T1B

Surely someone is watching this...

I expected N'awlins to roll but Detroit came to play, setting up to be great game. It's hard to like either one of these teams so I'm glad one of them has to lose.

I guess Traitor, who was suspended for the last meeting, might be having an impact.

Fairly Dirty Player is healthy (relatively) this time around.

Two big daddies getting in the backfield is limiting what Who Came Up Wit Dat Stupid Catchphrase can do on offense, and they don't really play any defense besides "get 'em, Jonathan Vilma!"

Saints have been alright on offense but they coughed it up twice and the Lions have been eating up clock when they have the ball. Should be...hopefully...a good second half.

TD Saints while Suh is standing on the sideline sucking wind.

Nice.

Besides a few inexplicable drops by Saints receivers—what the hell was that, Robert Meachem?—has Brees thrown an incompletion yet?

With the way the Saints are running the ball, combined with the Detroit D's inability to get off the field short of forcing a fumble, this still looks like a Saints win. New Orleans has at least forced a couple/few Detroit punts.

Ballsy fourth-and-inches conversion on their own 40 by Brees following the generous spot the Saints received on the previous set of downs.

Detroit just cannot get their defense off the field...

...then comes the bomb, and this time Colston holds on.

Next play...TD, Saints.

Detroit can pass with the best of them, but no running game and a so-so defense means they're not going to beat a New Orleans or Green Bay in a shootout on the road.

Van wrote:no running game

Because they don't let Maurice Morris pound it... dumbshits.


QQMF

Van wrote:Ballsy fourth-and-inches conversion on their own 40 by Brees following the generous spot the Saints received on the previous set of downs.

more than generous, that was ridiculous. Challenging the spot seldom works but I'd have risked it on that call.

Yep, Wags, Detroit definitely should've thrown the red flag on that one. Easy reversal.

Oh, and I don't know that New Orleans has enough defense to go very far in these playoffs either. Minus anything resembling a pass rush short of blitzing their asses off, can they make their game translate on the road?

Kinda doubting it.

Nice answering drive by Detroit. Good game so far.

Get the feeling this one will turn and/or end on New Orleans finally forcing a key turnover of their own.

I must say that Collingsworth is one of the best TV color analysts going.

Pierre Thomas looks like Jim Brown tonight, busting tackle after tackle...

Brees should have about 3 INTs by now.

This has to be frustrating as hell for the Detroit defense. All those third- and fourth-down Saints conversions just have to be ripping the heart out of them. Too many missed opportunities.

Also, for all the talk about their vaunted defensive line, Detroit hasn't gotten much pressure on Brees. The New Orleans O-line has dominated.

With Stafford's pick basically being nothing but a long punt, here's the ballgame. Detroit stops them now or it's over.

Van wrote:This has to be frustrating as hell for the Detroit defense.

Not to mention getting jammed by shitty calls.

Blown coverage on 2nd-and-17, and yep, that's the killshot.

You gotta be able to play some defense to win in the playoffs, Detroit. New Orleans hasn't punted even once tonight.

mvscal, yep, there were definitely a few shitty calls that went against Detroit. Like Wags said, though, they should've thrown the red flag on that 3rd-and-one that New Orleans clearly did not convert. That one is on Detroit for not being alert enough.

Megatron is a monumental douche, but one heck of a player.

Imagine if Drew Brees had himself a Megatron or Andre Johnson. He has a dominating TE now, but for the most part during his time in New Orleans it's just been receiver-by-committee.

He's got Sproles coming out of the backfield as a receiver now, too. He's been dangerous this year in NO's offense.

Detroit needs a RB.

I'd suggest drafting LaMike in the 2nd round, and moving Maurice to FB (he'll roid up for the occasion, just like Reuben Droughns did)... guaranteed yard-gaining machine.

And BTW -- the Niners are going to kick NO in the ovaries.

Van wrote:Imagine if Drew Brees had himself a Megatron or Andre Johnson.

Marques Colston isn't exactly chopped liver. 6-4, 225, athletic, great hands. He's a legit number 1 receiver. His numbers would be much bigger in a different system that didn't spread it around as much.

Dinsdale wrote:And BTW -- the Niners are going to kick NO in the ovaries.

Don't be so sure of that.

This is all new for SF, NO has the experience.

Should be a helluva game, though.

Dinsdale wrote:Detroit needs a RB.

I'd suggest drafting LaMike in the 2nd round, and moving Maurice to FB (he'll roid up for the occasion, just like Reuben Droughns did)... guaranteed yard-gaining machine.

If Best can't come back from his latest concussion that put him on IR...I'd love a LaMichael/Leshoure 1-2 punch next year. The only good thing about not having Leshoure all year, it's one less year of wear. To have a weapon similar to Sproles...a lightning quick back that you get the ball in space and can go the distance on any play is another guy defenses would have to worry about. Teams will double and triple team Megatron next year...they'll need those secondary targets that can make plays.

You bring up the FB issue...lots of people were confused by them going all year without a true FB. Linehan seemed convinced he could just go single back with two TE and run from there. The last decent FB they've had was Schlesinger...blocked like a mug but could also slam ahead for a couple cheap yards if you needed them. Morris has been good for getting tough yards when he's been here but you look at the Saints last night, they could get tough yards out of Thomas and Ivory when the defensive front was dog tired from being on the field 2 out of every 3 minutes.

To the game itself...they did what they needed to do hang in the first half. Failing to score on either fumble proved costly later. You're not going to survive trying to just stay one score ahead of the Saints...you need to build a lead and keep scoring. The Lions lived off scoring from turnovers all year...no points of any turnover by the Saints is doom. Megatron was amazing again and I think Young has emerged as Stafford's 2nd favorite target. The Saints were able to go with a balanced offense in the second half and chew up tons of clock and wear down the Lions defense. The pass rush got slower and weaker later in the game and the number of dropped interceptions could've stopped some of the Saints drives would've at least got that defense off the field for a few minutes. The back-to-back 6:00+ 80+ yard drives were the difference.

I thought next year was going to be their breakthrough year...this was all gravy to me. I had them going .500 and showing flashes of life. Stafford grew up and he's shown he's a top 10 QB when he can stay on the field. The defense needs work but it's gotten much better. With another strong draft, this team should be back in contention for the playoffs again next year. The Vikings stink and the Bears are up and down...the Lions can have the #2 chair in the North behind the Pack if they want it.

Dinsdale wrote:Detroit needs a RB.

I'd suggest drafting LaMike in the 2nd round, and moving Maurice to FB (he'll roid up for the occasion, just like Reuben Droughns did)... guaranteed yard-gaining machine.

:facepalm:

Dinsdale wrote:Megatron is a monumental douche, but one heck of a player.

Compared to the usual jackass diva receiver, he's a saint. He says next to nothing contraversial in the media and doesn't cry for attention. He just got to the playoffs and he's got a QB that will get him the ball...dude is happy where's he at.

The Lions will be a playoff contender for years to come. Stafford is the real deal and has a bevy of weapons to throw to. If the combo of Best & LeShoure can stay healthy, they'll have a solid running game as well. Gotta do something about that secondary. The d-line was overrated going into the season, but they'll be fine. LBs are serviceable. Mostly, just need to play smarter and get tougher mentally. There are times when they look like the best team in the league, and times when they look like the worst.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:

Dinsdale wrote:Detroit needs a RB.

I'd suggest drafting LaMike in the 2nd round, and moving Maurice to FB (he'll roid up for the occasion, just like Reuben Droughns did)... guaranteed yard-gaining machine.

:facepalm:

:QQMF:

War Wagon wrote:Surely someone is watching this...

I was watching this. At my brother in-law's bachelor party. Who won?

BSmack wrote:

War Wagon wrote:Surely someone is watching this...

I was watching this. At my brother in-law's bachelor party. Who won?

I don't know, but whoever wound up with you as an in-law, lost.