NFL FanHouse

NFL FanHouse Preview Chat Recap

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bengals, Colts, Ravens, Saints, NFL Fans, NFL Live Blogging

Most teams will play their eighth game this week, meaning that we're hitting the halfway mark. Already, there's talk of 16-0 teams and teams that have played themselves out of serious contention.

We previewed this weekend's big games, got your predictions, and found out who you think has the better shot of running the table among the remaining unbeatens. Read all about it after the jump.

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NFL FanHouse Preview Chat Recap originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Between the Lines: Who Sends the House and Who Plays It Safe?

JJ Cooper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:41:00 EST

Filed under: Jets, Saints, NFL Analysis

Every week we analyze line play in a new Between The Lines feature.

In watching line play around the league, it's obvious that there's more than one way to pressure the quarterback. The Jets and Eagles generate pressure with confusion. Teams don't know if they're sending three or eight and they don't know where they will be coming from. The Vikings send their front four most of the time, but with Jared Allen and Kevin Williams, they don't need to confuse people as much as just beat them off the line. It generally works and drives Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers insane (14 sacks in two games).

But the stat that jumps out from this chart is the newly aggressive Saints pass rush. Last year New Orleans' secondary was leaky enough that the Saints risked touchdowns whenever they sent an all-out blitz. But with a new defensive coordinator and an improved secondary, New Orleans has generated four sacks with a seven-man rush. The "leave-no QB untouched" Jets have only two seven-man sacks (although they have the only eight-man rush sack of the season).

The following is the breakdowns of what percentage of sacks for each team have come on three through seven-men rushes. Admittedly it would be useful to also know how man rushers each team sends on each pass rush, but that will have to wait for Football Outsiders' team of game charters to put together after the season.

Team	3-man Rush	4-man Rush	5-man Rush	6-man Rush	7-man Rush
49ers	0.0%	43.8%	56.3%	0.0%	0.0%
Bears	0.0%	46.7%	26.7%	26.7%	0.0%
Bengals	0.0%	52.9%	23.5%	23.5%	0.0%
Bills	0.0%	61.1%	22.2%	11.1%	5.6%
Broncos	4.3%	56.5%	26.1%	13.0%	0.0%
Browns	0.0%	31.3%	50.0%	12.5%	6.3%
Buccaneers	0.0%	81.8%	0.0%	18.2%	0.0%
Cardinals	0.0%	23.5%	41.2%	23.5%	11.8%
Chargers	0.0%	37.5%	56.3%	6.3%	0.0%
Chiefs	11.1%	55.6%	33.3%	0.0%	0.0%
Colts	5.0%	80.0%	15.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Cowboys	0.0%	50.0%	12.5%	31.3%	6.3%
Dolphins	10.5%	52.6%	26.3%	10.5%	0.0%
Eagles	4.3%	52.2%	8.7%	30.4%	4.3%
Falcons	14.3%	50.0%	21.4%	7.1%	7.1%
Giants	0.0%	36.8%	36.8%	21.1%	5.3%
Jaguars	0.0%	40.0%	40.0%	20.0%	0.0%
Jets	7.1%	35.7%	21.4%	14.3%	14.3%
Lions	0.0%	53.3%	20.0%	6.7%	20.0%
Packers	8.3%	25.0%	50.0%	8.3%	8.3%
Panthers	11.8%	52.9%	11.8%	23.5%	0.0%
Patriots	0.0%	53.8%	46.2%	0.0%	0.0%
Raiders	5.9%	70.6%	11.8%	5.9%	5.9%
Rams	0.0%	64.3%	14.3%	21.4%	0.0%
Ravens	6.3%	43.8%	25.0%	25.0%	0.0%
Redskins	0.0%	64.7%	11.8%	17.6%	5.9%
Saints	6.3%	43.8%	18.8%	6.3%	25.0%
Seahawks	11.1%	33.3%	38.9%	16.7%	0.0%
Steelers	0.0%	45.0%	55.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Texans	0.0%	40.0%	30.0%	30.0%	0.0%
Titans	0.0%	66.7%	20.0%	0.0%	13.3%
Vikings	0.0%	80.0%	10.0%	10.0%	0.0%

And here are the raw numbers:

Sacking Team	3	4	5	6	7	8
49ers		7	9
Bears		7	4	4
Bengals		9	4	4
Bills		11	4	2	1
Broncos	1	13	6	3
Browns		5	8	2	1
Buccaneers		9		2
Cardinals		4	7	4	2
Chargers		6	9	1
Chiefs	1	5	3
Colts	1	16	3
Cowboys		8	2	5	1
Dolphins	2	10	5	2
Eagles	1	12	2	7	1
Falcons	2	7	3	1	1
Giants		7	7	4	1
Jaguars		2	2	1
Jets	1	5	3	2	2	1
Lions		8	3	1	3
Packers	1	3	6	1	1
Panthers	2	9	2	4
Patriots		7	6
Raiders	1	12	2	1	1
Rams		9	2	3
Ravens	1	7	4	4
Redskins		11	2	3	1
Saints	1	7	3	1	4
Seahawks	2	6	7	3
Steelers		9	11
Texans		4	3	3
Titans		10	3		2
Vikings		24	3	3
Totals	17	269	138	71	22	1
Percentage	3.3%	51.9%	26.6%	13.7%	4.2%	0.2%

Here are some other notes from around the league this week:

o. Chris Long did finally get his first sack of the season, but he should thank defensive tackle Clifton Ryan. Ryan is the man who got free to hit Matt Stafford, but when he failed to wrap up the rookie quarterback, Long was able to pick up the trash for the sack. Long, who recorded four sacks last year, isn't exactly producing like you would expect a top five pick to produce, but that's been par for the course for the Rams this year.

o. Seattle's Matt Hasselback is taking plenty of sacks, and watching the Seahawks injury-ravaged line its hard not to feel sorry for him. The Cowboys' three sacks against Hasselback all took two seconds or less--Bobby Carpenter managed to tackle Hasselback in his drop back, just 1.1 seconds after the snap which is the fastest sack recorded all season.

o. The 49ers defense deserves a lot of credit for doing what few teams ever do--get Peyton Manning off his game. Manning came into the game having been sacked twice in six games, but the 49ers sacked him three times. All three sacks came up the middle--guard Mike Pollack was beaten for two of the sacks and center Jeff Saturday was beaten for the other. But the 49ers secondary deserves some credit too. Manning usually gets rid of the ball as quick as any quarterback in the league, but he held the ball for more than 3.2 seconds on two of the three sacks last Sunday.

Between the Lines: Who Sends the House and Who Plays It Safe? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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America's Team? It's the Saints Now

Terence Moore — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:30:00 EST

Filed under: Saints, NFC South

NEW ORLEANS -- Go ahead, because this is the right thing to do: You should spend the rest of the NFL season hugging whatever team you traditionally love, but you should kiss the New Orleans Saints in the shadows.

If you prefer to do so in the sunshine, that's fine, too.

The Saints have replaced the folks with stars on their helmets as America's Team. In case you weren't paying attention, Hurricane Katrina blew this franchise into the hearts of all those who had them. That unofficially happened on Sept. 25, 2006, the team's first home game back in New Orleans -- a Monday night when, just like this Monday night, the roof of the Superdome threatened to explode because of the noise generated by inside, as opposed to the wind outside it.

A game that was also against the Falcons. And that, too, was a victory for the Saints, along the way to their first and only NFC championship game.

Nancy Gay: Good News, Bad News for Falcons

Get the picture in black, old gold and white? When you cheer for the Saints, you're still cheering for this city, which has come a long ways since water nearly drowned its existence, but it remains a sometimes-ugly work in progress.

So the majority of the citizens do what they've done forever in New Orleans -- and that is, they live through their NFL franchise. Well, they mostly die with it. But after decades of gasping, it has a strong heartbeat seven games into this season.

In fact, given the Saints' rise to an unblemished record after a 35-27 victory over Atlanta, with the home team excelling before a deliriously loud gathering screaming "Who dat?," and with all of those watching on national television still recalling the death, destruction and despair that smothered these parts four years ago after that hurricane ...

Given all of that ...

Well, who knows what this team might accomplish this season?

Yeah, we know. These are the Saints. A gifted bunch of Saints, with explosive players throughout their offense and with a defense that terrorizes foes at crucial times, but the Saints nonetheless. In the end, they'll likely continue to sit with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions as the only NFL teams never to reach a Super Bowl.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't pull for the Saints, because they are playing another season for themselves and everybody else.

Aren't they?

"I don't know. I mean, we're always playing for the city, because our fans are so great," said Saints safety Darren Sharper, in his 13th NFL season. Then he added, "A couple of years ago, it was a different situation, especially coming off of Katrina. There was a lot more emotion into it back then, but now, we're just trying to win."

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Will Smith #91 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates sacking quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter of the game at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Will Smith;Matt Ryan

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New Orleans Saints cornerback Jabari Greer (32) and defensive end Anthony Hargrove (69) celebrate Greer's touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush (25) runs away from Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) during the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (12) catches a touchdown pass in front of Atlanta Falcons cornerback Tye Hill (24) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith (91) celebrates after sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) gets away from New Orleans Saints cornerback Jabari Greer (32) to score a touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Jo-Lonn Dunbar #56, Remi Ayodele #92 and Charles Grant #94 of the New Orleans Saints celebrate a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter of the game against he Atlanta Falcons at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won the game 35-27. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jo-Lonn Dunbar;Remi Ayodele;Charles Grant

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Will Smith #91 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates a sack of quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons causing a fumble during the fourth quarter of the game at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won the game 35-27. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Will Smith

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Will Smith #91 of the New Orleans Saints sacks quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter of the game at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won the game 35-27. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Will Smith;Matt Ryan

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Darren Sharper #42 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates his uinterception in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won the game 35-27. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Darren Sharper

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NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Pierre Thomas #23 of the New Orleans Saints out runs Thomas DeCoud #28 of the Atlanta Falcons during the game at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Thomas DeCoud;Pierre Thomas

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They've done so in different ways. They've done the blowout thing more often than not, and that has included routs of the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, both NFC East toughies. They've done the comeback thing, rallying from 21 points behind to upend the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.

And now they've done the survival thing.

On Monday night, the Saints were able to overcome the relentless Falcons (who had a chance at a game-tying touchdown in the final seconds) and themselves (four turnovers). Said Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who stayed on the other side of unbelievable by finishing the night with a passer rating of 111.7: "I'll be honest with you. I don't think we played that great today. I think our best is yet to come."

Sharper went a tad further. "We're looking to play the perfect game," he said, without blinking, enough to make you think that maybe these aren't those other Saints.

The Ain'ts are long gone. So are the fans who once attended Saints home games with bags over their heads. As a result, life, as far as football's concerned, is so wonderfully different around this part of the bayou right now that you can ask this legitimate question of the Saints without snickering: Are they the best team in the league at the moment?

Actually, the Saints are -- at the moment.

This is one of those Ginger-Mary Ann discussions, since the highly efficient Indianapolis Colts are the NFL's only other undefeated team.

Not only that, the Colts have their own Drew Brees in Peyton Manning. Entering Monday night's game, the Colts were ninth in total defense while the Saints were 11th, but the Saints were first in total offense while the Colts were fourth.

The Saints have the edge over Indianapolis -- and everybody else -- courtesy of their wealth of playmakers. New Orleans' receiving corps is a bottomless pit, ranging from Marques Colston to Devery Henderson to tight end Jeremy Shockey. At running back, well, let Saints coach Sean Payton tell you: "We try to rotate Pierre [Thomas] and Mike [Bell], and we have certain packages for Reggie [Bush]."

Thomas rushed for 91 yards against the Falcons, Bell added 49, and Bush was his typical, versatile self -- rushing, receiving and returning kicks.

Then there's the defense. The Saints sacked Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan three times, and picked off three of his passes -- the final one coming when Sharper nabbed a desperation Ryan toss in the game's closing seconds. With that interception, it was over.

The game, not the Saints' mission. "We're just focused on trying to get better," said Payton, which should please all of us -- you know, as partial Saints fans.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.

America's Team? It's the Saints Now originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saints Hold Off Falcons, Move to 7-0

FanHouse Newswire — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:25:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Saints

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Saints are still perfect, despite an imperfect performance, and now need one more win to set the record for best start in franchise history.

Drew Brees had 308 yards passing, Pierre Thomas scored two touchdowns and Jabari Greer returned an interception for a score to help the Saints improve to 7-0 with a 35-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night. Only the 1991 Saints began a season with as many wins and no Saints team has started 8-0.

"We did a lot of things well and yet we did a lot of things that made it close at the end,'' Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I'm excited to win though. I'm excited to win this game and get to 7-0. It was an important game against a division team and I'm proud of our players. They fought.''

Greer's touchdown was the Saints' fifth score on an interception this season, tying a single-season franchise mark set in 1998. Tracy Porter also had an interception on the Saints 1-yard line on a pass tipped by Jonathan Vilma in the fourth quarter, preserving a 28-24 lead after Thomas' fumble had given Atlanta the ball on the Saints 35.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan was intercepted three times, the third straight game he'd been intercepted at least twice.

Still, the Falcons stayed in it until the end, getting a 40-yard field goal from Jason Elam with 28 seconds left, then recovering an onside kick. Ryan only had time for a desperation heave in the final seconds, and Darren Sharper turned it into his seventh interception of the season.

Sharper's interception also was the Saints' 16th overall this season, surpassing New Orleans' total of 15 from 2008. The Saints have at least one interception in every game this season.

"The way we've been able to [get turnovers] and score is a big reason we're where we're at right now,'' Payton said.

Brees hit Marques Colston for an 18-yard score. Thomas scored on a 22-yard run in the first quarter and a 1-yard catch out of the backfield with 3:03 to go, flipping backward over a tackler and into the end zone. That touchdown made it 35-24 and ignited the entire Superdome into chants of ``Who dat say they gonna' beat them Saints?''

"Pierre did a good job of getting through that last defender,'' Payton said. "It was following the series where he fumbled and it was good to see him respond.''

Reggie Bush added a 1-yard touchdown late in the first half, giving the Saints a lead they would not relinquish.

Roddy White beat Greer on a 68-yard scoring pass from Ryan early in the third quarter, and the Falcons pulled to 28-24 on Elam's 25-yard field goal with 11:33 to go in the game.

That field goal, however, came only after Payton sprinted down the sideline and launched his red flag about 20 yards, just in time to challenge a game-tying touchdown catch by White in the back of the end zone. Replays showed White allowed the ball to touch the turf as he bobbled the catch.

The loss, Atlanta's second straight, dropped the Falcons (4-3) three games behind the Saints in the NFC South. It marked the first time the Falcons had lost two straight under second-year coach Mike Smith. It also squandered Michael Turner's best game of the season. He had 151 yards rushing, including a 13-yard touchdown.

The Falcons' defense also produced a score. Thomas DeCoud's jarring sack on a delayed blitz up the middle dislodged the ball from Brees and Kroy Biermann returned it from the 4-yard line, giving Atlanta a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Brees also was intercepted on a spectacular leaping grab by Brent Grimes.

Brees never got rattled through, completing 15 of his first 17 passes and leading three scoring drives in the first half. Two of his top targets were Colston, who finished with 85 yards on six catches, and tight end Jeremy Shockey, who caught five passes for 72 yards.

Atlanta had two first-half drives stall on Elam's missed field goal attempts from 34 and 51 yards.

A little more than three years ago, the Falcons were the visitors when the Saints returned to the newly reopened Louisiana Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. That Monday night had a storybook start for the Saints, who scored on a blocked punt on Atlanta's opening drive.

With those vivid memories still fresh, the Superdome crowd was cheering wildly as the Saints defense took the field after the opening kickoff.

This time, however, Ryan calmly led the Falcons 77 yards for a score, with Turner gaining 38 of those yards, including his lone TD.

New Orleans answered when Thomas broke former LSU star Chevis Jackson's tackle near the line of scrimmage, then cut left away from John Abraham to tie it at 7.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Saints Hold Off Falcons, Move to 7-0 originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday Night Football Live Chat: Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints

Adam Gretz — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Saints, NFL Live Blogging

We have a fantastic NFC South matchup on our hands as Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons pay a vist to Drew Brees and the undefeated New Orleans Saints. As always, we'll be discussing all of the action in our Monday night live chat, so please join us, won't you? The party begins at 8:30 PM ET.

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Monday Night Football Live Chat: Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Preview: Falcons at Saints

Chris Burke — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, Saints, FanHouse Previews

The NFC South takes center stage on Monday night with a huge showdown between Atlanta and New Orleans in the Superdome.

And in anticipation of the crucial ballgame in the bayou, we've turned the show over to Tom Mantzouranis, our resident Saints guru, and Knox Bardeen, a credentialed member of the media covering the Falcons.

Those two break down the game's most important storylines after the jump. And come back at kickoff to join us in our weekly Monday Night Football live chat.

Three Key Questions:

1. Can the Falcons get any pressure on Drew Brees?

Knox Bardeen: One of the key matchups for the Falcons will be defensive end John Abraham against Saints left tackle Jermon Bushrod. Last week, the Dolphins' Jason Taylor gave fits to Bushrod and put pressure of Drew Brees all day. Abraham can get by Bushrod the same way and if Kroy Biermann (who is tied with Abraham for the team lead in sacks) is healthy enough to play on Monday night, Brees will be on the run quite a bit.

Tom Mantzouranis: Simply put, no. As mentioned before, Abraham vs. Bushrod is a mismatch, but Payton learned last week that Bushrod needs help against elite pass rushers and will adjust accordingly with tight ends David Thomas and Darnell Dinkins, an exceptional blocker. Expect a lot of two TE sets. But it wasn't the outside pass rush that doomed the Saints in the first half of the Dolphins game, it was the rush up the middle. Drew Brees could have avoided Jason Taylor if the middle held up, but in the first half it didn't. Brees is so good at stepping up and moving around the pocket that you have to get a collapse up the middle to force him into bad throws or taking sacks. The Falcons' interior defensive line isn't good enough to do that against the Saints' really talented young guards. Abraham might get into the backfield a few times, but Brees' quick release and awareness should overcome that.

2. How big of an impact will Tony Gonzalez have in this game?

KB: Gonzalez is averaging a little more than 4 1/2 receptions per game over his last three games but has only scored once. You can safely bet that the future Hall of Famer is eager to get back into the end zone, especially on the prime time stage of Monday Night Football. Saints linebacker Scott Shanle said this week that "It's going to be the toughest game this year as far as matching up." He was speaking of all of the weapons that Atlanta brings to the table, but specifically Gonzalez. Don't be surprised to see Gonzalez targeted a lot against New Orleans, especially in the end zone.

TM: It's tough to say. The Saints haven't let an opposing tight end score a touchdown against them yet this season. Then again, if the Falcons can find a way to get Darren Sharper to help double cover Roddy White, Gonzalez can find some mismatches with strong safety Roman Harper or weakside linebacker Scott Shanle. And if the Saints get a good lead in the fourth, they might go to prevent or Cover-2 and allow Gonzalez to pick up some yards in the middle of the field, meaning his stat line would be impressive. I think something like 75 yards and a touchdown seems fair. That stat line looks nice, especially to fantasy owners, but is that really much of an "impact"?

3. Which Saints running back will have the best game?

KB: I think Sean Payton is going to continue spreading the wealth between Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas. Early on, both runners will see equal time, and the back that is proving to be more effective should see his role expanded as the night rolls on. Thomas has been on fire recently and is earning more yards per carry at the moment -- my guess is that he'll emerge as the back that runs more on Monday night.

TM: Ahhh, the $1,000,000 question. The way it looks like the Saints are going, expect to see something like this: 12-15 carries for Pierre Thomas, 12-15 for Mike Bell, 2-5 for Reggie Bush. Pierre will get almost all of the carries in the first half, Bell will get almost all of the carries in the second half as well as any goal-line carries. The way that sets up, I think Bell is the guy who has the best game. By the time he starts getting a heavy workload, defenses have already been worn out and ill-equipped to keep up with his fresh legs and powerful style. I see Pierre making the Falcons defense chase him to the outside a lot early to tire them before Bell punishes them up the middle. Of course, Bell's impact is dependent on whether the Saints are leading in the second half. If they're playing heavy catch-up, Pierre (and even more-so Bush) will see an increase in carries, but I expect the game to be at least close enough late (if the Saints aren't outright secure in a lead) that Bell and Thomas will split carries, with Bell's doing more damage.

Atlanta's Path to Victory: In the year and a half since head coach Mike Smith has taken over in Atlanta, the Falcons have not lost back-to-back games. They were crushed last week in Dallas, so it's safe to say that Atlanta should fare well tonight on the big Monday Night Football stage. If they are going to win and close the two game gap that New Orleans has already established, the Falcons will need Michael Turner to get back to 2008 form. Turner scored a rushing touchdown in each game against the Saints last season. He'll need to score again and improve on his yards per carry average which has dipped from 4.5 yards per carry last season to 3.4 in 2009.

On defense, the Falcons need to realize that they cannot completely stop the Saints high-powered offense. The secondary in Atlanta is young and has been exposed already this season - especially with the loss of Brian Williams and William Moore. Neither Brent Grimes or Chris Houston match up well against Marcus Colston and the secondary, as a whole, gave up 300 yards passing and three aerial touchdowns to a similar, yet less explosive, Cowboys offense last week. The Falcons defensive backs must keep plays in front of them and use a "bend but don't break" philosophy against Drew Brees and the plethora of passing targets available to the Saints quarterback. -- KB

New Orleans' Path to Victory: The Saints are the team of the century. OK, not really, but their weaknesses (yes, they do have them) are few and far between. Their offense has been nearly unstoppable, and their defense is the real story of the team's success. Their path to victory is simple -- don't fix what isn't broken.

Unfortunately, the team comes into Monday night's game without fullback Heath Evans, the free agent addition whose impact can not be underestimated. His blocking and receiving have made the team's offense much better than they were last year. He's maybe the least well-known name among the team's skill players on offense, but the loss is huge. They'll have to be creative in making up for his absence (especially considering he played a big role in helping out inexperienced left tackle Jermon Bushrod, who doesn't draw an easy assignment with John Abraham), but if anyone can gameplan around it, it's Sean Payton. Whenever this offense has lost pieces it's motored on virtually unabated. We'll see if that continues. -- TM

Predictions: If Atlanta has any dream of winning the NFC South, it must have this game. Meanwhile, New Orleans can flash its undefeated-season potential in front of a national-TV audience. You won't find a better atmosphere than the one in the Superdome on Monday, and it may wind up being one of the more entertaining contests of the season.

KB: New Orleans 42, Atlanta 30
TM: New Orleans 31, Atlanta 23

FanHouse Preview: Falcons at Saints originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unbeaten Saints Seem Parity-Proof

Dave Goldberg — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Saints

This piece was supposed to be about parity. About two of the NFL's four remaining unbeaten teams losing and about why New England's 16-0 2007 regular season was so remarkable.

In other words, about why no one will match that soon. Or ever.

That's still probably true. But the Saints are making a lot of believers after falling behind 24-3 Sunday, then outscoring Miami 43-10 in the last 30 minutes and two seconds to win 46-34. How many interceptions does Darren Sharper, who will turn 34 in nine days, have to return for touchdowns before we'll starting wondering if New Orleans can emulate the Patriots?

The Saints probably can't. What probably will happen is what happened to Minnesota in Pittsburgh on Sunday, when the Steelers handed the Vikings their first loss with some good bounces and a bad game-turning "tripping'' call that everyone but the folks in Ron Winter's crew seemed to think was terrible.

In other words, play the Super Bowl winners on the road, get some bad bounces and bad calls and a game is gone. After all, the Vikings' win over the 49ers came on a last-play semi-"Hail Mary'' to Greg Lewis, a receiver who had just been picked up off the street.

This was a trap game for New Orleans.

They had played their "game of the century'' last week, spending their bye week preparing for their battle of unbeatens with the Giants at the Superdome, then taking apart New York's injury-depleted secondary 48-27. Sharper had an interception return for a TD in that one, too -- it just didn't count because there was a late hit on Eli Manning on the play.

This one looked over when the Dolphins led 24-3 late in the first half. They looked like they might score again when Davone Bess lost a fumble at his own 47 with 1:43 left. Replay reversed a Marques Colston TD and then the Dolphins called time out, leading Sean Payton to decide to go for a TD from the 1-yard line instead of kicking a field goal.

Drew Brees went in for the score to make it 24-10.

Game over. You knew the Saints, the better team, would win it after that.

Sharper's deflected interception return, the 11th interception return TD of his 13-year career, to start the second half made it 24-17 -- the scores were exactly 1:04 apart. The "rout'' was on.

But let's delve into the main question: can anyone finish this season unbeaten?

The three teams without a loss now are the Saints, Colts and Broncos. And the answer should be no. Because what happened to the Vikings in Pittsburgh on Sunday should happen to all of them -- bounces, calls, what have you, like a bad game equal to New Orleans' bad first half. Even in 2007, the Patriots spent the first ten games blowing people out and the last six narrowly escaping defeat three times.

Before, of course, losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

The Saints have one advantage.

Like their game against the Giants, the toughest teams left on their schedule come to New Orleans: Atlanta a week from Monday; New England on Nov. 30, and Dallas on Dec. 19. Their toughest road game will be at the Falcons on Dec. 13, and if they're unbeaten then, the pressure will really start to mount. They've got consecutive road games at St. Louis and Tampa in a couple of weeks (maybe this should be about the potential of another team going winless.)

Indy or Denver will lose a game -- unless they tie when they meet in Indianapolis on Dec. 13.

Assume the Colts win that game and remember how many times they've stumbled at 9-0 or 11-0 or 12-0. They now have three straight home games: San Francisco, Houston and the annual tussle with New England on Nov. 15. If that was in Foxborough, forget it. But it's inside on turf so it's another Manning-Brady shootout in which anything can happen.

So yes, someone may go unbeaten.

The precedent is that in 2007 we had an unbeaten team, and in 2008 we had a winless team.

If we're taking turns, take unbeaten.

And take the Saints.

Unbeaten Saints Seem Parity-Proof originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Henne's Challenge: Don't Get Blown Away by Brees

Thomas George — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Dolphins, Saints, AFC South, NFC East, CFL

Now that Drew Brees has revealed he would have joined the Miami Dolphins back in 2006 as a free agent had they trusted his throwing shoulder was healed, had they believed in him, here comes Brees for an encore visit on Sunday to Miami.

I think the Dolphins and quarterback Chad Henne know the score.

They know that Henne will enter into a scrap with Brees where Henne had better light it up or be lit up.

"Oh, Drew Brees is coming?" Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland joked about the hot passing hand of Brees and the 6-0 New Orleans Saints. "Chad is aware of it. Of course. But he's got enough on his plate. He has to worry about that Saints defense. It leads the league in turnovers. It leads in interceptions. That would be his concern, but I would think being the competitor he is, he is anxious to get into competition with Drew Brees. Chad is a tremendous competitor. He is not going to back down from a fight. Being a competitor is something people sometimes take for granted in this league. Everybody has to compete at this level. But the way Chad has all of his life is a rare trait."

This move by the Dolphins from Chad to Chad, from Pennington to Henne, was forced upon them when Pennington had his right (throwing) shoulder mangled at the San Diego Chargers in Week 3. Henne entered in the third quarter and by game's end had thrown a pick that was returned for a touchdown. Miami lost 23-13.

Losses to the Atlanta Falcons (19-7) and to the Indianapolis Colts (27-23) preceded that misery in San Diego where Pennington was lost for the season. Like the New England Patriots early last season when they lost quarterback Tom Brady for the year, the Dolphins scrambled. How do you reassemble an offense that is built on a quarterback who means everything to the scheme, to the franchise? How do you rekindle hope?

"Chad Henne is cool and under control, so we don't have to do a lot with him there. He doesn't let things bother him and he's that way off the field."
- Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland When the Jets spurned Pennington for Brett Favre last season and Pennington landed in Miami, the Dolphins were joyous. They found a quarterback who would lead them to the AFC East championship. They gained a franchise stabilizer and more.

"All of the things Chad Pennington brought to us were spectacular," Ireland said. "You came to know with Chad Pennington that you were going to get a game manager, that he would play smart. There are not many situations he hasn't been in. You knew he would be prepared as well as any quarterback in the league. He was outgoing and vocal. You got accuracy, ball location, not a lot of turnovers. We had to move from a 10-year vet to virtually a rookie who had played only a handful of snaps the year before."

This is where the Dolphins distinguished themselves.

They understood the importance of having a quality quarterback or two "in the hopper," as Ireland calls it.

A few months before Pennington arrived, Miami had drafted Henne from Michigan in the 2008 draft using the 57th overall pick. In this year's draft Miami selected Pat White from West Virginia using the 44th overall pick. And two days after Pennington was lost, the Dolphins traded for quarterback Tyler Thigpen, who was with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Henne is 24. White is 23. Thigpen is 25.

White is an emerging weapon in the Dolphins' Wildcat offense and rushing attack that leads the league in average yards gained per game (177).

But Henne is the axis now at quarterback.

He has beaten Buffalo (28-10) and the Jets (31-27) in his two starts. He has helped lift Miami to a 2-3 record. Beating Brees and the Saints would help Henne and the Dolphins firmly plant their feet.

This quarterback was the fourth selected in the '08 draft behind Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Brian Brohm. He can excel at deep throwing, evidenced by his 53-yard scoring bomb to receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., versus the Jets.

Henne said his offensive teammates are looking up to him in the huddle now and that he is getting comfortable with that. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said his young quarterback is handling things "very well" and that he likes to give him space, yet, visit with him often about things other than football.

Keep him rooted.

Keep him calm.

Here is what the Dolphins liked about this quarterback whom they thought had a chance to be their future who is now forced to be their present: played at a big college, lots of starts, performed in front of big crowds, had to win his starting job every year, major battles and production in bowl games, poised, level emotions, great listener.

"Chad Henne is cool and under control, so we don't have to do a lot with him there," Ireland said. "He doesn't let things bother him and he's that way off the field. Not too much rattles him. Obviously, we have a long way to go to develop this quarterback into a championship type of player with all the things it takes.

"We saw some things against the Jets that we didn't see against Buffalo. He had to run the two-minute offense. He had to come from behind. He showed some of the things -- ball location, game management, tempo, speed in and out of the huddle -- that we were looking for. The exact words we told Chad after the San Diego game was he was the next man up."

And he is the next quarterback in line opposite of the fancy Drew Brees.

The Dolphins' course is different now. But their ultimate goals remain the same with Henne.

"It's his show now," Ireland said. "He'll give us his best."

Henne's Challenge: Don't Get Blown Away by Brees originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorry, Favre-Haters, Vikings Best in NFC

Dan Graziano — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, Saints, Vikings, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Analysis

Face it, people. The only reason you don't want to believe this about the Minnesota Vikings is because of him. And honestly, that's fair. Brett Favre drives everybody crazy all summer with his anguished, will-he-or-won't-he retirement drama. There are and should be consequences for something like that. In this case, the consequence is that you won't let yourself believe the gray-haired Sears pitchman from Mississippi has his hands on the reins of the best team in the NFC.

But I'm sorry to report that Favre and the Vikings don't care what you think, because as of this morning they were 6-0. And regardless of how good the Saints looked against the Giants, Minnesota is the deserving favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

The counter-arguments to this assertion are few, but they're out there. People think Favre is too old, or that he'll blow it in the end like he did with the Jets last year. There's a school of thought that Brad Childress isn't a good enough coach to pull off a Super Bowl run. And finally, there's the general feeling today that the Saints deserve the title of Best-in-NFC right now because of how badly they beat the previously unbeaten Giants on Sunday.

Well, Favre is old, but the only reason he blew it with the Jets last year is because he hurt his arm. If he stays healthy, there's no reason to think he can't quarterback this team to a title. He's won a title before and knows what it takes. He's playing under control, avoiding risks and taking over the game with his arm only when that's called for. See, the secret about this year's Vikings is that they were already a Super Bowl contender before Favre signed on. They're not about who's playing quarterback. They're about all-world running back Adrian Peterson and a defensive line that, for the past three years, as made the Vikings as hard on opponents' running games as their own running game is on opponents' defenses. They're about depth of talent all over the field. They're stacked, and what Favre brought them is a veteran's cool and confidence at a position where that was lacking.

As for Childress, I don't know. He may be too dopey a coach to win a Super Bowl. But he may not, and it's not as if we have a pile of evidence at this point that he'll be the one that stands in the way. It's not as if the Vikings have been knocking on the door the past few years and missed out on a Super Bowl trip because of poor decisions made by the coach. Childress has never had this good a team before (Favre says he hasn't either), and frankly these Vikings are the kind of team that can make a coach look like a genius.

And then there's this: How do we really know the team the Saints beat Sunday is better than the team the Vikings beat? Sure, the Giants came in 5-0, but against a schedule that would keep them out of contention for the BCS title game. New York's wins were against the Redskins, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Chiefs and Raiders -- a crew with a combined record of 8-21. Dallas, the only team in that fearsome fivesome with a winning record, ran up 250 rushing yards on the G-men and might have won the game had they not managed it so stupidly in the fourth quarter. I think the Giants are a good team, but what have they done this year to prove that another good team, playing at home and coming off its bye, shouldn't be able to handle them?

The Vikings on Sunday beat the Ravens, whose .500 record keeps them out of the discussion about the league's best teams -- for now. Baltimore's record is a particularly brutal 3-3. They were 3-0, remember, and rightfully atop many of the weekly power rankings charts, before losing last-minute heartbreakers to the Patriots and Bengals (each of whom is 4-2). Desperate for a win this week, they mounted a furious rally and had were a field goal away from taking down Favre, Peterson and the gang in Minnesota. Yes, the good teams find ways to win, but the Ravens will be heard from before all is said and done. They finished just one game worse, remember, than the Super Bowl champion Steelers a year ago. In Joe Flacco, they have one of the league's best young quarterbacks. In Ray Rice, they have one of the league's most thrilling running backs of any age.

Those who would base their claim that the Saints are the NFC's best on the fact that they just smoked the Giants would be wise to consider just what they were really watching. Minnesota's victory over Baltimore Sunday was at least as good a win as the Saints' victory over the Giants was, and maybe better -- a validating victory after the Vikings' own soft-schedule start to the season.

Things continue to get tougher for Minnesota. They travel to Pittsburgh this week, and the week after they head to Green Bay for a game that will ooze emotion and network-driven hype like few ever have. But with the depth of talent they have on both lines, a slew of skill-position superstars in their 20s, 30s and 40s and the confidence they've amassed during the season's first six games, these Vikings are built to handle it. And to win the NFC.

Sorry, Favre-Haters, Vikings Best in NFC originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saints, Vikings Move to Top of NFC Heap

Dave Goldberg — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Saints, Vikings, NFL Analysis

If Minnesota and New Orleans meet in the NFC championship game, immediately give three or four points to the Saints -- no matter where the game is played.

Because while both stayed unbeaten Sunday, the Saints showed they have a huge advantage in one crucial area: coaching.

Beyond that, of course, was the way the Saints won -- 48-27 over the previously unbeaten Giants in a game that was never that close -- and the team they beat, although the last three of New York's five wins were against the Triple-A of this year's NFL: Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland. (Another Giants victim, Washington, was relegated to that league Sunday by losing at home to the Chiefs.)

"We wanted to really dictate the tempo of the game the whole way through," said Drew Brees, who threw for 369 yards against a defense that entered the game leading the NFL by allowing just 104 yards passing per game. "Seven different guys scored touchdowns. That's big. That's the type of rhythm that, when you get in, you feel like you can call anything and it's going to work."

What did this game prove?

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Some folks in win-starved New Orleans (where Super Bowls are played by teams other than the home one) appeared to think it made the Saints Super Bowl favorites, as if you can make that designation with 11 weeks left in the regular season and hundreds of variables, injuries being the most important. "I don't think you can talk about big pictures after Game 5," coach Sean Payton said with coachly circumspection.

As far as the standings go, the Saints gained little, although if the Giants, who are 5-1, and New Orleans (5-0) finish with the same record, the Saints get the homefield edge for the playoffs -- assuming, of course, that both make it.

The unexpected mismatch also proved that the Giants' depth doesn't hold up against good teams.

New York has been missing four key defensive players for most of the season, three of them starters. Playing without cornerback Aaron Ross, safety Kenny Phillips, defensive tackle Chris Canty and linebacker Michael Boley works against the Bucs, Chiefs and Raiders. Not against the Saints, especially on the road. In this game, New Orleans scored touchdowns the first four times it had the ball, Brees standing practically untouched and throwing to wide-open receivers against a defense that had sacked Raiders and Chiefs QBs 11 times in two games.

The Vikings (6-0) are a different story, although Minnesotans are getting just as Super Bowl-happy as the the folks in the Crescent City.

How can they?

They nearly blew a 27-10 fourth-quarter lead to Baltimore, And they won 33-31 only because Steve Hauschka missed a 44-yard field goal on the game's final play after Brad Childress, the Vikings' coach, started playing for three points with over two minutes left while trailing 31-30.

The Metrodome crowd knew Childress was playing with fire, booing him as he ran the ball into field-goal position, Brett Favre, whose 58-yard completion to Sidney Rice set up the kick, knew it too, noting (although he didn't cite the figure) that Joe Flacco had thrown for 347 yards BEFORE he got the ball back for a final drive.

"I hate to say that I was not real confident because I'm confident in our team, period," Favre said, about as decisively as a man trying to decide whether to fly from Mississippi to Minnesota in June or July. "But offensively, they probably just felt like, 'We could do whatever.' "

In the end, it's a long season.

This was one of those "any given Sundays'' in the NFL, one in which Oakland, a 44-7 loser to the Giants last week, upset Philadelphia as a 14-point home underdog. The Raiders not only beat the Eagles but beat them up, sacking Donovan McNabb six times after not coming near Eli Manning a week ago, when Manning sat down before halftime.

That's another note about this week: The NFC East is supposed to one of the strongest divisions -- if not THE strongest -- in the NFL.

Well, the only team that gained was the Cowboys, who didn't play. All three of their rivals lost, two to teams that had one win between them going in and that was Oakland over Kansas City.

There were other strange results -- Buffalo beat the Jets in overtime and St. Louis almost broke its losing streak, now at 16 games, by losing in overtime in Jacksonville. In that Bills-Jets game, Mark Sanchez, who had been anointed early in the season as the second coming of Tom Brady, threw five interceptions

So let's not get too excited.

We're barely a third of the way through the season. Even the Raiders might still have a shot.

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Center back Chris Houston #23 of the Atlanta Falcons breaks up a pass tended for wide receiver Johnny Knox #13 of the Chicago Bears in the second quarter of the game at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Houston;Johnny Knox

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears watches his team play in the fourth quarter of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons won the game 21-14. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lovie Smith

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Chicago Bears Matt Forte coughs up the ball near the Atlanta Falcons end zone during the third quarter of their game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, Sunday, October 16, 2009. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

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Chicago Bears Matt Fort? loses the ball while diving for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, Sunday, October 16, 2009. (William DeShazer/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears calls a play in the fourth quarter of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay Cutler

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Running back Garrett Wolfe #25 of the Chicago Bears runs through Brent Grimes #20 and Jonathan Babineaux #95 of the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter of the game at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Garrett Wolfe;Brent Grimes;Jonathan Babineaux

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Running back Garrett Wolfe #25 of the Chicago Bears runs past Jamaal Anderson #98 of the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter of the game at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jamaal Anderson;Garrett Wolfe

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Center back Charles Tillman #33 of the Chicago Bears tackles wide receiver Roddy White #84 of the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter of the game at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Roddy White;Charles Tillman

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Running back Jerious Norwood #32 of the Atlanta Falcons walks on the sidelines during the second quarter of the game against Chicago Bears at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jerious Norwood

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Saints, Vikings Move to Top of NFC Heap originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adrian Peterson Shoes, Giants vs. Saints, Mike Ditka: NFL Live Tweet

Michael David Smith — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Saints, Vikings

Adrian Peterson told ESPN the shoes in his closet are worth $200,000. The shoes in my closet aren't worth $200.

I thought going into today the Saints were the best team in the NFL. Nothing I've seen vs the Giants changes my mind.

Mike Ditka turns 70 today. My favorite Ditka video is here.

Those are among the observations I've made on Twitter during this NFL Sunday, and if you want more observations on all of Sunday's NFL action, follow along below or follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

Twitter Updates on NFL

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Adrian Peterson Shoes, Giants vs. Saints, Mike Ditka: NFL Live Tweet originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Preview: Giants at Saints

R.J. White — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Saints, FanHouse Previews

Two undefeated teams enter, one leaves with a win and the unquestioned title of NFC Favorite. This is what football is all about.

Brother Eli and the G-Men travel to the Superdome with Super aspirations in mind. Coach Sean Payton has put the "S" back in Saints, and New Orleans will look to extend a four-game winning streak that has been matched just three times in Saints history.

There's a very good chance (barring late-season mojo from Grandfather Time) that this Week 6 matchup will end up being a preview of the NFC Championship game in January, which makes it by all accounts the game of the week.

Three Key Questions:

1. How's the foot, Eli?

2. Will the New Orleans defense stand strong against their biggest challenge yet?

3. With Michael Boley, Chris Canty, and Aaron Ross out, has the Giants' plan of building defensive depth paid off?

Player in the Spotlight: Jeremy Shockey. Drafted by the Giants and traded to the Saints, Shockey is probably the person best acquitted with the workings of both teams. He's the type of player that competes with a chip on his shoulder, so expect him to be primed and ready to go. He'll need to be at his best; Giants cornerback Corey Webster has quickly turned into one of the league's best shutdown corner, weekly taking the opposing team's best receiver out of the picture. Sorry, Marques Colston fans. With Lance Moore having showed nothing to this point, that puts much of the pressure on Shockey to carry the load on the receiving end.

New York's Path to Victory: It's amazing that although the Giants have been ahead in games for much of the season, they still boast the best passing defense in the league. Even when opposing teams must go strictly to the air, the Giants still give up virtually nothing. Against Drew Brees and the Saints, you'd be foolish to expect to contain the pass for 60 minutes. The key will be to exploit replacement left tackle Jermon Bushrod in obvious passing situations, get pressure on Brees, and force the Saints' punting team on the field. The New Orleans defense is much improved, but the Giants offense will get theirs. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw could be the best 1-2 punch in the league at the running back position. But to win, the Giants have to limit the scoring chances of New Orleans.

New Orleans' Path to Victory: Knowing how well the passing offense did in 2008 and seeing the Saints as the No. 1 scoring team in the land, you would expect that a pass-dominant offense has led the way for New Orleans. But this has been the second-best rushing offense in the league this season (compared to being the 11th-ranked passing offense), and with early-season wonder Mike Bell ready to return to action, this group is capable of cycling fresh runners throughout the game. While the Giants are scared of Brees' arm, the New Orleans offense must commit to a rushing attack that has worked well all season. Once they can get Eli Manning into catch-up mode, the playbook is opened up for defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Prediction: The only prediction you can be sure of here is that we'll be watching a great game featuring two well-prepared teams that play great football. The Superdome crowd will be ready to will their team to victory in this game if they must. With two weeks to prepare for this contest, I'd give the upper hand to the Saints. New Orleans 30, New York 24.

FanHouse Preview: Giants at Saints originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Easy Eli Always Rises to the Occasion

Thomas George — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Saints, NFL Quarterbacks

Growing up in New Orleans behind older brothers Cooper and Peyton, Eli Manning was probably going to hate sports, his parents thought. He was dragged along to their games but still managed to create his own brand of football competitiveness.

When the Giants reached for him in the 2004 draft, he initially sat behind Kurt Warner. Once he became the starter in Week 11, his 0-6 streak of games ended with a victory over Dallas in Week 17. On the last play of the game. On an audible. A run he called, a draw play to Tiki Barber with no Giants timeouts remaining.

Right then the Giants knew they had a quarterback with a degree of smarts and courage.

But he would be pricked and slashed for his hang-dog look, his ho-hum veneer that Giants fans once abhorred. Manning focused on being calm, on getting better. He has traveled to San Diego and met demons there in the city and franchise he spurned for the glitz of New York. He has stared down Tom Brady when Brady was 18-0 and when a championship for both was in reach.

And when the Giants, entering this season, jettisoned both of his starting receivers and gave him a fresh-faced crew of pass catchers to mold, challenging him to be everything the $106.9 million contract they awarded him should entail, this was his answer:

"You can count on me."

And Eli Manning counts on himself.

His poker style of football, of quarterbacking -- keep 'em away, keep 'em out, hang low, keep it simple, say as much as you can in a little and wait until game day and then there unleash it all -- has served him well.

He goes home to New Orleans on Sunday. It will be his first game in the Superdome. He is pitted against big-play Saints quarterback Drew Brees. He strolls into the belly of a swarming Saints defense.

ZZZZzzzzzzzzz.

Somebody wake up Eli Manning when kickoff arrives.

"Eli does not share much," his father, Archie, said. "And what he shares, he shares real briefly. But I can just tell. He's excited about coming home to play. We were at his game against Oakland in New York on last Sunday. We went over to his place after the game. He was excited to win. He was happy he overcame his foot injury. I know he is looking forward to playing here. It is a big deal for the Saints and all of the people here."

Archie Manning should know. The former Saints quarterback has lived in New Orleans for the last 38 years.

"This game is going to be kind of different," he said. "Peyton has played here with the Colts before. Cooper and Peyton played in high school all-star games in the Superdome. But Eli has never had the chance to get in there. It's his sixth year with the Giants. He's taken his lumps. He's gotten them into the playoffs every year he's been the starter for the full season. Eli is a pocket passer. I always feel if you are not a runner or scrambler, you need to be a good cerebral quarterback and have that approach to the game. To me, that's Peyton's greatest characteristic. He does not hold on to it. You got to know what's going on. It's a complex game. Eli loves his life and he loves New York. He loves playing football."

The Giants and their fans have learned to love him.

What is not to love about a 5-0 record and a perfect passer rating in his last game? About 10 touchdown passes compared with 2 interceptions this season? About a 64 percent completion percentage? About the toughness, the leadership, the snappy two-minute-drill tangos and his willingness to embrace a place that is so brash when he is so subdued?

This is what people are saying about Eli Manning's game:

He is putting the ball in the right spots. He sees the field. He is finding second, third and fourth options on routes. He is in a zone. He knows the system. He looks like he is playing everything in second-nature fashion. He is throwing the ball to the right places. He showed his teammates his toughness by starting against the Raiders despite his foot injury, by starting in a game his team likely would have won without him.

Giants opponents have infused their defense with eight- and nine-men fronts hoping to take away the Giants' stout run game and forcing Manning to make plays. You beat us, they are challenging him. And, so, he has.

The Saints will likely challenge him in similar ways.

The man who made Manning a Giant nearly six years ago expects Manning to have answers.

"I am sure this game is meaningful to him," said Ernie Accorsi, the Giants' former general manager. "I was at the Oakland game. He's come a long way. He is doing the things that pay off for a quarterback. The talent was always there early on but his head was spinning. Now he is in control of the game. I just watch his body movement. He is seeing receivers immediately and getting the ball there before the defense has a chance to react. You don't see this from most quarterbacks early in their careers and sometimes you never see it in some. Eli is seeing it, throwing it. I never saw a receiver open on Sunday that he did not throw to that he should have thrown to.

"He has handled all of the criticism well. In his first year or two we were both getting it. It was really bad. I felt bad for him. He handled it. He never flinched."

He is battle-tested.

He is not going to shiver about Brees, the Dome, going home.

Manning knows there are more scores to settle. He has games left against quarterbacks Warner and Phillip Rivers and Matt Ryan and Brett Favre and two each against Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo.

He has many more situations to manage, more games to control. More calm to provide.

He has given that calm to his young receivers through their drops and through their circus catches. He is not a screamer or a yeller, yet, he plays the game with the focus of an assassin.

He is not the NFL's best quarterback.

But he is the best at killing you softly.

So, here comes Brees and the Saints monster defense and a big show in his hometown.

Eli Manning has the stomach for it.

Easy Eli Always Rises to the Occasion originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Week 6 NFL Picks: Giants-Saints Monster Not Critical to Either Team

Dave Goldberg — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Saints, NFL Predictions

And so we bring you this week's "Game of the Century.'' The unbeaten Giants at the unbeaten Saints, with nearly the hype of the Game of the Century two weeks ago, when Brett Favre dissected his former team.

Yes, it's an interesting matchup. Yes, it will get nice ratings for Fox. Although it's an early game rather than a late-afternoon start or a prime-timer, as it might have been if the NFL had realized the Saints would be as good as they are. And yes, the hype includes Jeremy Shockey's first game against the team he whined his way of off and Eli Manning's return to his hometown for his first game ever at the Superdome.

But remember that the loser will be either 5-1 (Giants) or 4-1 and still in command of their division _ the Giants' wins over the Redskins and Cowboys are more important in the long run that the result against New Orleans.

The Saints are favored by three, which means the oddsmakers thinks the teams are even -- the Giants would be favored by three if the game was in the Meadowlands.

This game also demonstrates the silliness of the early-season rankings on offense and defense. Especially this early in the season.

The Giants are ranked first on defense and first against the pass, allowing only 104.6 yards passing per game. The Saints, who were 23rd last season in yards allowed, are sixth this year, a stat said to reflect the hiring of Gregg Williams as the defensive coordinator.

But maybe those stats are phony.

The last three Giants wins are over three terrible teams: Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland. The Saints' victims include Detroit and Buffalo.

So this very well could be an offensive game.

Giants at Saints

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
New York Giants		27
New Orleans Saints	- 3	31

Let's go with the "due to lose'' theory, although the Vikings would be more due if this wasn't at the Metrodome.

Ravens at Vikings

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Baltimore Ravens		20
Minnesota Vikings	- 3	19

The Titans are due to win. But maybe we just have to accept the fact that they're bad.

Titans at Patriots

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Tennessee TItans		16
New England Patriots	- 9	31

It's still not clear if either team is elite or just OK.

Bears at Falcons

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Chicago Bears		20
Atlanta Falcons	- 3	24

Last year, the Chargers came from three games back with three games to go to win the AFC West. That will be hard this year because the Broncos play defense. If San Diego loses, they're 3 1-2 games down. Broncos due to lose, although I've been saying that for three weeks.

Broncos at Chargers

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Denver Broncos		19
San Diego Chargers	- 3	20

Texans at Bengals

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Houston Texans		19
Cincinnati Bengals	- 5	21

Eagles at Raiders

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Philadelphia Eagles	- 14	44
Oakland Raiders		7

Chiefs at Redskins

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Kansas City Chiefs		8
Washington Redskins	- 6 1/2	9

Browns at Steelers

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Clevland Browns		20
Pittsburgh Steelers	- 14	28

Panthers at Bucs

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Carolina Panthers	- 3	10
Tampa Bay Bucs		13

Bills at Jets

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Buffalo Bills		7
New York Jets	- 10	27

Lions at Packers

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Detroit Lions		24
Green Bay Packers	- 13	34

Cardinals at Seahawks

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
Arizona Cardinals		20
Seattle Seahawks	- 3	27

Rams at Jaguars

Team	Pointspread	Projected Score
St. Louis Rams		10
Jacksonville Jaguars	- 9 1/2	27

LAST WEEK: 7-7 (spread), 9-5 (straight up)

SEASON: 43-33 (spread) 52-24 (straight up)

Week 6 NFL Picks: Giants-Saints Monster Not Critical to Either Team originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL FanHouse Week 6 Preview Chat

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Giants, Saints, Vikings, NFL Fans, NFL Live Blogging

The battle of unbeatens in New Orleans will certainly get a lot of attention heading into Sunday's games.

Since the Giants and Saints don't look like they're going to fade away, there's a really good chance that they'll play a more important game in January, but this is a pretty big one.

It's not the only game being played Sunday. The NFL's two other unbeatens who are playing Sunday face real tests. Read the chat recap after the jump.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;altcast_code=74a87f2d94" &amp;gt;NFL Week 6 Live Chat&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

NFL FanHouse Week 6 Preview Chat originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darren Sharper Scores 10th Pick-6; Best Interception Returner Ever?

Michael David Smith — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:55:00 EST

Filed under: Saints

Saints safety Darren Sharper intercepted Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez Sunday and took it back 99 yards for a touchdown, another career highlight for the man who might be the best interception returner in NFL history.

Sunday's touchdown was the 10th pick-six in Sharper's career, and it gives him the second most interception return touchdowns in NFL history. The NFL record book for interception return touchdowns now looks like this:

12-Rod Woodson
10-Darren Sharper
9-Deion Sanders
9-Aeneas Williams
9-Ken Houston

The pick-six off Sanchez was the second time this season that Sharper took one back more than 95 yards; in the Saints' Week 2 win over the Eagles, Sharper scored on a 97-yard interception return touchdown.

Sharper already has 275 interception return yards this season, giving him an excellent chance of breaking the NFL record for interception return yards in a season. The current record is held by Ed Reed of the Ravens, who had 358 interception return yards in 2004.

And Sharper may set another interception return record this season as well: If he leads the league in interception return yards, he would become the first player ever to lead the league in three different seasons. He previously led the league in interception return yards in 2002, when he played for the Packers, and in 2005, when he played for the Vikings.

In his career, Sharper has 1,311 interception return yards, the third-most in NFL history, behind only Rod Woodson and Deion Sanders. Woodson's all-time NFL record of 1,483 career interception return yards is definitely within Sharper's reach.

Sharper isn't as flashy a player as Prime Time or as tough and physical a defensive back as Woodson, but he might just be the best interception returner in the history of the game

UPDATE: Sharper added a second interception later in the game.

Darren Sharper Scores 10th Pick-6; Best Interception Returner Ever? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Live Chat: Week 4 Preview

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Bengals, Browns, Buccaneers, Chargers, Jets, Lions, Packers, Redskins, Saints, Steelers, Vikings, NFL Fans, NFL Live Blogging

It's a week headlined by some old guy facing his former team, but there are other storylines in Week 4. The Browns and Buccaneers start new quarterbacks, the Lions try for their second straight win, unbeatens clash in New Orleans, and the defending Super Bowl champions arguably face a must-win Sunday night. We'll talk about all these topics and more in our weekly get-together. Read the recap.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=3c3fc41f2f&amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;a class="injectedLink" href="http://nfl.fanhouse.com/"&amp;amp;gt;NFL&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt; Week 4 Live Chat&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

FanHouse Live Chat: Week 4 Preview originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Surprisingly, Saints Defense Leading the Way Against NFL's Offensive Explosion

Thomas George — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Saints, FanHouse Exclusive

The offensive love-fest currently saturating the National Football League is exhausting defensive coordinators.

Offenses are more complex, quicker and explosive. Not everyone's struggling to adapt, though. Here are the top five defensive coordinators who are finding early answers: 1. Gregg Williams (Saints), 2. Mike Nolan (Broncos), 3. Mike Zimmer (Bengals), 4. Larry Coyer (Colts), 5. Bill Sheridan (Giants).

Nolan has overhauled a shoddy Denver bunch, turning it into the league's best in scoring defense (5.3 points allowed per game). Zimmer has excelled at getting the Bengals defense to adjust on the fly. Coyer brings 45 years of coaching experience to a veteran group, and has tweaked it just enough to make the Colts No. 3 in scoring defense (15 points allowed per game). And Sheridan is filling the loss of Steve Spagnuolo (now the St. Louis Rams head coach) by being analytical, detailed, low-profile and flexible.

But I am most impressed with what Williams is doing in New Orleans -- the mandate, the fit, the style and the complement to the Saints' high-tech, league-leading offense.

A year ago, the Saints ranked 26th in scoring defense (24.6 points allowed per game). Now they rank 13th (18.7 points per game). They also currently rank second in the league in lowest third-down conversion percentage allowed (27 percent), and no team has forced more turnovers than the Saints' nine.

This defense gets a first-hand look at what other NFL defenses must confront. Each day in practice, it battles quarterback Drew Brees and his band of offensive weaponry, and tackles coach Sean Payton's penchant for stretching the field and gouging your weaknesses in relentless attack mode.

"And you know what?" Williams said. "We kick the s**t out of our offense. We keep kicking their a** every practice. We chart every single practice. You blow an assignment with Drew Brees and he will kill your defense. He's made us better. We try to make them better.

"Buddy Ryan told me a long time ago to cover the guys they want to throw it to, don't worry about the guys they don't want to throw it to and don't worry about covering anybody so much that you don't hit the quarterback. It can't be that simple, huh? Good defensive coaches, teachers, take things that are complex and make them simple. That improves the decision making and the speed of the players. [Payton] wanted a defense that played with the attitude and swagger that his offense plays with. We're getting there."

At first glance, the Jets (3-0) visit to New Orleans (3-0) on Sunday is all about the Jets' dynamite defense vs. the Saints' carnival-like offense.

Williams knows his defense has a chance to flip that script -- a chance to make the game about his Saints defense.

He has coached for 20 NFL seasons, starting early under Jack Pardee and Ryan, before he rose to head coach of the Buffalo Billis in 2001. After stops in Washington and Jacksonville, Williams was the perfect choice for the Saints. The perfect coach to fix a bland, uncertain, soft defense.

Payton has given him the keys -- you run it, you fix it. This approach often works best for top-flight defensive coordinators, in a setting where they are paired with offensive-minded head coaches. This is also the case in Denver where Nolan is linked with offensive whiz Josh McDaniels.

"Those kind of offensive coaches are looking for the resume and the DNA on the defensive side that they don't have to worry about," Williams said. "That is a situation where the head coach focuses on offense because it is so voluminous and so intricate that he doesn't want to have to worry about his defense. He doesn't want to babysit it. Sean is aggressive in his thinking. He's got great communication skills.

"So we want to play a complementing game. We want to get the ball back to him and Brees and that group and give them a short field. On defense, we had to change some people and improve the guys still here. We needed to limit the explosion plays -- force people to throw underneath and run to the ball and punish the ball. Play hard. Attack. We're in the top four in the league now in fewest explosion plays allowed. I never want to hold players back. Doubt impedes confidence. You cannot play at a high level in this league without confidence. It slows you down. You're going to lose."

Williams has confident players in middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and outside linebacker Scott Fujita. Defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant exude it as well.

Newcomer safety Darren Sharper already has three interceptions, while cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter have provided stability. And rookie CB Malcom Jenkins arrived with big-play ability and has exhibited it with a forced fumble in each of the Saints' last two games.

Williams brings a special ability -- he is a factor that makes the Saints' offense, their renewed defense and the entire franchise more relevant.

"I enjoy managing personalities and people and sometimes in that are difficult personalities," Williams said. "I tell the players every day is an interview. You interview well, you play. You don't interview so well, you don't play. There is tough love and reassuring love with players, and there is knowing the difference when needed. You know what you are getting when I walk in the door."

Surprisingly, Saints Defense Leading the Way Against NFL's Offensive Explosion originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A 3-0 Start? As Last Season Showed, That Means Very Little

Dave Goldberg — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Colts, Jets, Giants, Ravens, Saints, Vikings, NFL Analysis

The NFL loves parity. There's just not much of it so far this season.

There are currently seven unbeaten teams and seven winless ones -- including Carolina, 0-3 after losing Monday night's game in the Jerry Jones Pleasure Dome. There also were seven and seven in 2002. The most 3-0 teams to start a season? Eight in 1998, when the NFL had 30 franchises.

Still, even for those off to perfect starts, nothing is guaranteed.

Historically, about three-quarters of 3-0 teams make the playoffs. But last season, five teams won their first three games and only two, the Titans and Giants, made it. Dallas finished 9-7, Denver 8-8 and Buffalo 7-9.

It should get back to a more normal percentage this year.

Of the 3-0 teams, only the Jets and Broncos are a surprise -- Denver seemed in turmoil entering the season, and New York's expectations were the limited ones you expect with a rookie quarterback. The Ravens, Giants, Vikings and Colts were all considered at least contenders -- if not favorites -- in their divisions, and the Saints needed only to find a semblance of a defense to have a playoff season. .

One other note: The cliche about defense winning championships seems to be true. Although early stats often mean little because schedules vary, unbeaten teams are 1-2-3-4 in yards allowed: Broncos, Giants, Jets and Vikings in that order. And the Ravens' D may be better than all of them.

A look at the 3-0 teams:

o. BALTIMORE: Always an intimidating defense, even with Rex Ryan having gone to the Jets and taken Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard with him.

But look at the offense, a problem since the Ravens' first season in Baltimore 14 years ago. Joe Flacco might be the best second-year QB since Peyton Manning in 1999, and there are three premier running backs, including fullback Le'Ron McClain. A healthy Ray Rice has 192 yards rushing, and the competition has rejuvenated Willis McGahee, who has 190 yards and is averaging 5.9 per carry, a full two yards more than last season. McGahee also leads the league with six touchdowns, five on the ground.

PROGNOSIS: A game ahead of the Bengals and two over the Steelers, who remain the primary competition in the AFC North. It will be hard for the Ravens to miss the postseason.

o. NEW YORK GIANTS: The defense, without four injured starters, returned Sunday in Tampa, holding the Bucs to one first down and just 35 offensive yards in the first 50 minutes. A few garbage yards late gave Tampa Bay 86 total for the game. Problems running and stopping the run in Dallas? Not against the admittedly awful Bucs -- 226 yards rushing for New York, compared to 28 allowed.

Steve Smith and Mario Manningham (with injured rookie Hakeem Nicks in the wings) are answering the questions at wide receiver. Smith's 23 catches are second in the NFL.

PROGNOSIS: With two division wins already, and Tampa the beginning of the softest part of the schedule -- Kansas City and Oakland are next -- the Giants are in good shape in a division with at least two other tough teams, most notably Philadelphia.

o. MINNESOTA: If we didn't know why the Vikings were so anxious to have Brett Favre, we know now. Game manager? Does anyone think Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels could have executed the last-minute drive that beat the 49ers? That winning 32-yard TD pass to Greg Lewis was drilled almost 50 yards on a line -- 7-8 yards behind the line of scrimmage to the back line of the end zone. And kudos to Lewis for the catch -- given Tom Brady's lack of rapport with Joey Galloway and Sam Aiken, it might have been a rare mistake by Bill Belichick to let him go from New England.

The Favre-Lewis play overshadowed the work of Percy Harvin, whose 101-yard kickoff return was another highlight. Given the strength of the defense, adding another playmaker to Adrian Peterson makes Minnesota scary.

PROGNOSIS: The Vikings are simply better right now than Chicago and Green Bay, the competition in NFC North. But that can change if Favre, who will turn 40 on Oct. 10, goes down -- he's acknowledged that he might be good for only 10-11 games.

o. INDIANAPOLIS: Ho hum. So Manning lost Marvin Harrison and (temporarily) Anthony Gonzalez. Enter Austin Collie, Donald Brown and Pierre Garcon (and please, hold the increasingly trite French jokes -- he was born in Carmel, N.Y.and grew up in Florida.) The defense still gives up a lot of yards, but that Miami game is classic Colts -- a win with 14:53 time of possession

"He knew what plays to call at the right time and we couldn't stop him," Arizona's Darnell Dockett said after Manning torched the Cardinals 34-10 Sunday night.

We've heard that one before.

PROGNOSIS: As always, the Colts will finish 12-4 or better. With a questionable defense (as always), they're on their own in the playoffs.

o. NEW ORLEANS: Drew Brees threw nine TD passes in two games, then none in Buffalo. But the game against the Bills demonstrated more about the Saints' playoff potential than wins over Detroit and a hobbled Philly team. That's because Pierre Thomas' running, 14 carries for 126 yards and two TDs, carried them.

The defense also held up well, although the Bills are hardly the NFL's most potent offense. But it was still the kind of showing the Saints needed -- a nice win in outdoor weather against a physical opponent.

PROGNOSIS: Too many offensive weapons not to win the NFC South, where if Carolina's slide continues, Atlanta is the only other contender. The next two games will tell a lot: the Jets, then the Giants after a bye. Both are at home, which should help a lot.

o. NEW YORK JETS. For all the hype about Mark Sanchez, the first rookie quarterback to start 3-0 since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, the Jets are doing it with defense. They pressed a still rusty Tom Brady in Week 2. And on Sunday, they did to Kerry Collins what more teams should do -- pressured him endlessly, even at the end of a 24-17 win, when most teams would play soft on defense. Looking as immobile as ever, Collins missed on his last 13 passes.

If the Jets make the playoffs, Rex Ryan's aggressive defenses will be the reason. Sanchez has been solid so far, but all rookies make mistakes and the receiving corps is just ordinary.

PROGNOSIS: The Jets just might do what they might have done last season before Favre got hurt and faded -- win the AFC East. Their win over New England will help, although the Patriots figure to get better as Brady returns to form. But every win helps -- if there's no division title, there still could be a wild-card spot.

o. DENVER: Clearly the biggest surprise among this group. A 32-year-old coach, Josh McDaniels, arrives in town, gets into a tiff with his franchise QB and finally trades him. Then his franchise receiver plays ultra diva and is suspended for two exhibition games. The defense, one of the NFL's worst last season, is expected to remain vulnerable, and the new QB seems to be basically a placeholder.

So after three games, the defense, under deposed San Francisco coach Mike Nolan, has allowed just one touchdown and three field goals, best in the league and best in team history. It leads with league with only 214 yards allowed and has eight takeaways and a plus-six turnover differential.

PROGNOSIS: The Broncos won with a lucky bounce in Cincinnati and beat Cleveland and Oakland, two of the league's worst. They could be 3-3 after Dallas, New England and San Diego. If they come out of that with even one win -- especially if it's the Chargers -- they might be a legit contender in the AFC West.

COACHING CHANGES?

There will be NONE in the immediate future, although to monitor Twitter, you'd think everyone with a losing record is in danger. And there's a huge media circus going on at Redskins Park.

But nothing is likely to happen there despite an ugly Week 2 win over St. Louis followed by Sunday's 19-14 loss in Detroit that ended the Lions' 19-game winless streak..

Two people who have spoken directly with Daniel Snyder confirm he has no plans to fire Jim Zorn right now, at least in part because there's no replacement available.

Next year? Bill Cowher seems less likely a candidate than Mike Shanahan. But Cowher, Shanahan and everyone else out there know, as Tony Dungy pointed out on NBC Sunday night, that Snyder is running the team like a fantasy franchise. So whoever gets the job will want a new GM to replace Vinny Cerrato, who mostly does Snyder's bidding.

Nor is Randy Lerner going to fire Eric Mangini in Cleveland. Maybe Lerner shouldn't have hired him, but three games is hardly a fair sample.

As for Bucs fans ranting about Raheem Morris ...

Give the guy a chance. He had to tear down to rebuild the aging team he inherited from Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen. Yes, they were pathetic against the Giants on Sunday and they might be better off trying Josh Johnson at QB for Byron Leftwich. But even that's a question -- the mini-drive of about 50 yards that Johnson engineered came with the game way out of hand and New York backups in the game playing a soft defense.

A 3-0 Start? As Last Season Showed, That Means Very Little originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T.O. Catchless for First Time Since '97

Tom Mantzouranis — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:06:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, Saints

It's the first question people ask whenever Terrell Owens joins a new team: when is he going to blow everything up with his me-me-me attitude?

Well, uh, getcha popcorn ready.

In the Saints' 27-7 win over the Bills Sunday, Owens was held catchless in a game for the first time since Jan. 4, 1997, a 35-14 playoff loss for Owens' 49ers against the Packers.

Owens was curt in his responses to the media after the game -- when asked about his feelings regarding his catch-streak ending, Owens simply said, "It's over."

At one point, a reporter asked Owens if he felt that he and Lee Evans were being wasted in the Bills' current attack. Owens responded, "Guys, we're just going with the plays that are called." When the reporter then pressed Owens, stating, "You could have said no," thereby indirectly supporting Buffalo's in-game strategy, Owens reiterated his line again.

Bills quarterback Trent Edwards targeted him on a number of passes, but couldn't connect. He had Owens with a step deep on Saints corner Jabari Greer in the third quarter, but overthrew him. An earlier pass intended for Owens deflected in the secondary and led to an interception by defensive end Will Smith. The last target Owens got came with 3:17 left in the game. Edwards hit Owens on the sideline, but Owens couldn't stay in bounds.

It was part of a rough day all around for the Bills' offense, which didn't score a single point (Buffalo's only score of the game came on a fake field goal). Edwards managed only 156 yards and was sacked four times. Josh Reed led the team with six receptions, and Derek Fine had five.

T.O. Catchless for First Time Since '97 originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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