January 17, 2019
SANTS, LSU AND MUCH MORE
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Swimming Coach at Central High
Rolaids used to spell relief and that is what I feel after the Saints win over Philadelphia. I owe my relief to good ole fashioned luck. That is the only way I can describe the play that sealed to the win. I guess the Eagles were due to run out of luck sooner or later and I am glad it was sooner this time.
Clearly, if you read what I wrote last week, I expected the game to go as it did. As I have already said, I am very relieved the Saints weren’t the only home team to lose in the Divisional round this year. So do I feel better heading into this week’s NFC Championship Game? No, I do not.
As we saw last year when the Saints went to Minnesota, last week with the Eagles in New Orleans, and two weeks ago when the Chargers played the Ravens again, having experience against a certain team in the regular season helps in the postseason. Similarly, the home field advantage is lessened since the Rams already played in the Superdome this season.
Give the Saints credit, they won a playoff game against the champs and did not play anywhere near their best. The first quarter was atrocious. It took two fourth down conversions and an injury to Fletcher Cox to get their first touchdown.
The problem is that this is the time of the year where you have to play your best to accomplish great things. The Rams, Patriots, and Chiefs did that last weekend. The Saints peaked two months ago.
Can the Saints turn it around and beat the Rams? Sure. Here is what I think the Saints will need to do to make that happen.
First, they can’t wait for Taysom Hill to block a punt or only use him a couple of plays. The offensive line needs help. The Saints need to use Hill early in the run game to help a struggling offensive line against a great front four. Another option is to use more than Kamara and Ingram in the run game. That means Ted Ginn on an end around or reverse.
Second, I doubt the Rams will allow Michael Thomas to beat them. Tre’Quan Smith, Ted Ginn, Keith Kirkwood and Alvin Kamara have got to be involved. Some way somehow, the tight ends have to get involved in the passing game too.
Defensively, I am possibly over simplifying the matter, but the Saints are going to have to force turnovers and play great red zone defense. Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport will have to make some plays.
Finally, Sean Payton has to have some tricks up his sleeve. A perfectly called and executed fake field goal, something new with Taysom Hill, a perfect two point play, or something else to turn the tide in the Saints favor.
Especially with Sheldon Rankins out of this game, the Rams have the better roster. The Saints need to be the better team on Sunday. The penalties the last month have been out of control. The offense hasn’t been very good on first down in a while. Cameron Jordan hasn’t made many game changing plays (though he plays at a high level).
Many people are comparing this year to the Super Bowl year, and if you recall, the Vikings had the Saints on the ropes in the NFC Championship that year. Brett Favre did the Saints a favor. Alshon Jeffery helped the Saints last week. This week, the Saints need to go get the Super Bowl berth on their own.
HEY REF
And then there were four still standing. I’ll say this much about the Saints; they are the hottest team of the four left in the Super Bowl derby. Philadelphia was getting their groove back and at the right time of the season. It looked like Nick Foles had his magic back as the Eagles jump up by 14 points in the first quarter. It seems everybody has an opinion on where he should play next season.
We all know he should go to a team where he can start and today Brett Favre said Philly should keep Foles and either make Carson Wentz the backup or trade him. Foles has a 10-3 record in the last two years as the Eagles starter and Favre says that’s all he needed to know when asked how he would handle the job of naming a starter for the 2019 season. He described Foles as a (Tom) Brady-esque type of quarterback.
Favre heap praise on Foles for the way he’s handled himself the last two seasons “and he’s proven that he can win the big games. It’s about winning, it’s about being clutch, doing really what you expect your players to do. And he does it as well as anyone. You know the old saying, dance with the one who brung you”!
Of course the rumor mill is in high gear as some have said Jacksonville is primed to make an offer before the Super Bowl is in the record books. Two huge rumors making the rounds around the league is the Pittsburg Steelers are shopping a possible trade of Antonio Brown. But I don’t see an even swap of Brown for Foles so draft picks and/or cash has to be in that mix. But the rumor getting the most attention in the steel city is one with their biggest problem child Le’Veon Bell. Teams aren’t kicking the door down to get Bell and everyone knows he won’t be a cheap trade. Even though Bell sat out a season while turning his back on a $14 million dollar salary the Steelers might be willing to work a trade where Foles could be their backup.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson wanting to move away from any quarterback controversy said at his press conference today that “Carson Wentz is our quarterback going forward. We’d love to have everybody back”. But that could change since Wentz hasn’t been able to stay healthy the past two years. Pederson blamed the absence of working in OTAs for the reason Wentz didn’t have the timing and rhythm needed to take the team all the way to a Super Bowl.
As in years past look for many more rumors to make it to print in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl since there will be many writers biting on all rumors in a bid to outdo their competition. One thing for sure Foles will be the top subject of many discussions as he should be. He won’t be going back to City of Brotherly love simply because he’ll command a high salary for next year. Teams just don’t have enough cash to spend on two starters. Foles has proven he should be a starter and there are enough teams willing and wanting to have him on their roster. Being wanted and having multiple teams willing to spend millions to employ you is a problem many of us would like to have.
Till next week…
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