Could the Saints Win It All? “Not so fast”, says Arizona
Jan 14th, 2010 by admin
All season long, the New Orleans Saints have been heralded as the top team in the NFL, or at least tied for first with the Indianapolis Colts. The Saints’ offense, powered by Drew Brees, is “explosive” and domineering. You can’t count them out at any point in the game. All they need is a foot in the door, and next thing you know, Brees is hurling the football into the end zone for a touchdown. This weekend, in NFC Divisional Play, the Saints are up against the tough-as-nails Arizona Cardinals, who aren’t quite ready to let their Super Bowl 44 dreams die just yet.
In essence, it all comes down to the numbers: both teams are known for strong offensive play, but there are a few key differences in terms of how each team operates.
Arizona Cardinals
Kurt Warner is back at it again, hoping to push his team into Super Bowl 44 and put another ring on his finger, this time with the Cardinals’ insignia on it. He’s done fairly well for himself this season, 339 completions out of 513 attempts over 3753 yards, 26 of which were touch downs. That’s not so bad, right?
Warner will need help, however, and can’t do it all by himself. That’s where the rest of the Arizona Cardinals’ offense comes in. Looking at Rushing, Beenie Wells is the standout, followed closely in stats by teammate Tim Hightower. Wells has carried the ball 176 times over 793 yards, with 7 touchdowns. His average carry per possession is 4.5 yards. Meanwhile, Hightower has contributed 143 carries over 598 yards, with 8 touchdowns. Hightower’s average carry per possession is 4.2 yards. All in all, the Cardinals’ rushing is well balanced, and doesn’t rely too heavily on one player over another.
When it come’s to receiving, Larry Fitzgerald is absolutely key to Arizona. He’s caught 97 passes over 1092 yards, averaging 11.3 yards per possession with 13 touchdowns. He’s followed by Anqwan Boldin, who’s caught 84 passes over 1024 yards, averaging 12.2 yards per possession with 4 touchdowns. Clearly, the Cardinals rely a lot on the Warner/Fitzgerald combination, and will need to make sure the Saints’ defense is not allowed to get to either Warner or Fitzgerald. That means Boldin will have to rise to the occasion this weekend if Fitzgerald is covered like a marked man.
New Orleans Saints
The sports pundits literally get giddy when it comes to Drew Brees. Brees started the season with the usual level of expectations, but gradually began to exceed and outperform other top quarterbacks by substantial margins. For one, Brees can throw the football: he’s made 363 completions with 514 attempts over 4388 yards. On top of that, he boasts 34 touchdowns. Without a doubt, Brees’ numbers stand head and toe above Warner, which is evidenced by the Saints’ near perfect regular season.
Don’t forget that Brees has teammates. His rushing squad, led by Pierre Thomas, has been solid this season. Thomas has 147 carries over 793 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry with 6 touchdowns. Brees also likes to go to Mike Bell, who has had 172 carries over 654 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per carry with 5 touchdowns. The Saints’ rushing is balanced, and doesn’t rely too heavily on one player or the other. This makes them a force to be reckoned with.
Brees also has a great relationship with his receivers. While Marques Colston, the Saints’ top receiver, doesn’t quite lineup to Cardinal Larry Fitzgerald, he has still managed to contribute a solid performance to the Saints each game. Colston has 70 receptions over 1074 yards, averaging 15.3 yards per possession with 9 touchdowns. At the other end of the line of scrimmage, Devery Henderson sports 51 receptions over 804 yards, averaging 15.8 yards per possession with 2 touchdowns. While its clear that Brees prefers Colston, Henderson can still offer the Saints’ offense some solid numbers. You can’t count anyone out at this point.
So, as we head into the Divisionals this weekend, that’s what’s on the Cardinals/Saints plate. It will be the most anticipated game, a virtual clash of two All Star quarterbacks that command their offense like field generals. See you at midfield for the kickoff!
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