We are now a little more than a day away from the culmination of the 2009 NFL season. As we all have that inevitable Super Bowl party where no one else knows about football, I'm here to help you impress your friends with your gridiron knowledge. In this special edition of the Opening Drive I take a look at the NFC representative in SB XLIV, the New Orleans Saints.
Head Coach Sean Payton has taken this team from the bowels of the NFL to a legitimate contender. His offense put up a league-high 32 points a game during the regular season, making it one of the most prolific in history. But we all knew the Saints had a great offense. It was Payton's decision to bring in Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator (and give up part of his own salary to do so, as has been widely publicized) that propelled his Saints to the Super Bowl. While it wasn't dominating, Williams' pressure-filled defense created 39 takeaways during the regular season, second only to the Green Bay Packers. Who needs to stop the run when you'll simply force a turnover on the next the play? On the way to the big game, the Saints absolutely punished Kurt Warner and Brett Favre in their two victories. They want to repeat that result against Peyton Manning.
For all Payton's offensive genius, the man that makes the Saints who they are is quarterback Drew Brees. Barely six feet tall, Brees is accurate, unselfish and has no favorite targets. If you're open, he'll find you. Ten different receivers caught touchdown passes this season, making every Saint not part of the offensive line a threat to score. He may not be Peyton Manning (but who is?), but since he dropped down in New Orleans no one has played better than Brees. Winning a title would make him an elite quarterback of the era.
The Saints' offensive line was a force during the early portion of their 13-0 start, but they sloughed off down the stretch after they were forced to insert newcomer Jermon Bushrod into the starting left tackle spot. Bushrod had trouble late in the year against the premiere pass rushes in the league, so help needs to head his way if Dwight Freeney finds his way onto the field.
Catching throws from Brees are a multitude of receivers. Seven caught had more than thirty receptions during the year, but only Marques Colston went over the 1,000 yard mark. Devery Henderson has speed on the outside, tight end Jeremy Shockey will be a huge factor if he can make it on the field and the running backs caught over 80 balls during the year. That's a whole lotta firepower.
Speaking of running backs, that's the most underrated part of the Saints' offense. (And therefore gets the most airtime during Super Bowl analysis.) Between workhorse Pierre Thomas, the explosive Reggie Bush and short-yardage back Lynell Hamilton, they can find the endzone.
New Orleans' defense doesn't get a whole lot of attention, but they have their share of play-makers. Will Smith is a force at defensive end, racking up 13 sacks this season. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma led the team with 110 tackles but will need help over the top if he's expected to cover any of the Colt receivers. In the secondary, Darren Sharper is a ball-hawk, with nine interceptions. Every time he makes a pick he's liable to take it back to the house, but who knows how many opportunities he'll get (if any) against Peyton Manning.
X-Factor: I haven't mentioned him much so far, but if the Saints are going to win they need another amazing performance out of running back Reggie Bush. His massive output against the Cardinals proves what the Saints were looking for when they drafted him second overall out of USC. He returns punts, runs the ball and catches passes out of the backfield and as a wide receiver. He'll need to punish a few defenders early in order to counter the Colts' speed on defense.
For all the stats and gameplans, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the overwhelming emotional support the Saints having from New Orleans and the entire country. I wonder if finally making it to the franchise's first Super Bowl will leave the players too relaxed now they're here or too pressured to make good. Either way it's a fantastic story.
But will this story be enough to take down Peyton Manning: Crusher of Dreams, Destroyer of Worlds? We'll see tomorrow...
