Saints at Colts: Just Watch the Fireworks

To get you ready for week 1, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the New Orleans Saints/Indianapolis Colts preview.

"Since you've been gone, I can breathe for the first time."

In picking the entertaining for tonight's season opener, the NFL was surely thoughtful of their target audience -- nothing says football like Kelly Clarkson (save, perhaps, the names Pink and Faith Hill). At least, nothing describes the end of a torturously long offseason like the chorus of one of Clarkson's biggest hits. Football is back. The summer is gone. The offseason is gone. And I feel like I can breathe for the first time.

If you're looking for entertaining offense, an intricate web of storylines, or marquee players, tonight's game shouldn't disappoint. This will not be another Pittsburgh v. Miami; this is not Roethlisberger v. Culpepper. There will be points. There will be big plays. There won't be much punting.

That being said, this offensive masterpiece will showcase the two ringleaders, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. Manning has all of the accolades, and it's going to be tough to knock off the champs, running on the celebratory afterglow of their Super Bowl championship. But think back to 2005, when Brees and his Chargers ended the 13-0 Colts' hopes of a perfect season. That game was in the RCA Dome too.

No matter the outcome, the NFL won't be disappointed they chose to highlight this game to open a new season. Take that first breath again, football fans. The wait is over.

2006 Records: (Click names for 2007 preview)

New Orleans Saints: 10-6 (1st in NFC South)
Indianapolis Colts: 12-4 (1st in AFC South)

When the Saints have the ball: This is the only offense in the league that can compare with the Colts'. Most expect Brees to shred the Colts through the air, but if the Saints want to make some big plays they'll have to rely on a strong running game and some serious yards after the catch. This team is going to use a healthy dose of Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush against last year's league-worst run defense to eat at the clock and keep Manning on the sidelines, the only place on the field he isn't capable of scoring. They'll use a lot of short routes, slants, and screens to exploit the soft zones in the Colts' Cover 2 defense, meaning newly-acquired tight end Eric Johnson should get more than a few looks. And expect Marques Colston to get a lot of work against the Colts new, inexperienced, outsized starters at corner.

When the Colts have the ball: Indianapolis' offense is as lethal as New Orleans', but they go about it in different ways. Whereas Sean Payton likes to install new wrinkles in his play-calling and play the role of mad scientist, the Colts run the same vanilla offense and make you beat them at their own game. They just execute really, really well.

You could look at the depth chart and expect more of the same from the Colts; Manning, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai, and Dallas Clark are still lining up, and the Wayne/Harrison tandem shouldn't have too much trouble against the Saints' secondary. But one vital piece can derail them all -- rookie left tackle Tony Ugoh, forced into action due to the retirement of Tarik Glenn. Ugoh will realize very quickly that Arkansas is a distant memory the first time Charles Grant, one of the best all-around defensive ends in the league, blows up his spot. If that becomes a trend, this game isn't nearly as close as it's being pegged.

The Edge: This is the Colts' night. They'll be raising their championship banner. The crowd will be raucous. The players will be inspired. It's tough (though not impossible, ask the Miami Heat) to beat a team under these circumstances.

Keep an eye on:
Reggie Wayne vs. Jason David - David and Wayne are well-acquainted with each other, as David was responsible for covering Wayne in practice through his tenure on the Colts. They're both aware of each other's tendencies, but who will exploit them the best?

The Colts defensive line vs. Saints running backs - The Colts spent last year getting run on more often than a high school track, and have since lost valuable players in the front seven. The Saints have the best running back tandem in the league. Payton will have no problem calling the run over and over as long as the Colts can't stop them.

Tony Ugoh - The success of the Colts offense has been predicated for years on outstanding protection for Manning. It's tough to expect the transition to Ugoh to go seamlessly, but the Saints are an aggressive blitzing team and the rookie might be overwhelmed early.

Notes: As I type this, I'm wearing a Colston jersey and surfing SaintsReport.com. So you know where my allegiances lie.

Still, I look at this game objectively, and the Saints still appear to be the superior team. The Colts have lost too much this offseason, and while I'm sure they'll put it together this year, it's hard to imagine all of that happening in the first game. The Saints return almost every single starter from last year and looked in the preseason as if they had never stopped playing together over the summer. They just match up too well against the Colts.

But there's that pesky celebration thing, and an inspired Colts team scares me. Any other day, any other game, I'd be certain of a New Orleans victory. But the atmosphere will prove to be the neutralizer, and there are no certainties. Except the prospect of entertaining football.