest Graham out of the backfield.  Arrelious Benn and Preston Parker are a couple of WRs on the rise, so the Saints will have to keep eyes on them too.  Earnest Graham and Josh Freeman are going to try to get a running game going this Sunday, but they don’t scare the Saints much.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 33, BUCCANEERS 17

The Saints are in for a tough game this weekend against the Panthers, who are a much improved football team in 2011.  Drew Brees is more than equipped to win a shootout if need be, but look for the Saints to try to run more than usual to keep the ball away from Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offense.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Panthers have had a lot of injuries at linebacker and the result is that they are allowing 143.8 yards rushing per game and 5.2 yards per carry.  Look for the Saints to pound away at the middle of the Panthers’ D with Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas.  Darren Sproles is going to attack the edges of the Panthers’ D in both the running and passing games and he is likely to have a huge game.  The DEs have all of the Panthers’ sacks this year (6), so look for the Saints to chip the ends with backs and TEs this Sunday to help out the OTs.  Don’t think for a minute though that Drew Brees isn’t going to light up the scoreboard as he will spread out his WRs (Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and Lance Moore) along with TE Jimmy Graham and come right after the Panthers’ weak secondary.

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Saints would not be happy if the Panthers decided to turn loose RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart in the running game.  The Saints are only giving up 94.0 yards rushing per game but 4.6 yards per carry.  Still, the Panthers are averaging 40.8 pass attempts per game, so the Saints are going to have to blitz a lot and get to Cam Newton.  They are also going to have to find a way to give the corners help over the top with Steve Smith and dare Newton to beat them by passing to someone else.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 33, PANTHERS 27

The New Orleans Saints are back on track after beating the Bears and Texans the last two weeks.  The Jaguars are heading in the other direction as they have lost two games in a row by a combined score of 48-13!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints might try to run the ball a little more this weekend than they have been.  Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles will have to deal with the stubborn Jaguars’ D that is only allowing 83.7 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry.  That will likely force Drew Brees to take it to the air this Sunday.  The Jaguars only have 3 sacks this year, so Brees is going to have time to look over the field and that’s bad news for the home team.  Brees will spread the ball around to Devery Henderson, Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles in the passing game, and he’s going to have success.

When the Jaguars have the ball:  The Jaguars are going to feed the ball to Maurice Jones-Drew in this game, so the Saints will have to stop him and force rookie QB Blaine Gabbert to beat them with his arm.  Gabbert will be taking aim at a Saints’ D that is giving up 282.0 yards passing per game so far this year.  It’s too bad that he doesn’t have many weapons at WR or TE to really help him.  I think the Saints are going to give the rookie QB fits this Sunday, as they already have 10 sacks so far this year.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 30, JAGUARS 10

This could be an epic game between two high powered offense this Sunday in New Orleans.  The Saints would be smart to try to run the ball a little more often than usual to keep their defense off the field.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints don’t likely want to get into a fire fight with the Texans this Sunday.  They need to find a running game and they will likely test the middle of the Texans’ D with handoffs to Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas.  The Texans are giving up 109.5 yards rushing and 4.9 yards per carry so far this year, so the Saints could have success on the ground.  The Texans are a heavy blitzing team and with that in mind, I look for the Saints to run some screen passes to Darren Sproles to attack the perimeter of the Texans’ D.  The Saints aren’t going to forget about the passing game though, and why would they?  WRs Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and Lance Moore are going to attack a Texans’ secondary that is only giving up 162.5 yards passing per game this year.  Brees is no Chad Henne or Kerry Collins though.  The Saints will also attack the middle of the Texans’ D with TE Jimmy Graham.

When the Texans have the ball:  The Saints are likely to play the run on the way to the QB.  The Saints are only giving up 81.5 yards rushing per game so far this year, but 4.2 yards per carry.  I’m sure the Texans are going to challenge the Saints’ front seven with a heavy dose of RB Ben Tate, who already has 219 yards rushing so far this year.  The Saints have 8 sacks this year and they will need to get after Matt Schaub, because the Saints are giving up 241 yards passing per game this year.  WRs Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones are true gamebreakers and they are going to give the Saints’ corners fits this Sunday.  The Saints will also have to deal with TE Owen Daniels who is one of the most underrated players at his position in the league.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 30, TEXANS 24

This is going to be another good game this Sunday in New Orleans.  The Saints have had a very extra days to get ready for the Bears, and that is a good thing.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Bears gave up 7.9 yards per carry to the Falcons last weekend, so look for the Saints to run the ball a lot more than they did against the Packers.  Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas will take turns testing Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and the rest of the Bears’ D.  Drew Brees is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly as the Bears had 5 sacks last weekend against the Falcons.  That means that TE Jimmy Graham is likely going to have a lot of passes thrown his way as he will challenge safeties Chris Harris and Major Wright of the Bears.  Make no mistake though, Brees is going to take his shots down the field to Lance Moore, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem.

When the Bears have the ball:  The Bears are likely going to spread the Saints’ D out with WRs Earl Bennett, Roy Williams, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester just like the Packers did last week.  The Saints are going to have to find a way to get to Bears’ QB Jay Cutler, who was sacked 5 times last week by the Falcons.  If he has time to throw the ball, the Saints could be in big trouble this weekend.  MLB Jonathan Vilma and the rest of the front seven will have to bring their A-Game in dealing with Matt Forte in this game.  Forte touched the ball 21 times (16 rushes and 5 receptions) for 158 total yards with 1 TD.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 27, BEARS 23

This should be an epic matchup tonight at Lambeau Field in the 2011 season opener for the NFL.  The Saints want to get off to a good start this year after losing in the playoffs against the Seahawks last year.  Here is a look at the matchups in tonight’s football game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are going to likely run the ball more than usual tonight.  Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram will probably split the carries pretty even against a Packers’ front seven that’s strength isn’t playing the run.  The Saints want to run the ball for a couple of reasons tonight.  1.) They want to slow the Packers’ pass rush.  2.) It will make things a little easier when Drew Brees tries to throw the ball against the excellent secondary of the Packers.  3.) To control the clock and keep their own defense off the field.  Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham will likely be the keys in the passing game for the Saints as the passing game will be likely of the shorter variety tonight.

When the Packers have the ball:  The Saints should be able to stop the Saints’ running game with Sedrick Ellis, Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin clogging up the middle to allow middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma a free flow to the running back.  The Packers probably aren’t going to run the ball much with Ryan Grant and James Starks anyway.  That’s because they essentially use the short passing game as their running game.  The Packers have four solid WRs in Greg Jennings, James Jones, Donald Driver and Jordy Nelson and that’s going to keep the corners occupied.  The Saints need to get a good pass rush tonight, because if Aaron Rodgers has time to throw the ball, it could be a long night for them.  The safeties are also going to have to handle dealing with solid TE Jermichael Finley, and that’s not going to be easy.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 27, SAINTS 20

The Saints beat the Seahawks just 7 weeks ago in New Orleans 34-19.  But this is going to be a tougher task beating the Seahawks on the road and likely in the rain.  With all of the injuries the Saints have at running back they are likely going to be leaning on Drew Brees’ arm to carry them to victory.  The Seahawks are 5-3 at home this year and they seem to sometimes rise to the occasion at Qwest Field.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints need to protect Drew Brees’ in this game.  That means they are going to have to keep DEs Chris Clemons & Raheem Brock out of the backfield.  If Brees has time to throw the ball he should have success against a Seahawks’ D that is allowing 249.6 yards passing per game this year.  I can see Brees trying to stretch the field with bombs to Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson to try to loosen up the secondary.  Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas will likely handle the shorter stuff for the Saints.  Reggie Bush & Julius Jones will carry the load in the running game as the Seahawks are giving up 118.9 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry this year.

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are likely going to try to establish a running game because they don’t want to get into a firefight with the Saints.  The Saints will have to key on stopping Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett in the running game.  If the Saints can stop the Seahawks’ running game then they will be able to harrass Matt Hasselbeck in the pocket, trying to force him into making some big mistakes.  Mike Williams will be Hasselbeck’s top short target with Ben Obomanu being a serious threat over the top. 

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 24, SEAHAWKS 17

The Saints need this game which is a good thing as they can still win the AFC South with a win over the Bucs and a Panthers’ win over the Falcons in Atlanta.  I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for a Panthers’ win though.  Regardless, I think the Saints are going to use this game as a playoff rehearsal as they want to keep momentum going in the right direction.  The Bucs can make the playoffs with a win over the Saints and both Packers’ and Giants’ losses.  The Saints pounded the Bucs 31-6 in the first meeting between these two teams in Tampa.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are going to come out passing against the Bucs in an attempt to get a quick lead on them and hurt their will.  The Bucs are giving up 201.1 yards passing per game but they have 18 interceptions so Brees will have to be careful.  The Bucs have suffered some big time injuries in the secondary so look for Brees to move the ball around and take advantage of mis-matches.  The Saints will then look to hit the ground to grind out a win as the Bucs are giving up 133.4 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry.  The Saints would like to get Pierre Thomas & Reggie Bush back into gear before the playoffs start.

When the Bucs have the ball:  The Bucs are going to try to throw short passes and run the football as they want to also control the clock.  The Saints will have to gang up on LeGarrette Blount as he is a load to bring down if he gets a full head of steam.  The Saints will also likely double cover Mike Williams and force the Bucs to beat them throwing to someone else.  TE  Kellen Winslow and RB Cadillac Williams are Josh Freeman’s favorite targets on the shorter stuff.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 31, BUCCANEERS 17

The Saints fell last weekend to the Ravens breaking a six game winning streak.  The Saints really need this game because they can still win the NFC South with 2 wins and some help the last two weeks.  The Falcons have won 8 games in a row and they can sew up both the NFC South title and the best record in the NFC with a win this weekend.  Falcons’ QB Matt Ryan is 19-1 as a starter in the Georgia Dome.  The Falcons won the first meeting between these teams in New Orleans earlier this year, 27-24 in O.T.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are likely to try to run more than usual in this game to try to control the clock.  Chris Ivory might not be ready to go this weekend meaning that Pierre Thomas & Reggie Bush are going to be doing the heavy lifting against a Falcons’ D that is allowing 106.1  yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  If the Saints O-Line can keep John Abraham out of the backfield, Brees should have more  than enough time to throw the ball.  He will spread the ball around to whoever is open making him very hard to defend.

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Saints will need to tighten up the chinstraps to deal with Michael Turner and Jason Snelling who are going to attack the front seven of the Saints.  The Saints are giving up 117.0 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry so far this year.  The Saints will have try to double team WR Roddy White and dare Matt Ryan to beat them by throwing the ball to Michael Jenkins & Tony Gonzalez.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, SAINTS 27