Thursday, September 06, 2007
And We're Back...Week 1
Week 1
My, oh my, does it feel good to be back. Another year of football. I know you haven't heard from me recently. April to be exact but I was just saving up my strength for the grueling NFL season. We are talking two (hopefully) columns a week for five months. Well, autumn is nearly here. I spent Labor Day weekend in Falmouth, Massachusetts and you could smell the traces of fall in the brisk evening air. So many reasons to love the months of September and October: the crisp nights, the pleasant days, the leaves changing. For me though, pennant-races, postseason baseball and the onset of football season are what make this the best time of the year.
Saint vs Colts - Colts
We'll get to baseball in another column shortly but first we have the New Orleans Saints and Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts kicking off the season Thursday night. We couldn't ask for a more exciting season opener than these two teams led by gunslingers Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. The pair combined to throw for over 8800 yards last season with 57 touchdown passes. Neither QB lacks play-makers as Indianapolis wideouts Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison formed the most prolific duo in football at their position, topping 1300 yards each in receiving. In the Colts backfield, rookie first-round pick Joseph Addai impressed in 2006, rushing for over a thousand yards with seven touchdowns.
On the Saints side, Brees has a multitude of weapons that first-year coach Sean Payton employed brilliantly last season. In the backfield, Deuce McAllister returned to form in 2006 after a grotesque knee injury forced him to miss the majority of the 2005 season. Splitting time with the rookie phenom and former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, McAllister rushed for 1,057 yards and ten touchdowns. As for Bush, he did not disappoint in his first NFL season. The USC alum set a record for NFL rookie running backs with 88 receptions and lived up to his big play ability with several electrifying plays out of the backfield and in the return game. At the receiver position, Marques Colston, a sixth round pick out of Hofstra, came out of nowhere to lead the Saints in receiving with 1,038 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. Teaming up with Colston are two highly-regarded receivers, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem. Each is a former first round pick with Meachem being the Saints top selection in 2007. Both are speedsters and with the Saints explosive offense, look for one of them to step up and produce in the absence of Joe Horn, a fixture at receiver for the Saints this decade who departed to Atlanta via free agency.
With so much offensive firepower, the key to the game will be which defense can slow down the opposing team's offense. With both teams extremely well-balanced on offense, it will be important for each team to get off to a good start in the hopes of forcing the other to become one-dimensional. The Colts, already reeling from losing several starters in the offseason, endured a major blow in training camp, losing DT Anthony McFarland, an important cog in their rush defense. For the Saints, their defensive backfield must find a way to contain Harrison and Wayne and prevent the big play. Jason David, the former Colt who signed with New Orleans in the offseason, will have primary responsibility on one of his former teammates.
As much as I like the Saints balance and ability to move the ball against the Colts defense, I think playing on the road against the Super Bowl champions will prove too much for the Saints. I think Manning and the Colts prevail in a high-scoring affair with each team putting up gaudy offensive numbers. Colts by a field goal, 34-31
The rest of Sunday's slate will appear tomorrow.
Labels: Colts, Colts vs Saints, Drew Brees, Football, Indianapolis, New Orleans, NFL, NFL opener, Peyton Manning, Saints
# posted by Nate @ 11:31 AM 
