Packers vs Saints week

[Randall]

A shootout would be nice for us but will the Saints throw or run against our weak(until last week) run defense?

 

So shall it come to pass

Secondary prepares to drop curtain on Saints' aerial display

 

By Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel

 

Posted: Nov. 17, 2008

 

Green Bay - As the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints prepare for their Monday night showdown at the Louisiana Superdome next week, one question looms: Should the Packers be worried about the Saints' passing game or should the Saints should be worried about the Packers' pass defense?

 

In years past, the Packers would have gone into this game against the NFL's No. 1-ranked passing offense wondering what kind of package it could put together to prevent the Saints from shredding their secondary.

 

But the Packers come into the game ranked third overall in passing defense, having limited opposing quarterbacks to league lows in passer rating (59.5), completion percentage (51.5) and passing first downs (78). On top of that, they lead the NFL with 16 interceptions, six of which have been returned for touchdowns.

 

This Packers team can dwell on the options it has to defend against quarterback Drew Brees and his talented group of receivers and running backs rather than trying to figure out how to patch up weaknesses.

 

"There is no arrogance about it whatsoever," secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer said. "We have hard-working players. We understand the quality of players we play against and know they're capable of doing good things against us as well. We have to work hard in practice, we have to prepare hard and we have to study and be ready when we go out there every week."

 

There's no question the Packers have benefited from facing quarterbacks like Chicago's Kyle Orton, Minnesota's Gus Frerotte, Seattle's Charlie Frye, Tampa Bay's Brian Griese and the Vikings' Tarvaris Jackson. But they also did a reasonably good job against Dallas' Tony Romo (82.6 rating), a terrific job against Indianapolis' Peyton Manning (46.6) and a solid job on Tennessee's Kerry Collins (62.9).

 

In the Packers' 37-3 domination of the Bears Sunday, the pass defense was superb again, limiting a hobbled Orton to 13 of 26 passing for 133 yards, good for a passer rating of 65.1. Backup Rex Grossman completed 4 of 7 for 26 yards and a 65.2 rating.

 

What made the performance significant was defensive coordinator Bob Sanders' decision to put cornerback Charles Woodson on tight end Greg Olsen and play the Bears with five defensive backs. It was a gamble given how much the Bears like to run the ball, but the way Woodson is playing, along with the faith the coaches have in nickel back Tramon Williams to cover receivers, there wasn't much hesitation to do it.

 

"Whatever we have to do (we'll do), from all positions back there," Schottenheimer said. "We take great pride in playing the run, playing the pass, playing match coverages, zone coverages, man-to-man. Guys are playing with confidence."

 

The success of the pass defense isn't just that the Packers have three cornerbacks in Woodson, Williams and Harris who can play man-to-man coverage, it's that safety Nick Collins is playing at a Pro Bowl level, backup safety Aaron Rouse has been able to offer unique features to the defense with his size and linebacker Brandon Chillar has been better than advertised in coverage.

 

If the Packers ever get safety Atari Bigby playing at the level he did before injuring his hamstring in Week 2, they will have no one who can be picked on. At this point, options like putting Woodson on a tight end or Bigby in the box or Chillar on a running back are plentiful.

 

It would also seem as if the Packers could devote more help to their run defense or pass rush knowing that things are secure in the secondary, but coach Mike McCarthy said it doesn't necessarily work that way.

 

"We're not going to just change to change, or try to go wholesale and just overload (or) scheme people to change up," McCarthy said. "People change from week to week. Everybody does self-scout, everybody is trying to anticipate tendencies of their opponent and that's really the chess match that you are playing."

 

It is notable, however, that the Packers will have several directions they can go in covering Saints running back Reggie Bush, should he return from a knee injury this week. Bush was functioning more as a receiver than a runner before he got hurt, totaling 42 catches for 366 yards and three touchdowns in seven games.

 

They must also worry about receivers Marques Colston, Lance Moore and Devery Henderson, as well as tight end Jeremy Shockey, all of whom contribute to the Saints averaging 411.5 yards per game. New Orleans has not been unstoppable, but this match-up will be on par with the one the Packers faced against Dallas in Week 3.

 

About the only element missing from the Packers' pass defense lately has been consistent pressure on the quarterback. The defensive line has only four sacks in the last four games and that needs to improve, especially facing a team that has given up just eight sacks in 398 passing attempts this season.

 

"The effort those guys have played with on the back end (has been good)," Sanders said. "We haven't had as many sacks as we're accustomed to, but we've tipped a couple balls and hit the quarterback a couple times. We had fairly decent pressure (against the Bears), but the effort those guys are playing with on the back end is huge to our success."

 

 

 

Find this article at:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/34622129.html

[myhousekey]

Saints back in the Dome on MNF after a month and a half on the road.....Dome will be a rockin!

 

Who Dat!

[Randall]

Saints back in the Dome on MNF after a month and a half on the road.....Dome will be a rockin!

 

Who Dat!

 

 

Hope it isn't magical like the first game after Katrina. We need some Packer fans in the stands.

Edited November 19, 2008 by Randall

[THE SIX KINGS]

GO SAINTS!!!!!

[MrTed46]

I'm going against Jennings and Reggie in my big $ league.... d'oh

[Super Twinky]

My two favorite teams, gonna whooop it up!!! Woot! This is gonna be hugh!!!!

[piratesownninjas]

I'm going against Jennings and Reggie in my big $ league.... d'oh

Hopefully you get destroyed. I'm rolling out Rodgers, Jennings, and Reggie.

[SLAYER]

I'm sure Rodgers and Jennings are salivating over the fact that our starting CB is David

[pig devilz]

"Whatever we have to do (we'll do), from all positions back there," Schottenheimer said. "We take great pride in playing the run, playing the pass, playing match coverages, zone coverages, man-to-man. Guys are playing with confidence."

 

this concerns me....because not only are they a talented core of DB's.

 

almost makes me wanna play Housh against Pitt.....

Edited November 20, 2008 by pig devilz

[Randall]

From RotoWorld:

 

Deuce McAllister missed Thursday's practice after having his knee drained.

McAllister has an extra day to recover for a Monday night game, but his status is very much in question. If Reggie Bush (knee) doesn't make progress, Pierre Thomas could be New Orleans' feature back against the Packers. Thomas should be owned in all leagues, as Deuce's knee issues threaten to persist.

Source: WWLTV-Louisiana

[Randall]

For a group of players that hasn't been bashful about making plenty of noise with its play on the field, the Packers secondary is unequivocally understated this week as it prepares for its biggest test of the season.

 

"We're going to be nice and calm about it," safety Nick Collins said Wednesday. "We ain't trying to get nobody riled up about this game. We're just going to go out there and play our game. We ain't going to try to feed into the hype or nothing like that. We're just going to play Packer football."

 

A colossal showdown within a key intra-conference matchup between the Packers and the fellow 5-5 New Orleans Saints looms Monday night at the Superdome.

 

The Drew Brees-led Saints have the NFL's top passing offense, averaging 319.7 yards per game. The playmaking-laden Packers counter with the league's third-rated pass defense, which is allowing an average of 176.3 yards per outing.

 

The old cliche of "something's gotta give" may come to pass and, if so, probably will be the telling point of the final outcome in a must-win game for both teams.

 

For their outwardly quiet countenance, Green Bay's defensive backs are a confident bunch ready to add another big play or two at the expense of Brees to their record-breaking production this season.

 

"They're exciting to watch in the secondary," Packers receiver Greg Jennings said. "It's almost like quarterbacks are aiming at our guys because they get so many interceptions."

 

Green Bay leads the league with 16 interceptions – all by the guys on the back end of the defense. The Packers also are unsurpassed in completion percentage (51.5) and passer rating (59.5) by opposing quarterbacks.

 

Outside of the Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning, whom the Packers held in check en route to a 34-14 home win in Week 7, they haven't faced a quarterback like Brees this season, however. Brees, who has completed 66.8 percent of his passes, has thrown for league highs of 3,251 yards and 43 explosive passes of at least 20 yards.

 

Collins said keeping plays in front of them, as they did against the Colts, is critical for the Packers' defensive backs to stifle the Saints' high-powered vertical attack. Green Bay has allowed only 21 passes of at least 20 yards, fourth fewest in the league.

 

 

The return of Pro Bowl cornerback Al Harris, after he missed four games earlier in the season because of a ruptured spleen, has been a boon. Harris has given up only one completion in the three games he's been back.

 

Incidentally, Harris is seeking his first interception in a season that already has been a memorable one for the defense, which has a franchise-record seven touchdown returns. The league record for a season is 10 by the 1998 Seattle Seahawks.

 

Collins, who came under fire after an interception-less 2007 season, has led the scoring barrage with runbacks on three of his co-league-high five interceptions – tied with teammate Charles Woodson.

 

"The way that we've gotten interceptions is just tremendous," Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman said. "You can't say enough about what they're doing. I think probably one of the biggest jumps has been our safeties are doing such a tremendous job of ball-hawking and getting after things. All of that is correlating into really helping us."

 

NOTES & QUOTES

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy planned to give Donald Driver half of the team's extended four-day practice schedule off anyhow, but a personal matter could have the veteran receiver away from the team most of the week.

 

Driver was excused from the team so he could return to his hometown of Houston and be with his hospitalized father, Marvin Jr.

 

Driver's family alleges that Marvin was beaten by police when he was arrested during a traffic stop early Monday morning. Instead of being taken to jail, Driver's family claims that Marvin was found lying on the ground bloody and unconscious and had to be picked up by paramedics and transported to a hospital.

 

Houston police give a different account of what happened in the police statement for the arrest on outstanding traffic warrants, saying Driver was "unresponsive" after he was taken to jail and then was moved to the hospital.

 

Driver already was going to be held out of Packers practice Wednesday and Thursday to give him a chance to recover from various minor injuries, including turf toe and a bruised knee.

 

McCarthy said Wednesday the "intent" is to have Driver rejoin the team in time to play in Green Bay's game at the New Orleans Saints on Monday night. …

 

While the Saints had the day off Wednesday, the Packers went through a light 90-minute practice in the afternoon. McCarthy had given his players two and a half days off after they beat the Chicago Bears 37-3 on Sunday.

 

Having an extra day ahead of the Monday game enabled the coaches to spread the typical Wednesday practice over two days. The Packers did mostly individual drills out of pads Wednesday.

 

"I just wanted to make sure that we did most of our heavy work closer to the game," McCarthy said. "In the past, I've done the heavier work in the beginning of the week preparing for Monday night football games. I prefer it later in the week, particularly the padded work. So I wanted to give them an extra half a day really to rest and get an extra lift in this week. We come off three very physical football games." …

 

With middle linebacker Nick Barnett set to undergo reconstructive surgery Thursday for a torn ACL in his right knee – an injury he sustained in the Nov. 9 loss at the Minnesota Vikings – the Packers figure to make a roster move by the end of this week. They have kept him on the 53-man roster more than a week after the season-ending injury was revealed. …

 

In the wake of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb's admission that he didn't realize NFL games could end in ties after the Eagles played the Cincinnati Bengals to a stalemate Sunday, McCarthy addressed the matter with his players in a team meeting Wednesday.

 

"I think all of our players, if they didn't know, they know for sure now," McCarthy said with a slight smirk. …

 

McCarthy on returning to coach a game in New Orleans for the first time since he was the Saints' offensive coordinator from 2000-04: "I have a lot of respect for the people down there, even the fans. They have excellent fans. It will be an incredible atmosphere Monday night in the dome. A big part of our business is the personal relationships that you build throughout your travels. And I had a very positive experience in New Orleans, and it will be neat to go back there for the first time."

 

PACKER REPORT: The only publication exclusively dedicated to your Green Bay Packers

[rajncajn]

From RotoWorld:

 

Deuce McAllister missed Thursday's practice after having his knee drained.

McAllister has an extra day to recover for a Monday night game, but his status is very much in question. If Reggie Bush (knee) doesn't make progress, Pierre Thomas could be New Orleans' feature back against the Packers. Thomas should be owned in all leagues, as Deuce's knee issues threaten to persist.

Source: WWLTV-Louisiana

Per Saints radio this evening Bush practiced fully with no setbacks. It seems likely he will play, but may be brought back slowly. Deuce had his knee drained, but says that it's nothing new & has had it done in previous weeks as well with it not affecting his game status.

[tbimm]

Per Saints radio this evening Bush practiced fully with no setbacks. It seems likely he will play, but may be brought back slowly. Deuce had his knee drained, but says that it's nothing new & has had it done in previous weeks as well with it not affecting his game status.

I live in New Orleans and a guy from Mississippi is always updating me on my team.

Love ya brother. How is the family?

[rajncajn]

I live in New Orleans and a guy from Mississippi is always updating me on my team.

Love ya brother. How is the family?

I just happened to catch the sound clips from the interviews on WWL's Sportstalk on the way home from work today.

 

Family is all good. We've all been battling illnesses for the past few weeks, but I guess that's typical for everyone this time of year. Busier than ever & no slack in sight. But holding it together. Hope all is good with you & the old fella as well.

[tbimm]

I just happened to catch the sound clips from the interviews on WWL's Sportstalk on the way home from work today.

 

Family is all good. We've all been battling illnesses for the past few weeks, but I guess that's typical for everyone this time of year. Busier than ever & no slack in sight. But holding it together. Hope all is good with you & the old fella as well.

All is well with the old man. I am battling hernia and shoulder issues and feel older than him but I will get over it. Kiss your girls before they go to,sleep as that is the best feeling in the world. Mine is about to be 21 and it happens too fast!

[Fatman]

GO PACK GO! I have a feeling this is going to be a really fun game, regardless of the outcome (Packer win, that is...)

[Randall]

GO PACK GO! I have a feeling this is going to be a really fun game, regardless of the outcome (Packer win, that is...)

 

 

Sterling Sharpe picked the Saints to win saying the Pack always does when he picks against them.

 

They covered this game a lot on Playbook.

[Chavez]

GO PACK GO! I have a feeling this is going to be a really fun game, regardless of the outcome

Yeah, I do not foresee an in-the-trenches, punch-in-the-mouth defensive struggle.

[Randall]

From Nola's blog. Deuce does well against GB and didn't he hurt his knee originally against us?

 

 

 

Keep an eye on Deuce McAllister.

 

Saints tailback Reggie Bush is expected to miss his fourth consecutive game tonight while recovering from a left knee injury, so McAllister should see several snaps against Green Bay -- assuming that he isn't slowed too much by his left knee injury.

 

This could turn into a memorable night for one of the greatest and most beloved Saints of all time.

 

For starters, he has a chance to make history in front of the home crowd. With 53 career touchdowns, he needs one more to break a tie with Dalton Hilliard for the franchise record.

 

"That would be great," said McAllister, the Saints' career rushing leader with 5,977 yards. "When you start playing, you look forward to maybe being able to break records, and you set goals. So just to be approaching something of that nature, it would be pretty awesome, obviously, to be able to do it at home."

 

There is an outside chance that this could be McAllister's final home game in a Saints uniform. That would be the case if he winds up being suspended (for taking a diuretic banned by the NFL) for the final four games of the season and does not return to the team next year.

 

McAllister, who turns 30 next month, has four years left on his contract, but his cap number next year is $7.3 million -- an amount that likely would have to be restructured to keep him in New Orleans.

 

The eighth-year veteran, who has become a part-time player this year while recovering from surgeries on both of his knees, said he isn't thinking that far ahead.

 

"Nah. That won't be an issue that I'll be concerned with or worried about," McAllister said. "Whatever happens is going to happen. It will be out of my control. But I'll just play the game."

 

Keep an eye on Greg Jennings.

 

Your fantasy football team is probably in good shape if you're counting on a big performance tonight from Green Bay's dynamic receiver. The third-year pro has emerged as one of the NFL's biggest big-play threats. And he's going up against a depleted Saints secondary that had trouble stopping the big play even before its top three cornerbacks went down with injuries.

 

Jennings (5 feet 11, 197 pounds) leads the NFL with six catches of 40-plus yards and 15 catches of 20-plus yards this season. But he's not just a deep threat. He's also the Packers' go-to guy with 48 receptions for 865 yards and five touchdowns.

 

"He's not just limited to one thing, like some guys who can just go deep. You've got to play every situation with him," said Saints safety Kevin Kaesviharn, who said both Jennings and veteran receiver Donald Driver present serious challenges. "They both have the ability to run after the catch. They both catch the deep ball. So we're going to have our work cut out for us."

 

KEY MATCHUP: SAINTS QB DREW BREES VS. THE PACKERS' SECONDARY

 

Brees has been as locked in as any quarterback, but tonight he'll face the league's most disruptive secondary.

 

The Packers lead the NFL with 16 interceptions -- six returned for touchdowns (three by safety Nick Collins, two by cornerback Charles Woodson and one by safety Aaron Rouse). They play man-to-man, bump-and-run coverage almost exclusively. Brees said that can give offenses an opportunity to make big plays, but it forces quarterbacks to be accurate.

 

"I think more so than anything, all of their guys have very good ball skills," said Brees, who has thrown for a league-best 3,251 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. "So if a ball is up in the air and touches their hands, they have a good chance of coming down with it. They have pretty good athletes on that side of the ball."

 

When told this game was being billed as the NFL's No. 1 passing offense vs. the league's best secondary, Green Bay cornerback Al Harris said, "Nice. That's got a nice ring to it."

 

But Collins made an effort to downplay the showdown.

 

"It's going to come down to whoever makes the most plays," said Collins, who is having a breakout year in his fourth season. "Don't get me wrong. It's going to be a great challenge for us. But we ain't going to try to hype it up. We're just going to play football."

 

GAME PLAN

 

The Saints' pass rushers have alternated between disruptive and nonexistent performances, but a lot of that can be attributed to the style of quarterback they're facing. Many opposing QBs have had a knack for getting rid of the ball quickly (Denver's Jay Cutler, San Diego's Philip Rivers, Atlanta's Matt Ryan, Tampa Bay's Jeff Garcia and Carolina's Jake Delhomme).

 

Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, in his first full season as a starter, does tend to stand back in the pocket, looking for big plays to develop down the field. The good news is that the Saints' front four will have a chance to get some pressure on him -- Rodgers has been sacked 21 times this season. The bad news is that Rodgers has hit on a lot of those big plays to Jennings and Driver.

 

New Orleans' defense will try to put pressure on Rodgers by shutting down the Packers' run game and making them one-dimensional. Green Bay tailback Ryan Grant got off to a slow start, partly because of a hamstring injury, but he has shown improvement, especially with his season-high 145 yards last week against Chicago.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

 

The Saints are 8-17 all-time on "Monday Night Football," including a 30-27 loss this season to Minnesota at the Superdome. ... Green Bay leads the all-time series 14-6, though the Saints won the last meeting 34-27 at Green Bay in 2006. ... Both teams are treading water at 5-5, but neither the Saints nor the Packers has lost to a team with a losing record. Green Bay's past three losses came by a combined seven points (vs. Atlanta, at Tennessee and at Minnesota). ... The Saints will play their first game at the Superdome tonight in 43 days. The previous five weeks included a game at Carolina, a "home game" in London against San Diego, a bye week, and games at Atlanta and at Kansas City.

[darin3]

I'm sure Rodgers and Jennings are salivating over the fact that our starting CB is David

The Packer WRs will likely make him look like a statue out there.

 

Looking forward to an exciting game. I think the Saints can pull it out.

[Randall]

The Packer WRs will likely make him look like a statue out there.

 

Looking forward to an exciting game. I think the Saints can pull it out.

 

 

 

Yes they definitely can. I am hoping they

[tbimm]

I just got tickets to the game! Taking my Packers fan GF to watch the Packers go down like four flat tires! Saints 37 Packers 24

[Randall]

I just got tickets to the game! Taking my Packers fan GF to watch the Packers go down like four flat tires! Saints 37 Packers 24

 

 

 

 

Packers fan GF. You definitely have good taste.

[SLAYER]

Hell of a lot of cheeseheads in the streets today. Having a good time in the Big Easy. As big as a homer as I am I just don't see the Saints winning this one. How they are favored I'm not sure, unless they are getting points for Monday Night Voodoo.

GBP 34 Saints 31

Falls in line with the road teams winning this week.

[Randall]

Hell of a lot of cheeseheads in the streets today. Having a good time in the Big Easy. As big as a homer as I am I just don't see the Saints winning this one. How they are favored I'm not sure, unless they are getting points for Monday Night Voodoo.

GBP 34 Saints 31

Falls in line with the road teams winning this week.

 

 

Packer fans like traveling to warm sites for games. Many figure a little sun/a little football is a plus. Most are respectful and just want a good time.