Will The Saints tame the Panthers?

The Steelers’ “Steel Curtain Defense” crumbled to the Super Bowl Champs.  Once again the Saints bounced back from a loss.  The first half of the game was definitely a defensive battle.  Jonathan Vilma played a major part in curtailing the Steelers’ running game including a ruthless sack on Roethlisberger. The Saints defense was able to stop the Steelers on a goal line stance and force them to a field goal even after a penalty was called on the Saints which reset it to 1^st and Goal. The Saints can thank their defense for this win. In fact, the defense has looked good all season. The previous losses were mainly due to turnovers and interceptions. I began to get a little nervous when Brees threw the interception in the first half, but our defense was just not letting them through.  Marques Colston seems to be getting back into a rhythm. It’s nice to see him getting touchdowns again.  I hope he keeps this momentum going.  I would like to see the running game become a factor again.  I’m just waiting for the day when Chris Ivory gets his first NFL touchdown.  Ivory has so much raw talent that I hate to see him not fulfilling his potential. If they would just open up a few holes, I can only imagine what this guy could do.  It seems like Ivory is actually running toward the other teams defensive players instead of trying to run around them. Sometimes he does manage to run through them, but if there were only one or two lineman to run through instead of the whole defense, he could easily break those tackles. I think he is destined for greatness if he can just learn how to maximize his potential by developing his technique.

 If Drew Brees is your fantasy quarterback, then I would expect to see more points on the board than usual this week.  I expect him to have over 300 yards of passing with at least 2 touchdown passes.  If you took ESPN’s advice last week and didn't start Brees like they were suggesting, I hope that waiver wire pick up of Ryan Fitzpatrick did you well. Even after all those interceptions, I'm still shocked that the "Talented Mr. Roto," Matthew Berry, was so down on Brees.  On one hand, it was the Steelers they were playing, but the Saints seem to be able to beat the best teams in the league. It’s the worst teams they have a problem with.  It seems that Brees just gets sloppy when he plays a team that doesn’t scare him enough. The Saints have now proven that they can hang with the so-called “best team in the league” since beating the Colts in XLIV and now the Steelers. Though Pierre might not be back until after the bye week, it’s hopeful that Bush will be healthy enough to compete. There have been games when all we needed was a good punt return from Reggie to get back in the game. Fantasy players should look for him on the waiver wire while he still might be there. Meachem isn’t a bad idea for a backup receiver if you have one on a bye week. If your fantasy league has defensive players such as linebackers, I would definitely start Jonathan Vilma against either joke of a Carolina quarterback (whether it’s Jimmy Clausen or Matt Moore).

This week’s game against Carolina (1-6) should be a synch, but I would have thought the game against the Browns would have been as well.  The Saints have seemed to do the opposite of what’s expected in the last few weeks. Maybe they prepare more for games they believe are more challenging. The Saints’ offensive line will have their hands full with Carolina’s John Beason and James Anderson.  However, with a mediocre secondary, I believe the Saints should come out on top if Brees can pick apart their defense and refrain from throwing interceptions.