As we are midway through the fourth quarter of this exciting match-up between the Bengals and Texans, I can’t help but be surprised at what has happened so far. Houston’s pass rush, even without Mario Williams, has been an awe-inspiring force. Meanwhile, I am impressed with the poise T.J. Yates has shown. Sure, he hasn’t had to make a lot of plays, but he’s made the right plays, and that’s all you can ask for from a third-string quarterback.
Meanwhile, tonight’s showdown between the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions is coming up, so let’s shine the spotlight on this match-up, starting with the Saints:
- Control the ground game. There is no excuse to not do so, considering the Lions don’t exactly have a playoff-caliber ball carrier at this point. While the primary focus of the offense will be generating huge plays in the air through Drew Brees, eventually there will be a time for New Orleans to run out the clock, and that will require some tough running between the tackles from Chris Ivory.
- Force turnovers. The Saints defense isn’t exactly mediocre, but it certainly isn’t the most formidable of squads. Giving up over 21 points and 360 yards per game, the far more troubling sign for the unit is the absence of takeaways, mustering just 9 interceptions and 14 fumbles, a far cry from the totals they had a couple of seasons ago when they became Super Bowl champions. Without turnovers, Matt Stafford will manage to keep up with Drew Brees just fine.
- Insert wide receiver here. The Lions will do their best to limit the impact of tight end Jimmy Graham. If they can afford to, they will try to double team Marques Colston. Between Devery Henderson, Lance Moore, and Robert Meacham, someone is going to have to come up with a big game, which is more than likely exactly what’s going to happen.