Ask Canal Street Chronicles: Opening Game Edition

Ask me how I felt about the defense a month ago, I would have told you best Saints defense in a decade.
Ask me now, and I’m VERY uneasy.

The talent is clearly there. The Saints D-line added a mix of top veteran FA and young rookies. Linebackers are filled with young guys with potential. The secondary is still dangerous with Malcolm Jenkins as the FS, Harper as the dangerous in the box SS. Greer, Porter, and Robinson as starters (Porter and Robinson have yet to be named as the starter or nickel.)

Yet…I’m still so very worried. Like, it’s worse than last year- even though the talent is better across the board.

Do you feel your defense is better, worse, or the same as last year?

Good question Mike. There’s still a degree of uncertainty. Lack of pass rush and tackling are my main concerns. I sure hope it’s better, it’s got to get better.

Control Aaron Rodgers. The Saints need to keep Rodgers in the pocket. He gets out, he could probably make it into the endzone on every play, thanks to our inability to control a running QB. However, he needs to be pressured. I don’t trust the pass rush, so a lot of blitzes and force Rodgers to adjust. Chances are, he’ll do well. But it’s the Saints best chance.

Or do you think it will probably be the same split-up of run and pass as it was in previous year(s)?

We are all hoping for balance unlike a ‘Pass Happy" team from last season. We had no running game like we did in 09. And now we have a better RB’s corps than before. That will take a lot of pressure off Brees. And hope our O’line improves from last year as well.

Re: Serious question: Last year, the Saints passed at about a 65-35 rate (as coldpizza consistently reminds us). It has no where to go but up.

Colston, Henderson, Moore, Meachem, Arrington, Roby, and possibly Sproles depending on Payton’s creativity. I have faith in pretty much all of those guys to get it done with Brees.
Greer, Porter, Robinson, Patrick, Torrence (doubles as FS backup). I have faith in all of those guys to do the job assigned. If there’s any injuries, I start getting worried.

RB starter: Very likely to be Pierre Thomas. But it’s likely that him and Ingram are going to be splitting carries almost 50-50.

In January for the NFC Championship and the game against Philadelphia.

Hartley will not be the kicker for the Packers game. Any game after that, is unknown.

The Saints signed Shaun Rogers, and Aubrayo Franklin. Neither of them were able to unseat the guy as the starter.

“Let me justify myself being a complete asshole”

LOLNO

Yeah how could I forget all that crap. I wish we could have blown them away and wouldn’t have to continuously hear about it. Their defense did really shut our offense down that game. We were fortunate to have the 5 turnovers.

It was a flip side to the Monday night 08 game. We dominated in stats and lost. 4 turnovers is why.

Did his chick get some on the side from a Packer fan?

He won’t be starting vs. the Pack or the Bears.

after the Packers Saints game in week 1.

What will the score be of the Packers Panthers game in week 2?

I predicted a very high scoring close game in a 38-37 loss to you guys. I hope I’m wrong. It’s very rare to beat the defending world champs on opening night in their house. I’m hoping we can stop the run, and hoping the defense doesn’t blitz too much, but don’t let Rodgers run either.

Either way, he’s a very dangerous QB. And so is Brees.

However, I’ve always been of the opinion that Lambeau and Packer fans are TOO accomodating to other teams and their fans! We barely get a homefield advantage in that way, cuz fans of the opponent have absolutely no reservations about going to Lambeau. Not that they should be afraid to buy tickets, but nothing wrong w/ verbally harrassing fans of other teams. Brought a friend to a GB/Dal game at Lambeau and there were probably over 30% cowboy fans at the game. That didn’t make for much of a home field advantage for the Packers.

As much as I get views like Stroh’s where people say we are too accommodating and we lose home field advantage, I prefer having the stories like this go out. It’s that level of hospitality and accommodation that makes Lambeau special and makes it the Mecca of the NFL, and one of the best destinations in all of American sports. In the end that’s damn good for the City of Green Bay and its tourism (and since that’s where I’m from and where I plan to make my home when starting a family that trumps a bit of homefield advantage thing).

The other part of the story is that I don’t think we cede too much of our homefield advantage. It’s hard to come back Packer tickets. I don’t care what type of fan you are, it’s just damn tough (or damn expensive) to be able to get in the gate. Basically the whole bowl is season ticket owners (with the exception of a few hundred for people who live in Brown County) and that season ticket owner list is sitting around 90,000 on it. That naturally decreases the amount of visiting team fans in attendance. The only game where I thought there were too many of the opposing fans in the stands was the last Vikings vs. Packers game and that one can be chalked up to the amount of Favre fans in attendance at the game….after all there are bunches of those people who still own Packer season tickets (for example if you remember R4F he swore that he still owned Packer season tickets and wouldn’t dream of selling them even though he also swore that he was a Viking fan and would never go back to being a Packer fan).

considering that weather literally brought the roof down.

Minneapolis – America’s collapsible city!

Ah…the picture that never gets old…

More excited than anything else. I know our offense is ready to roll, now it’s time to see if the defense is.

You’re welcome here any time.