The New Orleans Saints could not be off to a better start. The Saints are 3-0 and return home to take on the 3-0 Jets of New York…as arguably the best team in the National Football League.
The Saints have long been considered a legit contender largely due to the play of their all-star QB and their high powered offense. But now the Saints are even more feared because of balance.
The Saints can run the ball; their special teams are playing well, and their defense…yes their defense…is moving up the charts. In their most recent win the Saints offense found themselves taking on a pesky Bills defense.
But, while the offense took a while to get on track, the Saints defense was dominant all day long. The Saints came up with four sacks and they limited the Bills to just 243-yards of total offense in their 27-7 win over Buffalo.
New Orleans has always been a respected offense due to their ability to stretch the field and pass the ball, but now with a strong sense of balance, the Saints offense and their entire team can become unstoppable.
The Saints defense is allowing just 67-yards rushing per game, and they have not allowed an opponent to rush for one hundred yards in a single game. The Saints also have upped their special teams play.
The Saints have gotten strong contributions from their kicking and punting game and the coverage on kicks and punts has been solid. Malcolm Jenkins caused two big turnovers on coverage and other players are stepping up on each kick and punt.
Back to the defense… the Saints are allowing just 13.3 points per game. Don’t count the scoop and score by the Lions defense; don’t count the intentional safety versus the Eagles; and, don’t count the Bills lone score that came from a fake field goal…and the defense is allowing only 13.3 points per game.
The Saints have averaged scoring forty points per game in their first three games and their average margin of victory is 21.4 points per game. Yes, it’s just three games, but the Saints are what they are and right now they are clicking on all cylinders.
Some have said Sean Payton is not patient and will not consistently try to run the football. But let’s take a look at those numbers. The Saints have rushed the ball a total of 102 times in their first three games. That has been done with equal play calling in all three games. The Saints rushed the ball 35 times against the Lions; 29 times against the Eagles and 38 times against the Bills. The pass-to-rush play calling is 102 rushes to 97 passes. That’s almost perfect balance.
And, speaking of perfect, that’s just what the Saints are. And, now a huge one comes up this Sunday in the dome against another perfect team in the 3-0 New York Jets. The national media will be here in full force, as a team from the nations largest media market, is in the NFL’s only undefeated match-up in week four of the season.
Who Dat’s are you ready? Home field means a lot, and now the Saints need the Who Dat Nation to do what you’ve done the first three weeks of the season. Bring your “A” game!
On SAINTS Monday catch these WWL exclusives:
7:40am - “Monday Morning Quarterback” with the best quarterback in the NFL, Drew Brees!
4:00pm – “Second Guess” the Saints/Bills game with the Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert and NFL analyst Mike Detillier…live from the Silver Slipper in Hancock County, Mississippi!
6:30pm – The “Saints Coaches Show” with Head Coach Sean Payton… then at 7--defensive Coordinator Greg Williams. Got a Saints question for Coach Payton? Email it now to: whodatnation@saintsradionetwork.com
7:30pm – Monday Night Football! The Carolina Panthers at the Dallas Cowboys. Join Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason for all the action.
If you love football, keep your radio locked on the flagship station of your New Orleans Saints—WWL-am-fm-and wwl.com—THE News, Talk & Sports leader.
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