The Lions travel to New Orleans this week to take on the Saints in NBC’s Sunday Night Primetime game. The 8-3 Saints currently hold a one game lead atop the NFC South, while the 7-4 Lions remain in second place in their division behind the undefeated Packers.
The Lions will battle to stay in the Wild Card hunt without their star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who was suspended for two games after stomping on a Packers offensive linemen last week. Detroit has lost 4 of their last 6 games and hopes to save their season with a much needed win this week.
NFL passing leader Drew Brees and the Saints are coming off an impressive 49-24 win over the New York Giants. The Saints offense seems to be stronger than ever this year with its combination of Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles, and Pierre Thomas in the backfield, and Jimmy Graham at tight end.
Graham, the second-year tight end from Miami, has 957 yards on 67 receptions and 8 touchdowns, making him Brees’ favorite target this year. The Saints currently rank number one in total yards per game, as well as number one in passing yards per game, and have become one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL.
Last week the Saints took to it to the Giants, racking up over 500 yards of total offense. In the process, Brees tied Dan Marino’s career record for most 350-yard passing games. And as good as Brees is, the much improved Saints rushing attack has helped their passing game significantly. Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles, and Pierre Thomas have each rushed for over 400 yards rushing this season, and have combined for 9 TDs.
Not only have the backs run the ball effectively, but they also have caught the ball out of the backfield. Sproles has the second most receptions on the team at 62, while Pierre Thomas has caught 35. This dual threat has given the Saints better balance on offense, forcing teams to stay honest and defend the run as well as the pass.
The Lions come into this game with plenty of their own weapons as well. Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson have made a statement this year, and solidified themselves as one of the most dangerous quarterback-wide receiver combos in the league. Stafford has thrown for 27 touchdowns this year, 12 of those to Calvin Johnson. It seems no defense has an answer for the 6-foot-5 receiver this year. The Saints rank 27th in total pass defense, so don’t expect much of a change this week when it comes to defending Johnson.
As for the running game, the Lions have had to rely on Maurice Morris and Keliand Williams to carry the load. Jahvid Best has been sidelined with a concussion and looks to be heading for the IR, while Kevin Smith is listed as questionable with a high ankle sprain. The Lions will have to rely on Stafford, Johnson and their passing attack if they want to win this game.
And their defense will be missing it’s anchor as well, as Suh serves the first game of his suspension. He came into the NFL last year as the most revered defensive tackle, and has earned himself a reputation of being one of the dirtiest players in the game. Although some argue that Suh just plays hard, who could forget his attempted decapitation of Jake Delhomme, or his forearm shot to the back of Jay Cutler’s head? This year he also gave a warm welcome to Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton, by slamming him to the ground with no helmet, after the whistle.
After a meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell, Suh said, “I have gained a better understanding of how I need to continue to play the game to help my team win.” However, his latest incident with the Green Bay Packers refutes that statement, and has earned him an unpaid 2 game suspension. His absence may have a bigger impact than people think. Without Suh, the Lions lose a dominant pass rusher who also opens up holes for linebackers to make plays.
The Lions secondary will have to step up this week and make sure they lockdown their receivers, since Brees will have more time to sit in the pocket without Suh on the field. And that is a frightening thought for the Lions.
The Lions will have to control the Saints explosive offense by both limiting the running game, while getting pressure on Brees. If they don’t, they could be in for a long game, and without Suh on the field, that’s a tall order.
This looks to be a good matchup, with the potential for a shootout between Stafford and Brees. Both teams will be looking to solidify their playoff chances, so neither team will give up easily, but Brees looks to have too many weapons at his disposal for the Lions to keep up.
