Give me your thoughts, gameplans, keys to the game. We've finally made it to week one.
Here's mine...
We know by now that the key to stopping Brees and the Saints is to take away the run game.
Mark Ingram is suspended, and Kamara will be relied on to carry a heavier workload than he did in 2017 when he averaged around 12 touches in the run game.
While the Saints quietly have one of the best offensive lines in football, Kamara doesn't appear to be that between-the-tackles, workhorse running back Mark Ingram is, and their depth isn't much more promising.
I think the Saints will still try to establish the run game early and test this new look defensive front. By all accounts, it sure seems JPP is up to the task, as is Gerald McCoy.
The question defensively is what will we see from the rest of the line (Allen, Worthy, Gholston, Spence, Curry) and how will our secondary fare if the pass rush isn't getting home right out of the gate?
Brees is always capable of big games through the air, and with a secondary that is average at best until proven otherwise, the front four has to play lights out to stop the run and make things easier on the DBs.
To the offense...
If the preseason was any true indication for what this offense can look like, we may have an offense even better than 2015, when we had one of the top offenses in football.
The weapons are ridiculous. Payton Barber is running wild and looking like one of the top RBs in the game. Yes, it's just preseason, but he has always shown the same ability - he just never got the opportunity until now.
Monken should continue to call plays. If the front like can generate some push and give Barber some holes to run through, the passing game will thrive and the ol' wiley vet should have time to sit back and find mismatches and open receivers with relative ease.
The key on offense won't be moving the football - we should do that early and often. The key will be touchdowns over field goals. Red zone efficiency. We have to choose not suck in that department.
Bottom line...
Our offense should be better than their offense - we have more/better skill players and a better stable of RBs.
Our defense has to prevent this from becoming a shootout. And while the Saints may have some success moving the football, we will be okay as long as we bend but don't break. Give up 30 yard field goals all day, just don't let them into the end zone. Shut down the run, make Brees throw it 40 times, and we can shut them down.
Prediction...
TB 27
NO 16
