Game from a Saints Fan Perspective

SaintsFan1998 · Jan 8, 2014

Greetings. A Saints fan here who thought it would be entertaining (and possibly even informative) to give you my take on the upcoming game. First, I hope that it is a well-played and injury-free game for both teams.

The Seahawks are the more physically talented team, and I do not think that it is even close. For that reason, I expect the Seahawks to win. Your defense is scary because it is not just scheme and not just talent, but a combination of both.

The other thing you really have going for you is that the Saints defense has just been destroyed by injuries. It has gotten to the point where if one more guy goes down, I think that they will be calling me to see if I am willing to play safety. Last season, the Saints had the worst defense ever. In history. Rob Ryan came in and turned chicken [stuff] into chicken salad. But he is now down to whatever is worse than chicken [stuff]. At some point, scheme can only do so much; a lack of athletes will doom you. I am not saying that by way of making excuses--it is just a fact that a TON of guys have gone down recently and a bunch of practice squaders are taking their place. Part of the price the team had to pay for not getting a bye week.

For that reason, I think that y'all will score points. Which will, I think, make the Saints more one-dimensional than they want to be. The running game has actually turned on for the Saints the last couple of weeks. But I do not know if ball-control will be enough to keep up with y'all. And the Saints offense is not as talented as people think. Brees and Payton are Hall of Famers. Which is awesome. But their ability masks the fact that the Saints lack a quality speed receiver. Robert Meachem used to be that guy, but he's too old. Kenny Stills will be that guy, but he's too young. (FWIW, Joe Morgan would be that guy this year, but his knees are too ligament-shredded). And Colston, Graham, and Sproles are great at what they do, but none of them are speed guys. Basically, Brees and Payton manage to get 110% out of what they have through scheme and intelligence. But a smart and athletic defense can take that away, and you are left with guys like Lance Moore and Ben Watson trying to win the game for you.

All that said, I have a couple of reasons that I feel strangely confident notwithstanding everything I just said. First, the weather looks like it will be nasty. Lots of folks seem to think that that will be to the Seahawks's advantage. But I see the opposite. To me, bad weather neutralizes athleticism. And, since y'all are the more athletic team, I think that some rain and wind will actually help put the teams on more even footing.

Second, y'all kicked the Saints's butts last time the teams played. Which, I think, works to the Saints's advantage. First, to the extent guys getting paid millions of dollars need to be motivated by things like "nobody believes in us," the Saints have that advantage. Also, there's a loose-ness to the Saints that I think also works to their advantage. Almost like they are playing with house money. Sean Payton is at his most dangerous when he's going gunslinger. Same thing with Rob Ryan. And the team certainly has that vibe going into this week. Teams and players with nothing to lose can be dangerous. Teams and players with everything to lose can get tight.

As for the quarterbacks, I say Brees is best. Y'all, I am sure, say that Wilson is best. We will agree to disagree on that point. I still wonder, though, how a second year quarterback will do with the weight of "you are supposed to win" expectations on his shoulders if the game is tied in the fourth quarter.

Finally, is the Percy Harvin thing good or bad? He's a top five receiver at his best. And you can't really keep him off the field if he can physically play. But, man, there's also something to be said for if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I can see a game where a rusty Harvin manages to actually hurt by taking some touches away from other guys who have been doing it all season long.

Anyway, here's to a good game. My wife spent a year in Yakima and talks often about how much she enjoyed her trips into Seattle. And I think that Fraiser totally holds up and is still good for a laugh when you catch it on re-runs. So, really, nothing but peace and love from down here.

(Oh, and if you had any questions about the Saints, feel free to post them, and I will do my best to answer, with the caveat that all my opinions are, of course, just my opinions.)

Sarlacc83 · Jan 8, 2014

Thanks for posting. I don't agree that weather will help a dome team because it neutralizes their advantages more than it does a team who is used to the elements. Also a slippery ball does not help a QB like Brees who has been prone to fumbles. (Though that doesn't necessarily benefit Wilson, either.)

Nor do I think the "No one believes in us" card motives athletes any more or less than their personal pride and a playoff atmosphere does.

As for Harvin, he seemed to do OK in the Minnesota game after shaking off the rust. Even if he doesn't catch more than 2 or 3 passes, his impact will be felt by Tate and Baldwin who will have an easier time in 1 on 1 coverage. Harvin needs to get the safeties, and even the DBs to bite.

Finally, going gunslinger against our team is probably the only way to beat them, but the Saints don't have the defense necessary to make up for 2 or 3 picks. If Seattle punches in TDs off turnovers, it's going to be a long game for NOLA.

Good luck.

idahawks · Jan 8, 2014

Thank for the input SaintsFan. I would agree with most of what you said. Except:

We've been bug by the injury bug too. However our cupboards are overflowing. Its seems like almost every guy we pull off the practice squad is as good or better than the starter. While you talent may have dropped off due to injuries I doubt you've had any more than us.

Brees VS. Wilson- ok agree to disagree. However I don't think there is any doubt in 3 years Wilson (27) will be much better than Brees (38).

Many on here seem to think Harivin is our savior. I don't. He may contribute and may even dominate. But I don't think anyone is or should be counting on him. He's let us down all season and I don't think this game will be any different. We didn't need him to snag the #1 seed and we don't ned him to win in the playoffs. If he contributes- great, but we can win without him.

I really don't think your offense will do anthing against our D. I would be surprised if you get 2 offensive touchdowns. However our O hasn't been exactly stellar. We may sturggle but if we can get 2 tds from our O I believe our D will provide another 10 pts on pick 6's or turnovers.

My prediction 24-14 Hawks

RolandDeschain · Jan 8, 2014

I have no problem saying Brees is the better QB. Currently. Wilson needs a few years of sustained excellence before we can try to make the claim of him being one of the top few QBs in the NFL. That being said, I believe he is on the track to becoming one of those, and quickly. (Compare Wilson's second season to Peyton's second, Brees's second, etc.)

There is no way we spank you guys as dramatically this time. You'll put up more of a fight. We certainly can lose this game if we're not careful. That being said, I think we still win this game; but I'll be SHOCKED if the Saints don't get at LEAST 17-20 points. It's hard to beat the same team twice in a year.

Also, welcome to our semi-humble abode!

BleedGreenNblue · Jan 8, 2014

SaintsFan1998":27qw3t45 said:
I still wonder, though, how a second year quarterback will do with the weight of "you are supposed to win" expectations on his shoulders if the game is tied in the fourth quarter.

Russell has already answered that question, friend.

SalishHawkFan · Jan 8, 2014

I don't think lack of of a quality speed receiver much matters. If anything, it's paradoxically to your advantage as you're less likely to throw deep and get intercepted. Speed receivers get neutered vs our secondary. We get exploited over the middle for dinks and dunks. Wright shut that down superbly last time, covering Graham, but he is out for this matchup and it is yet to be seen how well the guy they put on Graham instead does. I expect Brees to have a better day than last time we played. Brees doesn't make many mistakes either so luring him into INT'S will be difficult. That puts the onus on our offense. Fortunately, as you said, you've had some injuries, mostly to your defense. Losing a LBer is going to hurt.

So I expect a much closer game than before, but I still think the Hawks pull this one out.

CANHawk · Jan 8, 2014

Wow... this has a very "KingdomeKarlesemo" feel to it. ick...

Anyhoo. I don't see how the elements could possibly work against us. Our guys live in it. They practice in it. They drive to work every day in it. It's a part of them. Those domeboys from the swamp don't know the first thing about living life in the cold hard rain. HUGE advantage Seahawks.

CodeWarrior · Jan 8, 2014

Roman Harper is starting, no? Any chance he plays some single high safety? The prospect of him back there alone makes me giddy. Tremendously poor in coverage but is decent in run support. With him penciled in as a starter does that mean the Saints are still focusing on stopping Lynch, or is he in there because you really have no choice due to injuries?

BlueTalons · Jan 8, 2014

The preemptive "if we lose, it was because of injuries" card doesn't fly. We as fans will make that excuse...it's human nature. But there are 53 players on a team, not 22+2 (kickers.) Next man up! Quality depth on a team wins championships. ALSO, we earned the right to have a bye week to rest our injuries. Part of the way the system works.

SaintsFan1998 · Jan 8, 2014

CodeWarrior":z168n8oc said:
Roman Harper is starting, no? Any chance he plays some single high safety? The prospect of him back there alone makes me giddy. Tremendously poor in coverage but is decent in run support. With him penciled in as a starter does that mean the Saints are still focusing on stopping Lynch, or is he in there because you really have no choice due to injuries?

It is an injury thing.

Also, Harper is one of those guys (and I think that every team has them) that the coaches seem to like/trust way more than the fans do. If it were up to Saints fans, he would have been cut years ago. I certainly hope that Ryan uses him mostly in run support.

And, as for the focus, I do not know what the team's plan is. Personally, I would let Lynch get his yards and focus more on stopping Wilson. In the first meeting, it feels like Wilson went 24-for-24 on third-down passes for a first down. I think that that's the primary thing that the Saints have to stop if they want to have any chance. But I am probably over-reacting to the last game instead of planning for the next game.

DavidSeven · Jan 8, 2014

SaintsFan1998":3a5u5jz3 said:
Finally, is the Percy Harvin thing good or bad? He's a top five receiver at his best. And you can't really keep him off the field if he can physically play. But, man, there's also something to be said for if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I can see a game where a rusty Harvin manages to actually hurt by taking some touches away from other guys who have been doing it all season long.

There's a couple things that mitigate against the potential rust factor: (1) Darrell Bevell, the Seahawks OC, was Harvin's OC for two years in Minnesota, so Harvin is pretty familiar with the overall concept of the offense; and (2) Russell Wilson is pretty good at spreading the ball around and not forcing it to any particular receiver. I doubt any of us with realistic expectations thinks Harvin is going to have a 10 catch/100 yard day. We're hoping to see what we saw against Minnesota: make a big catch or two, free up space for our other receivers, and be a factor in the kick return game. It's what we call The Harvin Effect.

That being said, I can definitely empathize with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mantra. And if we lose a game in which he plays significant snaps, then there will a lot of retroactive second-guessing in my mind. However, there's no replacement for elite speed. You have to play him if he's ready.

hawkfan68 · Jan 8, 2014

SalishHawkFan":25jd6dkd said:
I don't think lack of of a quality speed receiver much matters. If anything, it's paradoxically to your advantage as you're less likely to throw deep and get intercepted. Speed receivers get neutered vs our secondary. We get exploited over the middle for dinks and dunks. Wright shut that down superbly last time, covering Graham, but he is out for this matchup and it is yet to be seen how well the guy they put on Graham instead does. I expect Brees to have a better day than last time we played. Brees doesn't make many mistakes either so luring him into INT'S will be difficult. That puts the onus on our offense. Fortunately, as you said, you've had some injuries, mostly to your defense. Losing a LBer is going to hurt.

So I expect a much closer game than before, but I still think the Hawks pull this one out.

I understand what you're saying Salish. I agree with most of your post except for one item - speed receivers get neutered. TY Hilton was far from being neutered. He's a speed receiver. Luckily there's no one like a TY Hilton on the Saints, 49ers, or Panthers.

CANHawk · Jan 8, 2014

hawkfan68":yroe0tzf said:
SalishHawkFan":yroe0tzf said:

I don't think lack of of a quality speed receiver much matters. If anything, it's paradoxically to your advantage as you're less likely to throw deep and get intercepted. Speed receivers get neutered vs our secondary. We get exploited over the middle for dinks and dunks. Wright shut that down superbly last time, covering Graham, but he is out for this matchup and it is yet to be seen how well the guy they put on Graham instead does. I expect Brees to have a better day than last time we played. Brees doesn't make many mistakes either so luring him into INT'S will be difficult. That puts the onus on our offense. Fortunately, as you said, you've had some injuries, mostly to your defense. Losing a LBer is going to hurt.

So I expect a much closer game than before, but I still think the Hawks pull this one out.

Click to expand...

I understand what you're saying Salish. I agree with most of your post except for one item - speed receivers get neutered. TY Hilton was far from being neutered. He's a speed receiver. Luckily there's no one like a TY Hilton on the Saints, 49ers, or Panthers.

Agreed. Of that entire team, the only one that gives me cause for concern is Joe Morgan. He is in the exact mould of guys that have career days against us. Titus Young, TY Hilton, Mike Wallace. If Brees can find that little shit in space, he could give us real problems.

For all that i feel kinda bad saying it, I'm glad Browner isn't playing cuz that little dude would give BB fits. On the flip side, I'm very glad T3 will be back to babysit the slot.

Lords of Scythia · Jan 8, 2014

SaintsFan1998":1je4xr50 said:
Greetings. A Saints fan here who thought it would be entertaining (and possibly even informative) to give you my take on the upcoming game. First, I hope that it is a well-played and injury-free game for both teams.

The Seahawks are the more physically talented team, and I do not think that it is even close. For that reason, I expect the Seahawks to win. Your defense is scary because it is not just scheme and not just talent, but a combination of both.

The other thing you really have going for you is that the Saints defense has just been destroyed by injuries. It has gotten to the point where if one more guy goes down, I think that they will be calling me to see if I am willing to play safety. Last season, the Saints had the worst defense ever. In history. Rob Ryan came in and turned chicken [stuff] into chicken salad. But he is now down to whatever is worse than chicken [stuff]. At some point, scheme can only do so much; a lack of athletes will doom you. I am not saying that by way of making excuses--it is just a fact that a TON of guys have gone down recently and a bunch of practice squaders are taking their place. Part of the price the team had to pay for not getting a bye week.

For that reason, I think that y'all will score points. Which will, I think, make the Saints more one-dimensional than they want to be. The running game has actually turned on for the Saints the last couple of weeks. But I do not know if ball-control will be enough to keep up with y'all. And the Saints offense is not as talented as people think. Brees and Payton are Hall of Famers. Which is awesome. But their ability masks the fact that the Saints lack a quality speed receiver. Robert Meachem used to be that guy, but he's too old. Kenny Stills will be that guy, but he's too young. (FWIW, Joe Morgan would be that guy this year, but his knees are too ligament-shredded). And Colston, Graham, and Sproles are great at what they do, but none of them are speed guys. Basically, Brees and Payton manage to get 110% out of what they have through scheme and intelligence. But a smart and athletic defense can take that away, and you are left with guys like Lance Moore and Ben Watson trying to win the game for you.

All that said, I have a couple of reasons that I feel strangely confident notwithstanding everything I just said. First, the weather looks like it will be nasty. Lots of folks seem to think that that will be to the Seahawks's advantage. But I see the opposite. To me, bad weather neutralizes athleticism. And, since y'all are the more athletic team, I think that some rain and wind will actually help put the teams on more even footing.

Second, y'all kicked the Saints's butts last time the teams played. Which, I think, works to the Saints's advantage. First, to the extent guys getting paid millions of dollars need to be motivated by things like "nobody believes in us," the Saints have that advantage. Also, there's a loose-ness to the Saints that I think also works to their advantage. Almost like they are playing with house money. Sean Payton is at his most dangerous when he's going gunslinger. Same thing with Rob Ryan. And the team certainly has that vibe going into this week. Teams and players with nothing to lose can be dangerous. Teams and players with everything to lose can get tight.

As for the quarterbacks, I say Brees is best. Y'all, I am sure, say that Wilson is best. We will agree to disagree on that point. I still wonder, though, how a second year quarterback will do with the weight of "you are supposed to win" expectations on his shoulders if the game is tied in the fourth quarter.

Finally, is the Percy Harvin thing good or bad? He's a top five receiver at his best. And you can't really keep him off the field if he can physically play. But, man, there's also something to be said for if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I can see a game where a rusty Harvin manages to actually hurt by taking some touches away from other guys who have been doing it all season long.

Anyway, here's to a good game. My wife spent a year in Yakima and talks often about how much she enjoyed her trips into Seattle. And I think that Fraiser totally holds up and is still good for a laugh when you catch it on re-runs. So, really, nothing but peace and love from down here.

(Oh, and if you had any questions about the Saints, feel free to post them, and I will do my best to answer, with the caveat that all my opinions are, of course, just my opinions.)

The weather is to our advantage--we'll be practicing in it for a couple weeks before game time and you all will be shell-shocked by it to some extent. Having the reg-season game in the Clink is an advantage to the Saints most definitely--the 12th man shock-and-awe won't be nearly as effective, and they'll know how to audible and make line calls and what-not in the noise from previous experience.
P.S. Your qb is too short! Bring oyster po-boys!

SilkMonkey · Jan 8, 2014

Please bring up Cajun food....yum.

I think you're on and I think we have the quiet confidence; we all are pretty in consensus about a win....most of us between 3-10 pt difference.

I thought Kenny Stills has been an effective deep threat and if he gets some double moves going (our CBs are susceptible) then he might end up open for a couple of bombs down the field. I don't like Ingram as a running back- I think he got overdrafted a few years ago- but the game stays close and NO doesn't have to sling it all over the yard, then he may be part of an effective rushing attack.

HawkRiderFan · Jan 8, 2014

I am not sure if a negative on using Harvin is the "if it aint broke don't fix it" angle. If there is a cause for concern at all on this team right now it's the offense. And a lot of people seem to think what's missing is that burner to take the top off a defense (seems to be the trendy term these days) or another guy adept at scoring in the red zone. Harvin would fit that bill. Even if we can get one huge play to him early, then just his presence will force the Saints to account for him, opening up others.

I see the big negative as being what if he isn't healthy and goes out after 1 play? But I guess we trust our coaches to not activate him if there is a huge risk of that.

CallMeADawg · Jan 8, 2014

OP - it is not about how good of a receiver Percy Harvin is. It is his all around play that makes him so special. He does not even have to touch the football to command respect and for Rob Ryan to ensure he is accounted for. In the event Rob wants to call his bluff, Percy will destroy your defense. I hope New Orleans game plans for him to be rusty, as if he is some old door hinge that hasn't had a drop of WD40 in decades.

Source on the all around comment? One of his ex-teammates:

Adrian Peterson ‏@AdrianPeterson 11 Mar
The best all around player I ever seen or you'll ever see! Goes to Seattle! I feel like I just got kicked in the stomach. Several times!!!

He has been practicing with the Hawks since last week and will continue to do so until there are signs that he is having issues. To think that he is gimped somehow by not playing much at all this year is silly. Just take a look at what he did against the Vikings. Incredibly athletic catch on a 17 yard pass from Wilson, 58 yard kickoff return that was one move from going to the house, and a monster PI call on the Vikings against him, which also could have resulted in him marching to the house like a Harvin (possibly, although not as likely).

His old team made the mistake of doubting him, and paid dearly for it. The next Minnesota kickoff? Not to Percy (and he was back there, mind you) they would rather let Seattle start at the 35 yard line, than have to kick to him again. They wanted NO BUSINESS with Percy touching the football. But go ahead and take him lightly, and I hope Rob Ryan does the same. He will likely have "keep ball out of #11's hands" at the top of his halftime adjustment list if he does though.

Unlike others on this forum (and Reddit, although they are nicer to him) I do not think Percy has let anyone down, and I believe he has a chance here to really help this team with their post season goals. My optimism is high for Percy because he is a Seahawk, currently resides on the 53 man roster for my team, and as such deserves to be cheered on and to have 12's pulling for him to be successful, because the opposite of that is BS for fans to do, IMO.

What I believe this game truly will come down to, is which team is healthier at key positions and has the overall better squad on Saturday. Its going to be LOUD, wet, and windy. Good luck! I will be there with my cousin in the 300 level rooting the Hawks to the NFCCG.

CANHawk · Jan 8, 2014

SilkMonkey":3s9xwqvx said:
Please bring up Cajun food....yum.

I think you're on and I think we have the quiet confidence; we all are pretty in consensus about a win....most of us between 3-10 pt difference.

I thought Kenny Stills has been an effective deep threat and if he gets some double moves going (our CBs are susceptible) then he might end up open for a couple of bombs down the field. I don't like Ingram as a running back- I think he got overdrafted a few years ago- but the game stays close and NO doesn't have to sling it all over the yard, then he may be part of an effective rushing attack.

Kenny Stills was the one I was thinking about, not Joe Morgan. Derp.

mikeak · Jan 8, 2014

My concerns is that RW isn't allowed to go deep downfield enough times. That we play the ball control game that allows the Saints to run the ball and get Sproles heavily involved in the game. Kind of like the Miami game last year

In regards to Percy I think you involve him in "gadget plays" - bubble screens, reverse, lined up as a tailback and then you use him to return the football. I know that he probably won't do any returning but that doesn't change my mind. I think he won't be on the same page as RW so don't use him to much as a pure WR. On the other hand he can run routes and be a great decoy as in the one game he did play.

I do hope that the "house money mentality" dooms Ryan. I think he will go even blitz happier than usual due to the bad secondary. Now go look up RW against the blitz and you will understand why I am hoping for this...... last game alone against the Saints: two touchdowns and completing 8 of 9 passes when the Saints rushed five or more players.

CallMeADawg · Jan 8, 2014

Why would you not use him to return the football? Percy can take it to the house with the best of them on returns. If Percy is strong in the return game, New Orleans will have to resort to trying to kick it out of the end zone (and risk giving him the ball again) or kick it short and give Seattle a shorter field to keep the ball out of his hands. Either way its a huge plus for Seattle.

Percy ran routes in the game he played, had one catch for 17 yards, and would have had another for 20+ had the Vikings not PI'd. He also blocks very well. 4 WR sets with Harvin, Tate, Baldwin, and Kearse would be tough for NO to defend against. They aren't exactly strong in the DB department right now.

Can you imagine what will happen if RR blitzes like he is known to do? I have my money on #11's first (and perhaps more) TD in a Hawks jersey coming on a play JUST LIKE THAT.

If he has a safety to beat to the end zone, you better buy that guy rocket boots RR, otherwise it is one cut and GONE.

Likewise, the running game opens up further as soon as Percy is established as a threat in the game. If RR wants to set the tone that Lynch is a focal point for them to stop (and you have to do that against Seattle) two things occur:

1. You better win the line, if you sell out to stop Lynch and fail to do so, the Beast will make it a long day.
2. You better be ready to adjust for the Harvin factor, and that is not limited to stopping him on routes.

I think Harvin is being overlooked given his lack of playtime (Favor = Seattle) and lack of recent film on him (Favor = Seattle). It is awfully hard to stop someone when you cannot see a lot of plays (16 snaps) of a player in the current scheme he is playing in, with other threats on the field being the same ones they will see on game day.

Our OC cannot be a wuss on Saturday. We can get NO into a situation where we dictate the game very quickly and easily. That is what I expect to see happen on Saturday and thankfully I will be there in person to witness it.

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