A Tale of the Tape- Saints v. Cards

[Ed note: Much of this post was published last night 1/14, but we here at Wadsworth felt it was lacking in both analysis/insight and Katrina based humor therefore we have gone back and made some additions and edits.]

Alright, lets do it. Lets do some spade calling. I completely and utterly dropped the ball on any and all Cards-Packers post game blogging. I know that was not pleasing to a clamoring fan base, but honestly, what the hell was I supposed to say about that game? You all saw it! I've had to watch the highlight package about 300 times just to remember actual plays. All I remember was a series of non life-threatening heart attacks (luckily), way too many high-fives without any hand sanitizer in sight (not as lucky), and an emotional state bouncing between joy, confusion, heartache, and then back to confusion. So with that pseudo apology behind us, lets look at the tale of the tape. Saints v. Cardinals, but arguably as important, New Orleans v. Arizona.

• In one corner we have rap sensation Lil Wayne. In the other Phoenix's own Willy Northpole.
• Broken levees vs. beatable Levi
• Displaced black people vs. displaced native americans.
• 9th ward vs. natural wonder of the world.
• Gumbo vs... indian fry bread???

Ok, the last one was a stretch and the first one isn't really a debate, but 3 out of 5 isn't too bad. Well, upon second thought, Levi and the levees might be a draw. So with AZ vs N.O coming in at an evenly matched 2-2-1 lets move past this exercise in futility and onto the game breakdown.

The Saints, much like the Packers last week, boast an incredible arial attack. Drew Brees was the MVP runner-up while leading his team to an NFL high in points scored. Stopping him is not realistic. Slowing him down will be difficult, but it is possible. Despite giving up 45 points last week, the Cards defense does possess the necessary tools to slow down the Saints high powered attack. Heres how...

All the usual suspects will have to play big. Dock has to play up to his dominating potential. Calais Campbell will have a much bigger role as he continues to come back from his thumb injury. With pressuring Brees being such an important key to the game, CC's return to action is both vital and encouraging. A-dub will be asked to play a very complete game. A-dub will need to provide an edge rush in the blitzing game, while also keeping a watchful eye on the middle of the field with guys like Reggie Bush and Jeremy Shockey looking to exploit that area. Jeremy Shockey worries me. When he's not passing out poolside, Shockey is as dangerous a TE as there is in the league. A player as big, fast, and talented as Shockey would scare any defense, but he is especially troublesome for the Cardinals who up to this point have still never actually guarded a TE. The other major defensive concern (aside from the whole Drew Brees being insanely good thing) is the Saints screen game. The Saints this season have been a tremendous screen team. Reggie Bush, while awful in almost every other facet of the game, is very dangerous in the open field. The Cards are not a team who defends the screen well. Cardinal defenders are often overaggressive and easily baited out of their lanes which opens up a lot of room for the screen game. Look for this early and often from the Saints, especially if the Cards pass rush is proving effective. Thats all fine and good, but it won't be the defensive stars who determine this game. The key to slowing down the Saints offense lie in the collective hands of the three men who play OLB for the birds. Clark Haggans, Chike Okeafor, and most importantly (as I see it) Bertrand Berry will be the difference makers for the Cards. Bert already got off to a hot start racking up 2 sacks against the Packers. While he is a definite liability in the run game, Berry still possesses the quickness to wreck havoc in the passing game. Look for Berry to double his playoff sack total with Haggans and Okeafor grabbing 1 each themselves.

Offensively, the game plan is the same week in and week out. No changes here. First and foremost, protect Kurt allowing him to get the ball to the playmakers. Next, minimize penalties. These both can be difficult when playing on the road, especially at a place as wild and loud as the Superdome. This factor cannot be overlooked. The Superdome, and its fans must be considered the x-factor for the Saints. Crowd noise can have an incredible impact on every aspect of the game. False start penalties, an inability to audible, and protection breakdowns are all things to keep an eye on. Ideally speaking, the Cards will jump out to a big lead and take the crowd out of it. Obviously, with that being easier said than done, the solution to the crowd problem might be the Cards x-factor. Feed the fucking Bean! The Saints run defense is suspect at best. As long as they don't fall far behind early, they should be able to control the clock and the flow with the run game.

A few more notes before prediction time.

• Despite his optimism, it looks like Q is going to miss his second straight game. Early and Steve proved they can step up in the big game. I am a bit concerned about Doucet early on (no pun intended, i swear). Early is from Louisiana and is going to have a lot of family at the game. As if a playoff game wasn't enough reason for jitters, playing in front of 50ish family members will most certainly add to that.
• Gerald Hayes too looks like he will be out for tomorrows affair. Monte Beisel is a capable replacement. Not quite as physically imposing, but a smart player who generally finds himself around the ball.
• Neil Rackers is saying all the right things. It is quite conceivable the game (again) could come down to a Rackers field goal. Lets all hope he can respond to a disaster better than FEMA. BOOM, SMOKED! Yup, thats the terrible joke this entire blog has been setting up. And with that, its Prediction time..

Gotta ride the hot hand hometown heros (heck ya alliteration). Cards continue on with a final score 38-31.