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Well, I for one appreciate the break downs of coming opponents. Driving to and from the game limits ability to watch much other football and then the evening is full of stuff to do once we DO get home so sitting and focusing on football these days is limited to the Panthers. So anyone who breaks it down so that I have some idea of the other team's strengths & weaknesses is greatly appreciated. And the more sources, the better.

 

I don't want to say you stated the Bush as a decoy factor too much, but you certainly didn't cover much of the matchup with Bush, how we might cover him, and how we match directly against him.

He leads the team in receptions, though I'm assuming they were thinking they'd get both more than 7.3 y/c from him and that they'd not get more than they are out of McAllister in the passing game.

Honestly, I can't be certain how they'll pull this off. Maybe in nickel they'll have Anderson on the field more, in part to have more speed on the field. Maybe they'll run more nickel, though their breakdowns suggest they will still look to run more on longer downs. Despite Hasbeen's correct statement that Marshall was awful holding Bush in college, I still believe he's our best bet there today - that, or you put Marshall in as a starting corner and move Gamble to the task for the week.

 

also, the NO run offense page has the final two screens the same and I'm assuming you didn't intend that.

To expand a little on what I was saying with the corner matchups, I believe in 3 wide, Howard's good enough to match Devery Henderson and might be physical enough to match to Colston, if they aren't calling too much banging.


I like us with Lucas on Joe Horn enough to call that a stalemate. Colston on Gamble isn't likely a big win for us if Brees insists on getting the ball there anyway; Gamble is neither physical enough nor able to contest some close balls thrown in the right spot. Gamble does show a lot of covered looks, which is helpful if the QB doesn't outright decide to push the ball in anyway. I'd rather have Marshall on him, if the choice was able to be made.

 

I think that changing your defense to account for Bush would be a mistake. Atlanta overreacting to Bush is why Henderson scored and why McAllister broke off his longest runs. I think you play him straight up unless it becomes a problem, at which time you could play a nickel with the added man shadowing Bush. So far he hasn't really looked like a gamebreaker and they have used him more as a decoy, so I wouldn't make that move until forced to do so.

And regarding Horn, go back and look at my point regarding how they get him matched up on the inside man. They've always done that against us and Payton has incorporated it into his offense as well, so unless we slide Lucas inside to keep him on Horn, and we almost never do that, then they'll dictate the matchups.

 

hopefully, if we need to do that, we'll do it sooner than we did last year v/s AZ, for instance. That's a good point, on matching directly to him. To me, he's still obviously their most potent receiver and without Stallworth's deep game there, he's the only really lethal one.

Dunno. You have to be ready for Bush. You don't dedicate all your attention to him, but he's a threat. Have to have something prepared for him, to go to, if not to start out with.

 

Saints review and Browns preview are both up. Let me know if you see any errors.

 

Hey Collin

We all like to give you shit from time to time, and mostly you do ask for it. But I just wanted to say I appreciate your efforts on this site and always enjoy the reads...

 

good read.

 

That is a good write-up. I really wasn't aware that Frye has been such a turnover machine this year. Interesting.


Cribbs is one of those KR's who can occasionally break one, so we really need to continue our good coverage.

 

he's been rough with those, yes. Haven't read this piece yet but Frye can be problematic with picks, luckily for us.