Saints-Colts Live Blog Preview
Thursday, September 06, 2007
We're kicking off the NFL Season (get it?) with a live-blog tonight, and YOU'RE invited! Cool right? I thought so. So while I make my two trek through the worst traffic on the face of the earth.....you get your commenting hats on and start preparing for the live-blog.
Here's what you need to know.....
Spread: Colts by 6, O/U 53
Where: RCA Dome, Indianapolis
When: 8:30pm
Weather: It's a Dome you a**
Music: Q: Where do Honeydews and Cantaloupes go to camp?
A: John Cougar's Mellencamp!
Love that joke....also Kelly Clarkson and Faith Hill
What To Look For When Indy Has The Ball:
1. Anthony Gonzalez- The third WR in Indy's system is usually a sneaky MFer....I don't think AG will be any different than Brandon Stokely in this regard.
2. Mike McKenzie- About the only person who can do anything to slow down Indy.
3. Tarik Glenn's Replacement Tony Ugoe- He's protecting Peyton's blindside, and has some big shoes to fill after Glenn retired.
4. Marvin Harrison- Do I really have to say anything else?
5. Peyton- Again....Do I have to say anything?
What To Look For When N.O. Has The Ball:
1. Sean Payton's Genius- I guess you can't really look at someone's genius, but you'll know if it's working right away.
2. Bob "Mother F'ing" Sanders- I nicknamed him this last year when said that if he played the whole playoffs the Colts were a shoe-in for the title. The dude is the only good thing on that defense. I don't care what you say....Freeney is overrated.
3. Reggie Bush- He's not a rookie anymore and everyone is wondering what Payton has in store for the Soph. I'm hoping they cut down on the gimmick plays this, and just let the baller run.
4. Drew Brees' Birthmark- How can you not stare at it?
5. Drew Brees' Receiving Core- I'd take the quartet of Colston, Henderson, Copper, and Meachem over most other team's choices. I can't wait to see them go four wide.
AA Prediction: Colts 31- Saints 20
Leave your predictions in the comments and I'll see you around 8pm folks!
Bang it here for the Live-Blog 1st Quarter
8 Comments:
i still say you should have live-blogged oregon state and cincy.
colts 27, saints 24
Here's the opening dialogue:
Al: So who do you think will win this game tonight John?
John: Brett Favre and the Packers.
I have a Saints moneyline / Over parlay. Yay, points!
Also, the Carlton Dance fucking rules.
Amen RUTS.
Saints 30 Colts 21
...or I won't win the IPhone
Are you ready for some football?
Tonight the greatest season of the year kicks off with one of the most anticipated opening weekend matches in recent
years. The NFL kick off the 2007-2008 season with the defending Super Bowl champions, the Indianapolis Colts hosting
last year’s Cinderella story, the New Orleans Saints.
In my opinion, no other sporting season can compare to the excitement and anticipation of an NFL game week. College
football falls short with the lack of a playoff. The other three majors’ regular seasons are too long for my short
attention span.
I am really psyched for tonight’s game. I almost have playoff chills just thinking about it. I can’t think of
another kickoff game in recent memory other than the Colts-Patriots a few years ago that had this amount of build up
to it.
Most preseason “experts” have predicted that these two teams who are meeting in the season’s first game will
ironically play in the last game of the season, the Super Bowl. If it were that easy, Vegas wouldn’t be in business
and I may as well just skip the regular season.
Looking at tonight’s game the Colts come in as a 6 point favorite according to the latest odds. Breaking it down,
three automatically go to the home team so even up Vegas thinks they are three points apart in talent.
Looking at the last few seasons, the Colts always start off the season hot. The last few years the Colts were more
than halfway towards a perfect season before losing their first game. However the dream season wasn’t far off from
turning into a nightmare last year.
Last season the Colts started out 9-0 and went on to win the Super Bowl. The Colts were hardly the dominant
juggernaut that most people think they were through the season.
Even during their 9 win run, the Colts only blew out two teams which were Washington and Houston which were both bad
teams. Five of the nine games were won by four points or less, two by seven points. At home the Colts would start
out slow coming on strong in the second half.
Don’t forget that the Colts were one Tom Brady drive away from never going to the Super Bowl altogether in the AFC
title game.
The Colts run defense was terrible throughout the season but tremendous in the playoffs. In the off-season the Colts -Colts
tickets - lost a ton of defensive players with no high profile replacements. This is something rarely acknowledged in
pre-season predictions. As a matter of a fact the only off-season acquisition I think who will make any kind of
impact is rookie WR Anthony Gonzelez.
The Saints like the Colts weren’t the juggernauts that they are remembered from last year. 4 of their 10 wins were
won by seven points or less. Like the Colts, the defense of the Saints gave up a lot of points. Unlike the Colts,
the Saints did improve their defense and kept the majority of the defense in place coming into this season.
The entire Saints team theoretically should come into this season more comfortable with Sean Payton’s offense, and
that includes an upgrade at tight-end. Ironically the biggest off-season to make an immediate impact for the Saints
would be a rookie WR. Lookout for Robert Meachem in 2007-08.
What does all of this mean to tonight’s game? There is something to be said when matching up two dominant teams from
different divisions. Can the best of the NFC hang in with the best of the AFC? Not likely.
Last season the Saints not only went 1-3 against the AFC, but were seriously blown out in two, and gave up 38 points
in the third. The Saints lost four of eight on the road. However, the Saints did start hot 3-0.
The Colts last season went 3-1 against the NFC only losing one to a Dallas team that was red hot at the time. The
Colts went undefeated at home throughout the regular and post season.
Taking into consideration last season’s records, off-season moves, and other intangibles the six points seem about
right for the Colts. I think the Saints are going into halftime with a lead. I can see the Saints running it up
early and the Colts coming back and dominating in the second half. The Saints are dangerous with a lead as they don’t mind running it
up. However, my prediction tonight is to take the Saints plus the points, the Colts straight up, and definitely the
over.
So, no questions from that idiot pod kremer about Drew Brees' Mom?
"Al and John, I spoke with Drew Brees' Mom just before halftime and she told me that she just wants her son to do well and that if they could get together for Thanksgiving dinner and reminisce and she could give Drew a hug, it would make her very, very happy."
"Back to you Al and John."