“Lions, Saints, Superdome, Oh My!”

Wild card weekend is upon us as two premiere NFC elites, the feisty Detroit Lions and the dominant New Orleans Saints prepare to do battle on Saturday night to stay alive in the hunt for the coveted Super Bowl game in Indianapolis. In a game that promises to be spectacular, the Lions are looking to make the most of their first playoff appearance in twelve years while the Saints look to captivate Mardi Gras town once again. It’s gut-check time for both of these squads looking to prove something. Prepare yourself for the Lions and the Saints in the Superdome, a battle royale, oh my.

With a previous week 13 match-up under their belts, where the Saints came out on top, this re-match of epic proportions spells out revenge for the Lions and dominance for the Saints. With that, in order to secure a W this weekend, let’s preview the first NFC wild card game of the weekend and see if the Lions have enough roar in them to keep up with the Super Saints.

Detroit’s decisiveness with the ball.

The visiting Detroit Lions are definitely viewed as the underdogs going into a tough re-match against a Saints team that easily defeated the heavily penalized Lions in round one. The Saints haven’t withered in domed arenas this season as they look to continue their winning ways. Nonetheless, the Lions have had a rejuvenated year with a healthy and agile Matthew Stafford, a dangerous and dynamic Calvin Johnson and a no- nonsense Ndamukong Suh. Detroit has been granted access into the playoffs for the first time in twelve years, giving the Motor City something to rejoice, at least for the time being. It will be Detroit’s decisiveness with the football that will help them prevail in this game.

This season the Lions finished fourth in the league in scoring (29.6 points per game) and quarterback Matthew Stafford had a career year tossing forty-one touchdowns and passing for 5,038 yards. Calvin Johnson was re-introduced as a top five receiver in the NFL and the Lions passing attack has turned into a relentless assault that has become hard to stop. Look for the Lions on Saturday to continue to use Stafford’s arm to move the ball on offense, utilizing the deep threats of Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, and even Brandon Pettigrew.

The Lions have come up woefully short in a number of big games this season and now more than ever will need to close that gap if they hope to beat New Orleans. Detroit is 1-5 against teams in the playoffs and 0-5 against teams with winning records this year. The Lions are a solid, young football team on the rise, but stupidity and overconfidence have been huge contributing factors as to why the Lions have suffered some of their losses. The number of penalties per game Detroit racks up is astronomical, while too many Detroit players get too frustrated and emotional during contests that lead to mistakes. The Lions end up shooting themselves in the foot at crucial times and that has cost them several important games.

If the Lions are expected to beat New Orleans, they need to eliminate the penalties, play tighter on defense, especially with Suh back in the line-up, who was absent for their previous match-up, while managing the clock will play an important role in keeping Drew Brees and the Saints offense off the field.

Ndamukong Suh is going to be a key player in the Lions defense in stopping the Saints offense. The Lions defense, especially Suh, will need to put as much pressure on Brees as possible, forcing him out of the pocket. Forcing Brees to throw on the run will help the Lions tremendously. Another key will be Matthew Stafford against the Saints secondary, with the possibility of Stafford having a field day throwing the football. The Saints defense ranks 30th against the pass, and given time, Stafford will be able to carve up the secondary. Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer will need to play lights out defense if they hope to contain Calvin Johnson.

Overall, the Lions have the ingredients that make up a solid football team (young gunslinger, top receiver, solid defense) but still have a few inconsistencies to work out if they expect to make a playoff run. We’ll see what transpires on Saturday night.

The Saints reign supreme on offense.

The New Orleans Saints have seen a rise in their game as the 2011 season has progressed, keeping them in the back of everyone’s mind. A powerhouse of a football team, the Saints host the Lions in the Mercedes Benz Superdome, a place the Saints haven’t lost in all season. Drew Brees has had a record setting season, eclipsing the all time passing yards in a single season mark, once held by the great Dan Marino, passing for 5,476 yards. His aggressive offense has contributed to many of the Saints wins this season, a gun-ho style of game play. Surrounding Brees is a plethora of football talent including rookie rusher Mark Ingram, lethal tight end Jimmy Graham, and quite possibly the best off-season acquisition in Darren Sproles, who each contribute to the success of the team. Stopping the offensive attack of New Orleans may prove difficult for the Lions because the Saints reign supreme offensively.

The Saints have had yet another fantastic season under the guise of Sean Payton, a 13-3 squad humbled by an early season loss to the St. Louis Rams, now finding that 2011 could be a repeat of 2009. With their Super Bowl title, string of postseason appearances and high potent, explosive offense, the Saints are slowly pushing out the bad memories of a once thought lowly franchise. This wild card game against the Lions will help secure the promise that the Saints are the NFC team to beat.

On Saturday night, the Saints will need to keep Matthew Stafford in check if they want to win. We cannot emphasize how awesome the offense is, but truly the defense will need to step up if they hope to stop the Lions aerial assault. What will be key for the Saints will be the rushing attack of Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas against Detroit’s run defense. The Lions were able to hold off Ingram and Sproles in week 13, giving the Lions a fighting chance in the game; nonetheless, Drew Brees cannot do all the work himself. The rushing attack needs to step up in a big way to penetrate the Detroit defense if they don’t want to be surprised by the Lions D-line.

Drew Brees is extremely vital for New Orleans in this game and will likely go down in history as one of the NFL’s best, but now the playoffs have arrived and we start from scratch. The record setting year means nothing now and Brees doesn’t want to get a bad reputation of being a quarterback who can’t win when it matters most. If the Saints go down to the Lions, it would be an epic disappointment for having such an amazing year.

Overall, the Saints have an explosive team, as we watched them pick apart their opponents all year long. The Saints shouldn’t have a problem marching through the playoffs if they play like they have been. There may be a few kinks to work out, but New Orleans seems poised to make history again.

Who Wins?

This is undoubtedly going to be an offensive battle, with Stafford facing off against Brees. Both quarterbacks combined for 10,514 yards this year, each throwing for over forty touchdowns and were powerful contributors in getting their teams to this point. The game may be closer than people expect considering the pass deficiencies of the Saints, but watch out for Brees to put a damper on the Lions season, as he has been stellar all year and is not going to let such a flawed Lions team out perform his Saints. Detroit is still growing and has everything in place to become elite, but it seems like this game could be the end of the line for them in 2011.

Saints 35 Lions 24

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Jimmy Graham: Fantasy Football Man-Crush

I’m not gonna lie, but I have a major man-crush right now. No, it’s not Randy Moss (life-long man-crush), Andre Johnson (2 years ago’s man-crush) or Jamaal Charles (last year’s man-crush). It’s none other than Mr. 45 catches, 674 yards and 5 TDs through 7 games himself: Jimmy Graham. The guy is so good, that even after breaking his own coach’s tibia while simultaneously tearing his MCL, the coach still has nothing but positive things to say about him.

This guy literally came out of nowhere, and I took a flyer on him late last season on the waiver wire in my aforementioned dynasty league. Little did I know that from that moment on, Jimmy and I would develop a long, trusting relationship. He is the rare fantasy player than won’t let me down. Sure, he’s due for a bad game, but when your QB is one of the best in the league, the offense you play in scores on average more than 34 points/game, and you’re too fast for linebackers, too strong and tall for cornerbacks, can jump over an Escalade, do 360 dunks on the goalpost and have the softest hands this side of a Bath & Body Works commercial, your bad game might be another top TE’s average one.

Jimmy Graham is on pace to catch 103 balls, 1,540 yards, and 11 TDs. Are you kidding me?!?! Let me put that in perspective for you by giving you the numbers from the top TEs since 2007:

• Jason Witten ’07: 96 catches, 1145 yards, 7 TD
• Tony Gonzalez ’08: 96 catches, 1058 yards, 10 TD
• Vernon Davis ’09: 78 catches, 965 yards, 13 TD
• Jason Witten ’10: 94 catches, 1002 yards, 9 TD

To put this even crazier in perspective, Antonio Gates has NEVER exceeded 90 catches OR 1200 yards, and only exceeded 10 TDs once. And that’s from a first ballot Hall of Famer! He will obliterate every top TE’s career year in just his first as a starter. Jeez, my head is spinning.

If he was a wide receiver, he’d be nestled in a 3-way tie for 4^th overall with Greg Jennings and Steve Smith in standard leagues. He has as many points as Ray Rice!! This is not a case of soft schedule in the first half of the year and later it will get tougher. After playing Green Bay, Houston, Chicago, and Tampa Bay in the first half, look at how easy his schedule is from here on out:

• @ St. Louis (The only thing that could stop him is if he trips over Steven Jackson’s dreads)
• Tampa Bay (In Tampa he had 7 catches for 124, so…)
• @ Atlanta (In a dome against division rival who can’t stop anyone)
• BYE (Literally the only thing guaranteed to stop him)
• NY Giants (At home, against a good team with solid corners and no linebackers or safeties)
• Det (at home again, in a shootout with a high powered offense and lackluster defense)
• Fantasy Playoffs: Tennessee, Minnesota, Atlanta

Looking at that schedule, you can see nothing will stop this guy except himself, Brees, Brees’ mole, or some good old fashioned New Orleans voodoo.

A new era in football the past few years has created these hybrid receiver/tight end combos that are clearly the wave of the present and future, and Graham seems to be the perfect specimen for this type of athlete, along with being in a great situation. Watching him get open, jump on fade routes, and erase any doubt anyone had for the young 24 year old is only topped by the fact that I know I have him in that league for his whole career. Now if you’ll excuse me, I will go scribble his name all over my notebook and trapper-keeper.

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Fantasy Football Sleepers: NFC South

This is a continuation of our eight part preview in which we will look at players from each division that we consider to be overvalued, undervalued, and also some that are sleepers. Plus, rather than give you the same fantasy football sleepers that you can find everywhere else, we will attempt to dig deeper and find players who are likely to go un-drafted in nearly every fantasy football draft, but could contribute to your team. All 2011 ADP rankings are courtesy of our friends at Myfantasyleague.com.

Atlanta Falcons
Undervalued: Jacquizz Rodgers, (RB) – The fifth-round draft selection has been somewhat forgotten by potential owners, who are only selecting him 193rd overall, and are drafting 68 RBs before him. Of course, Michael Turner is well-established as Atlanta’s starting back, but there is also sizable concern regarding the presence of incumbent backup Jason Snelling, who has been effective when given the opportunity. However, there is a reason that Atlanta re-signed Snelling to just a one-year deal. And, it’s important to remember that the Falcons traded up to secure Rodgers, because they believed his skills were a valuable addition to their offensive strategy. He delivers a level of explosiveness that did not exist prior to his arrival. He will provide a receiving threat from the RB position, which has not been present in recent seasons. For those reasons, he will capture an increasing role on third downs as the season progresses. His value will also be enhanced in PPR leagues.  Turner exceeded 330 carries last season, and the last time that he logged an extensive number (376 in 2008), he was unable to avoid injury the following year, missing five games in 2009. If he is temporarily forced from the lineup again, Rodgers’ role will increase even further.

Overvalued: Roddy White (WR)- It requires a unique set of circumstances to cause an elite player to still be overvalued, but that is the case with White. Yes, he remains a tremendous talent, and he will deliver excellent numbers for his owners. What he won’t do, is produce at a level that matches his recent success, nor his extremely lofty ADP (14.23), simply because he will not be given the opportunity to do so. Last season, he led the NFL in receptions (115), and has averaged 96 since 2008. His 179 targets were also the league’s best, as is his 3-year average (164). So what’s the problem? The addition of Julio Jones provides Atlanta with an exceptional talent at No.2 WR for the first time in recent years, and he will capture a significant percentage of those targets that had been previously reserved for White. Plus, a healthy Harry Douglas supplies a genuine threat in the slot, which further erodes White’s opportunities. He remains a legitimate No. 1 WR, but should not be a borderline first round selection.

Deep Sleeper: Harry Douglas (WR) - Sure. White has exceeded 1,150 yards in four consecutive years. And talented rookie Julio Jones will deliver a productive season for his owners. But it’s the speedy Douglas who will benefit significantly as the Falcon’s third receiver. The addition of Jones will enable Douglas to line up in the slot, where he is far more effective than when he lines up wide. He now has a much better opportunity to explode through opposing defenses, who are also forced to contend with White and Jones. Douglas has been averaging 26.8 YPC in the preseason, and should easily experience the best numbers of his career. His 76-yard catch and run against the Jaguars on August 19, supplies a preview of what is possible during the regular season. An ADP of 229.6 places him below lesser receivers like Golden Tate, and Demaryius Thomas, but he is far more worthy of a late-round flyer for your roster as far as fantasy football sleepers.

Carolina Panthers
Undervalued: DeAngelo Williams (RB) – In 2008-2009, he accumulated over 2,600 rushing yards, and scored a whopping 25 TDs. While a foot injury did limit him to six games last season, he is healthy now. But incredibly, 20 RBs are being selected prior to Williams (ADP of 51), whose resume is vastly superior to many who are being chosen before him. While injury concerns are keeping some owners from believing in Williams, the Panthers have been sufficiently confident in what he can still accomplish, to reward him with a five-year, $43 million deal. The presence of Jonathan Stewart should not present an issue, since he did not hold back  Williams’ numbers when the two combined to become the only RB tandem in league history to each rush for over 1,100 yards in a season (2009). Plus, the duo generated 4,601 yards and 45 touchdowns in 2008-2009. Williams’ proven track record should supply far more confidence than the unimpressive history of backs like Felix Jones, Ryan Mathews, and Shonn Green, who inexplicably are being selected before him. He is worthy of selection in the second round.

Overvalued: Steve Smith (WR) – After reportedly cleaning out his locker last March, Smith has returned as Carolina’s primary target at WR. That can only help the offense, which ranked a woeful 27th in passing last year. Owners are embracing his availability, as he is currently the 33rd WR selected, with an ADP of 98.35. That is occurring out of respect for his accomplishments earlier in his career, when he averaged 88 catches,1,288 yards, and eight TDs from 2005-2008. In the past two seasons, his numbers are vastly inferior: 55 receptions, 768 yards, and 4.5 TDs, as Smith became a victim of his team’s extensive shortcomings at QB and No.2 WR. Unfortunately, those problems still exist, which makes his ADP somewhat high. First, he will be reliant upon an unproven commodity at QB, in Cam Newton. Also, the Panthers still have not provided Smith with a genuine threat at No. 2 WR, which would be necessary for him to sustain his previous level of excellence. Plus, newly acquired TE Greg Olsen figures to secure a large number of targets, now that he is reunited with OC Rob Chudzinski, who was Olsen’s coach at the University of Miami. While Smith’s numbers should rebound from his 2009-2010 average, a full recovery to his 2005-2008 numbers is far too much to expect.

Deep Sleeper: Brandon LaFell (WR) – He was selected with the 78th overall pick during the 2010 draft, in hopes that he could provide Carolina with that desperately needed threat at No. 2 WR. At 6-foot-2, 211 pounds, he possesses both the size and strength for the team to believe that he could be a legitimate complement to four-time Pro Bowler Smith. While LaFell’s numbers were not overwhelming last year, he did amass 468 yards and 38 catches in 14 games. Some of that can be attributed to the NFL’s worst offense, which could only generate 143.1 YPG. While his primary competition for targets last season (David Gettis) has already suffered a torn ACL, former Charger Legedu Naanee was signed in August, and has the benefit of previous experience with Carolina’s new HC Ron Rivera and Chudzinski. However, LaFell’s numbers should improve, and his development is worth watching as the season progresses.

New Orleans Saints
Undervalued: Lance Moore (WR) – Moore’s numbers and fantasy value have fluctuated considerably since 2008, when he burst into prominence with 79 receptions, 928 yards, and 10 TDs. In 2009, ankle and hamstring issues limited him to just nine games, 14 receptions, 153 yards and two TDs. But last season, his statistics rebounded nicely, as Moore caught 66 passes, for 763 yards and eight TDs. That has improved his relevance to owners, who are selecting him 39th among all WRs, with and an ADP of 111.75. But he should be joining rosters earlier, as opposed to being selected after Michael Crabtree, Plaxico Burress, and A.J. Green among others. Much of Moore’s success in 2008 and 2010 occurred when Reggie Bush was absent from the lineup, including 35 of his catches last season, 468 of the yards, and five TDs. With Bush now residing in South Beach, that will only benefit Moore. If Marques Colston is temporarily forced to the sidelines, Moore becomes Brees’ most reliable option, which will further solidify his value.

Overvalued: Marques Colston (WR) – Colston has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in four of his five years in the league. He clearly remains Drew Brees’ best option. So why is his ADP just 51.39, with 16 WRs being selected before him?  Actually that would be because many savvy owners are justifiably concerned regarding his three knee surgeries in the past 12 months, which brings the grand total to five already in his career. If anything, a powerful case could be built, that he should be selected even later, strictly due to his shaky health. Talent and productivity? No issues whatsoever. He is vital to New Orleans’ offensive strategy, easily the team’s preferred end zone target, and has produced consistently (when healthy) throughout his career. But there are talented options like Santonio Holmes, and Mario Manningham, who do not possess the troubling history of health issues, yet are being chosen after Colston. That makes it is difficult to consider him anything except overvalued.

Deep Sleeper: Adrian Arrington (WR) – You must roam very deep into New Orleans’ depth chart to find Arrington, who is buried beneath a cluster of wideouts. In three NFL seasons, he has amassed a grand total of seven receptions for 79 yards. Plus, with Colston, Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, and Devery Henderson above him, it would require a series of events to occur, before he would ever be added to your roster. But if Colston’s previously discussed knee issues force him from the lineup, and Henderson is cut, Arrington suddenly morphs into the team’s third WR. At that point, he has the size (6-3) to supply Drew Brees with a big target, particularly in the red zone. While the 144 yards that he accrued during the preseason will not translate into playing time when the Saints travel to Green Bay, Arrington could carve out a role during the regular season, and is someone to continue scouting.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Undervalued: Kellen Winslow (TE) – In the past two seasons, Winslow has emerged as a reliable weapon, while surprisingly becoming a mainstay in Tampa Bay’s lineup. Last year he led the team with 66 receptions, which was the seventh highest total among all TEs. He was also sixth at his position with 730 yards. Winslow has also scored five times in each of the past two years. Yet, his 109.82 ADP makes him just the 10th TE selected, when he really should be slotted several positions higher. During the past two seasons, he has  averaged 71.5 receptions, 807 yards, and five TDs, and has not missed a game while doing so. Mike Williams was the only Buccaneer who was targeted more last season, and Winslow should remain the team’s second option in their passing attack once again. He allows owners to utilize their selections in rounds 4-6 to address  other critical needs, then secure an effective TE in round seven.

Overvalued: Josh Freeman (QB) – It is important to note that this is not a prediction of failure, because Freeman should have a productive year. However, his numbers will not meet the expectations of many, based upon his current ADP. Freeman’s vigorous work ethic combined with his talent to elevate him into the NFL’s sixth best rating (95.9) last season. He also tossed 25 TDs, generated 3,451 yards, and managed an exceptionally low six INTs in 474 attempts. Plus, he finished second among all QBs with 364 rushing yards. That provides multiple reasons for potential owners to feel confident in what he will achieve this season, and his 77.25 ADP represents that. But he currently resides 11th at his position, which is still somewhat high. Even if he continues to grow as a QB and team leader as expected, it will be difficult to exceed last year’s TD total, and exceptionally tough to attain anything close to last year’s remarkably low number of INTs. There will not be an across the board increase in his numbers, and it is doubtful that his performance will advance him into an even loftier tier. Freeman is a legitimate low end starter. But his improvement as a signal caller will not translate into enhanced numbers, which is what his ADP suggests will occur.

Deep Sleeper: Dezmon Briscoe (WR) – He certainly endured an unpredictable rookie year in 2010. Originally drafted by the Bengals, he was then cut in early September, although Cincinnati intended to sign him to their practice squad. Instead, the Bucs intercepted by offering him more money to join their roster. Briscoe was activated in November, then collected his first TD in Week 17. Now, he is a strong candidate to accumulate more. His impressive training camp performance has elevated him into a battle with former second round pick Arrelious Benn for the No. 2 slot opposite Williams. Not only is Benn returning from ACL surgery, but Briscoe has the size, hands, and playmaking ability to snatch a sizable role as the team’s No. 3. Plus, a starting job is still possible.

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NFL Draft: Early Winners and Losers

3 rounds down, 4 to go. For most teams, the real core of their draft hasn’t even really kicked in yet, and deep evaluation wouldn’t be completely fair. Nevertheless, here are my early winners and losers on the first 2 prime time NFL draft nights.

Early Winners:

Washington Redskins: The Redskins are playing the draft game magnificently. They have a terrible history of burning their picks for veteran players that never pan out. The Skins have moved back and forth adding picks and drafting players that fill their needs. Kerrigan should be a great addition to the Redskins defense, he has excellent pursuit and a great jump off the line, a real skill that will help against division rival Mike Vick. Jenkins adds huge size to replace Haynesworth on the defensive line, who looks to be as good as gone. Finally, if you printed out our Mock Draft Cheat Sheet, you would see we had Hankerson ranked quite high. The Miami WR is underrated despite the occasional drops, and should help the Skins add a play-maker they so desperately need. The most amazing part of Washington’s draft, and the reason I have them early winners, is the team still has 10 picks on day 3!

Houston Texans: The Texans have had a smart, patient draft adding important pieces to their defensive puzzle. J.J. Watt will allow Mario Williams to breathe from the constant double coverage. Brooks Reed fits perfectly into the Texans 3-4 linebacker core, adding much needed depth. The idea behind both picks is adding additional size and speed to keep the pressure on opposing quarterbacks, so there is less time to pick apart the secondary. Insert Brandon Harris into the mix as help to cover the slot, and the Texans look stronger on defense already.

New Orleans Saints: The Saints draft grade will drop after tomorrow, as they currently have only two 7th round picks remaining in their 2011 draft. Most of their late round picks were used in moving around early on, still the value of these four players should improve the core of the team drastically. Cameron Jordan can line up almost anywhere for the Saints and make an immediate difference, he is very quick and has superb lower and upper body strength. Mark Ingram will replace Reggie Bush and add size and toughness in the red zone, with Martez Wilson and Johnny Patrick rounding out day 2 with great value picks.

Honorable Mentions:

• Broncos -Solid first two picks, but they have not addressed their defensive line.
• Colts- Adding size to the lines is always a smart way to build through the draft, yet WR and DB help is needed.
• Patriots- The masters of the draft have added a ton of wealth through picks for next year, but reaching on RB’s doesn’t address the LB’s nor does it add extra help to the WR position.

Early Losers (still time to save the draft)

Seattle Seahawks- I’m not sure what the Seahawks strategy is here. Like I had said, the teams with the most late round picks still have a chance to load up on talent and improve their odds of walking away with a great draft class, yet the Seahawks are reaching on offensive guards early and avoiding the top end talent completely. How great do they think these late round players are going to be? The real strength of this years draft is in the core rounds, 2nd and 3rd; Guards are a dime a dozen. Personally I think the Seahawks are completely over thinking their strategy and missing out on real talent. I didn’t even consider their offensive line to be that weak and in need of repair.

Oakland Raiders- Last year the Oakland Raiders earned a lot of respect for their draft class from experts…this year is a different story. The Raiders are in the classic mode of burning the future for got-to-have-it now greed. Oakland added picks by giving up their 2nd round selection next year. The trade was out of pure impulse, not going after a fallen gem. They spent most of the second night haggling with the Patriots without a care to who they even wanted. A trade was made 5-6 spots before they could make a pick, indicating there was nobody they were really after. The Raiders were the addicted gamblers of the draft Friday.

Minnesota Vikings- Ponder was a massive reach, also was there really a need for a tight end?

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OFFENSE

Defense

Not The Encore We Expected

The New Orleans Saints having an 11-5 season and qualifying for the NFL Playoffs would normally be considered a memorable year. Unfortunately for Saints fans 2010 will actually be remembered as a bitter disappointment. The Saints followed up their Super Bowl Championship in 2009 with a first round playoff exit when were soundly beaten on the road by the first sub .500 Playoff team in NFL history.

Sean Payton’s high octane offense put up it’s usual gaudy numbers in 2010. Drew Brees led the league in completions percentage and was in the top three in passing yards and touchdowns, but also finished with an alarmingly high 22 interceptions. Injuries to all of the Saints runners caused the running game to slip from 6th in 2009, all the way down to 28th last year. The club is hoping a healthy Pierre Thomas, who was just re-signed to a four year deal, returning to the lineup will help solve the rushing woes and bring a little more diversity to the offense. Being able to establish a consistent rushing attack will cause Brees to not feel pressured to force the ball to receivers as much, and will thus cut back on turnovers.

The Saints defense got even better in 2010, but struggled to repeat the same style of aggressive play that translated into so many forced turnovers in 2009. New Orleans finished only 18th in the NFL in sacks and were dead last with a paltry nine interceptions. Improving the rush defense and acquiring some big play defenders will no doubt be the top priority for the coaching staff this off-season.

Fantasy Recap:

• From first glance it appears that Marques Colston had a poor statistical season. He failed to score a touchdown or reach the 100 receiving yard mark in each of the Saints first six games. Fantasy owners who stuck with him through the sluggish start were handsomely rewarded down the stretch when Colston caught 54 balls for 682 yards and seven scores after Week 7.

• Tight End Jimmy Graham really started to establish himself in the Saints final eight games. He had more receptions than Jeremy Shockey in six of the final eight games. Graham became a trusted end zone target for Drew Brees and he outscored Shockey during this time 3-0. The Saints released Shockey last week, so Graham will enter 2011 as the starting tight end.

Team Needs:

• The Saints lost Scott Fujita to free agency last year and his replacements were never able to establish themselves. Drafting an outside linebacker with solid tackling skills and edge speed would greatly improve the Saints waning rush defense and open things up for  Jonathan Vilma.

• Shaun Rodger’s signing means the club can now move from needing to fortify the interior of their defensive line to strengthening the outside rush. A consistent pass-rush from the four defensive lineman would allow Greg Williams to be more creative with his blitzing, and cause the secondary to spend less time in one on one coverage.

• Two time Pro Bowl Strong Safety Roman Harper is an unrestricted free agent. If he were to sign elsewhere, this position would become the most important need for the Saints. As mentioned, New Orleans was dead last in the league in interceptions, so a college defensive back with a knack for turnovers would be a nice addition to this secondary.

• The failures of the running game weren’t all on the injured running backs. The line failed to consistently dominate in the trenches and Drew Brees was sacked 20% more in 2010 than he was in 2009. Many analysts feel that LT Jermon Bushrod is playing out of position. Expect the Saints to address the offensive line depth with one of their first three selections in the 2011 draft.

Draft Predictions:

As a perennial playoff contender with solid coaching and depth, the Saints are one of the few teams who can enter the 2011 NFL Draft with an open mind. They will not be afraid to jump on the top rated player on their board regardless of positional needs. Unlike most teams New Orleans does not have any glaring weakness that must be addressed.

• LSU offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale is quietly moving up many teams draft boards and would be an excellent choice for the Saints in the 2nd round.

• Dontay Moch is a DE/OLB hybrid that blew away scouts with an amazing Combine performance. At 6’1″ 248 lbs. he ran a sizzling 4.45 40 yard dash and had the top vertical leap for linebackers. Coming from smaller school Nevada, Moch may  be considered a raw project, but his athletic ability is very intriguing and he helps fill a need position for the Saints.

NFL Team Needs: New Orleans Saints Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

• Asante Samuel never straying from the left side-Bleeding Green Nation
• Chiefs Fans Can Likely Cross Larry Fitzgerald Off Wishlist- Arrowhead Pride
• Season Ends With 30-7 Home Thumping by the Ravens- Chiefs Gab
• Sunday Morning Bloody Mary: Who Dat Say!?-Canal Street Chronicles
• Colts Free Agents: Players Not Under Contract-Stampede Blue
• Dear Colts, This is why you lost- The Superficial

Editors Picks: Misery Loves Company Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

New Orleans Saints -10.5 at Seattle Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck will get the start for the Seahawks this weekend. The veteran QB passed for 366 yards against the Saints on Nov. 21, and has started four of the franchise’s seven playoff victories. Charlie Whitehurst started and played well in week 17, which some also considered a “playoff” caliber game, seeing how the losing team was done for the season. Hasselbeck is recovering from a strained muscle in his hip and back, still Pete Carroll feels the team will be better off with Hasselbeck at the helm.

The Seahawks defense and home crowd should be the strong points for Seattle Saturday. The Hawks chances for a upset victory lies in the offense. Hasselbeck needs to be sharp to keep up with the high-powered Bree’s and company.

Reggie Bush needs to earn his stripes this weekend. Sure, Bush will play against Carroll, his college coach for the first time in the Pro’s, but it hasn’t been since his days back at USC when Reggie really took over a game. In New Orleans,  Bush has been the X-factor, he has stepped up in key situations which has helped win the Saints a Super Bowl. Yet, Reggie has never been a every down RB, so this weekend will be a real test.  Bush  rushed for a season-high 70 yards last week against the Buccaneers. He and Julius Jones should handle the ground game, which looks like the big question mark (if any) for for New Orleans.

Check out our Expert Picks

Team Season records:
New Orleans: 11-5 SU,  6-10 ATS
Seattle: 7-9 SU,  7-9 ATS

New Orleans most recently:
When playing in January are 4-6
When playing on turf are 7-3
After being outgained are 6-4
When playing outside the division are 7-3

Seattle most recently:
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on turf are 5-5
After outgaining opponent are 1-9
When playing outside the division are 3-7

A few trends to consider:
New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New Orleans is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 6 games when playing Seattle
New Orleans is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Seattle’s last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle’s last 6 games when playing New Orleans
Seattle is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games

NFL Wild-Card Preview: Saints vs. Seahwaks Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

I don’t believe in voodoo dolls, but a week before Halloween, the New Orleans Saints Drew Brees looked like he was possessed by Aaron Brooks from 2002. In a shocker, the Cleveland Browns went into The Big Easy and stole an under”dog” win that they weren’t projected to be 14 points close too. The bigger surprise was the fact that the Browns were able to pick off last years Super Bowl MVP 4 times.

Cleveland somehow scored 30 points with their rookie QB Colt McCoy only completing 9 passes, while the running game didn’t crack 150 total yards. It’s safe to say the New Orleans Saints imploded.

If your team was 4-3 in a conference where no one was clearly the front-runner, optimism would be very much be the overall feeling. That is to say you’re not a Saints fan that was a custom to seeing a passing attack make defensive secondary coaches cry. The black and gold are no doubt spinning their wheels in 2010, but can the offense get back on track?

The loss of Reggie Bush was an injury that many Saints fans overlooked. With a pass-first offense and a rotation at running back, New Orleans was confident that losing Bush for a few weeks wouldn’t be that big of a deal…they were wrong.

Reggie Bush is the type player that fantasy owners right-off. He is the type of player that gets pulled off the field in certain situations. Bush is not an every down RB, but it’s the little things he does on the Saints offense that makes everyone else that much better. I’m not saying there aren’t other factors to take into account when dissecting the early disappointing 4-3 record, but as far I can tell, the loss of an explosive RB in the backfield and poor play from their kickers is the difference this season.

Bush’s speed and excellent receiving skills added an element that defense’s had to always account for. Without him, the run after the catch gravy that Brees got from the easy check down passes was taken away, stalling many Saints drives. The schedule is starting to become more difficult and I am curious to see what this team will look like once he rejoins the offense.

The Browns were 13 point underdogs on the road in week 7. They held a lead the entire game.

Saints Spoiled By Bittersweet Brownies Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born

Cleveland Browns vs. New Orleans Saints

The schedule makers didn’t do the Browns any favors. Down to their third quarterback, now they travel to New Orleans to face the defending Superbowl champions. Las Vegas has the Browns as the biggest underdogs of the week; the Saints are 14 point favorites.

It looked liked the Saints offense finally started clicking last week. Looks can be deceiving. The Saints still struggled in the red zone; scoring only one touchdown. The others were all touchdown bombs from

against an overmatched Buccaneer’s secondary. That is what we can expect this week: an overmatched secondary for the Browns.

Give the Browns credit. They have played most of their games very tough, and have shown a lot of heart for a 1-5 team. Peyton Hillis  played about as well as any back can be expected to against the vaunted Steelers defense. Colt McCoy showed promise in the game as well, and could put up decent number against the Saints. No Browns receiver is worth playing, as there are major injury concerns.

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Week 7 Fantasy Projections: Browns vs. Saints Gridiron Experts Gridiron Experts - Where Fantasy Football Champions Are Born