SideLion Report » Saints

Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints Key Matchups: Wildcard Edition

Michael Olsen — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:00:23 +0000

Detroit 11 vs. Drew Brees

The Detroit Lions will travel to New Orleans to square off against the Saints this Saturday night in the NFC wildcard round. The last time the Lions traveled to the Big Easy it was far from pretty. Detroit embarrassed themselves with thoughtless plays and mindless penalties, and threw away a competitive chance with selfishness and a lack of discipline. And it happened on national television.

There is no secret to what Detroit must do if they hope to secure only the second playoff victory in franchise history. Make Drew Brees look human again. Since a midseason loss to the lowly St. Louis Rams, the record setting quarterback has looked superhuman, shattering records along the way. Stopping Drew Brees is nearly impossible, but if the Lions can simply contain him, they will have a chance. (more…)

Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints Key Matchups

Michael Olsen — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:45:37 +0000

Can the Lions slow down Brees and the Saint passing attack Sunday night? (Photo courtesy of Asim Bharwani)

Lions secondary vs. Saints receivers

The loss of starting cornerback Chris Houston could be devastating to an already thin secondary come Sunday night. The New Orleans Saints throw the ball, and they throw it effectively. The Lion secondary has overachieved to this point in the season, but the lack of depth will catch up with them this week. While the loss of Houston may prove costly, it pales in comparison to the loss of starting safety Louis Delmas. The hard hitting leader of the defensive backfield will be sorely missed on the field Sunday. Delmas will be replaced by former Chicago Bear safety Chris Harris, who was released earlier in the season after struggling mightily. Harris will have his hands full in this matchup, as the Saints utilize their oversized tight end, Jimmy Graham, to create matchup nightmares for defenses.

The Lions have excelled in shutting down opposing tight ends so far this season, including the likes of Jason Witten, Vernon Davis, Tony Gonzales, and Jermichael Finley. However, that was with Delmas in the lineup. Lion fans are hopeful that Harris’ strong play through a game and a half are indicative of his capabilities, and that the 65-yard touchdown pass given up to Green Bay’s James Jones on Thanksgiving Day was the aberration.

(more…)

Testing the Waters

Mon, 09 May 2011 16:15:37 +0000

It’s like digging my heart out with a spoon to think that we would normally be close to seeing rookies hitting the field for their respected teams for the first time. There would be OTA talks, interviews with coaches and players and an overall sense that football is just around the corner. We can all hope that something will happen soon, like Obama hopes his approval ratings keep going up. With not much happening right now aside from lawyer gibberish or scripted ramblings of players, coaches and owners, the physical sport of football is taking a back seat. The Lions however are driving the car. Getting a tremendous amount of national publicity with their outstanding draft and the commercials airing with our upcoming stars, I wanted to take some stock as to how some rival teams fans feel about what to expect from the Lions in 2011-2012. (more…)