Darren Sharper

Who would you rather have leading your team in the final two minutes: Drew Brees or Brett Favre?

Darren Sharper, former safety for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, has already made his mind up.

On the heels of Brees breaking Dan Marino's record for passing yards in a season, Sharper would take Brees over Favre.

On SportsCenter on Tuesday, Sharper said, via Pro Football Talk:

With the game on the line I would have to go with Mr. Drew Brees, because we’ve seen Brett—who I love to death—throw the ball up in the air when anyone can make a play on it, intercept it, at the end of games. If you want to come down to a two-minute drill where you need a play for your team to win, you go with one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL, and that’s Drew Brees.

Brees has had a spectacular season for the Saints, who have gone 12-3 and clinched the NFC South on Monday night with a 45-16 stomping of the Atlanta Falcons.

In that game, Brees threw for 307 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. For the season, he's passed for a record 5,087 yards, while completing 70 percent of his passes en route to 41 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.

This may be Brees' greatest regular season ever as a pro, yet he's gone rather unnoticed, overshadowed by the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and even fan favorite Tim Tebow.

Sharper is right to pick Brees over Favre when the game's on the line.

Of course, Favre had some tremendous performances late in games throughout his career, but there is no question he threw the ball up for grabs a lot, too. It was how he played the game, and while that style of play will earn him Hall of Fame honors, Brees distances himself from Favre when it comes to turnovers.

This isn't so much about Favre; it has more to do with the brilliance of Brees. Given the amount of times Brees puts the ball in the air, it's amazing that he's been able to keep his interception numbers this low.

And it has the Saints eying their second Super Bowl in three years.

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Tags: Bleacher Report, Brett Favre, football, New Orleans Saints

Backtrack to 2009: The Saints started off 13-0 behind an explosive offense and an extremely opportunistic defense that produced 39 takeaways.  A big part of the defense's success was ball-hawking free safety Darren Sharper, who the Saints signed for next to nothing after being tossed into the scrap heap by the Minnesota Vikings.  Sharper led the NFL in interceptions (nine), interception returns for a touchdown (three) and interception return yards (376).  It seemed as though Darren Sharper was back and just as good as ever.

However, Sharper had to undergo microfracture knee surgery following the 2009 season, and the Saints saw how he was beginning to wear down in his late 30s.  They were faced with a decision.  Sharper was due to miss the first few games to start the season, bumping former cornerback and first-round draft pick Malcolm Jenkins into the starting role.  They had to decide if they wanted Sharper back in the starting lineup after resigning him to a one-year deal, or to roll with Jenkins.  Sharper barely saw the field in 2010, a choice that the Saints are now more than happy they made.

Darren Sharper has since been forced into retirement last week after not receiving an offer from any NFL team.  Malcolm Jenkins is thriving since taking over the starting job, quickly developing into what we saw from Sharper in 2009.  The impressive interception numbers may not be there for Jenkins as they were for Sharper, but Jenkins has developed a real nose for the ball.

In Week 13's victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday night, Jenkins was in on a few key plays that won't appear on the stat sheet, coming out of nowhere to make an improbable play.  The first example was a deep pass across the middle in which Jenkins came from off the screen, sprinting to knock away the pass, and nearly intercepting Matthew Stafford.  A second came when Calvin Johnson appeared to haul in a first-down completion, but Jenkins came in from seemingly nowhere to lower his shoulder into Johnson and jar the ball loose, nullifying what would have been a big second-half first down for the Lions.

It is these types of plays that make Malcolm Jenkins one of the true unsung heroes for the Saints.  His play-making ability, something that cannot be measured or translated onto a stat sheet, is beginning to sharpen and become more polished with each passing week.  And it is plays like those that make Malcolm Jenkins a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, and make the Saints, as well as defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, relish the day they decided Jenkins was their guy. 

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Malcolm Jenkins' rise to the upper echelon of NFL defensive backs isn't much of a surprise to anyone who has closely followed Jenkins' football career for any period of time.

Since 2009, Saints' fans have watched Jenkins' seamless integration into a demanding league. His immediate, successful transition from cornerback to second team all-pro safety took only one offseason.

Watching Jenkins reminds one of a young Charles Woodson: spectacularly talented, menacingly tough, single-mindedly determined, exceptionally versatile and selflessly focused on helping his team win.

That the Saints were fortunate enough to land Jenkins with the 14th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft makes one question the competency of the 13 NFL GMs who deigned to believe that Jenkins wasn't a fit for their respective teams.

Heading into the 2011 season, the Saints' third-year pro seems more like a seasoned veteran than the precocious playmaker of just 23 years.

To say that his demeanor and maturity defy his youth is to understand that Jenkins only wants one thing: greatness.

What follows is a timeline of the iterations of Jenkins' burgeoning pro career. 

January 7, 2008

 Jenkins and the Ohio State Buckeyes fall short in the BCS Championship game against the LSU Tigers in the Superdome. Playing in a game stocked with future NFL players, Jenkins acquits himself well and intercepts a pass.

What he didn't know is that within 15 months, the Superdome would be his professional home. 

April 25, 2009

 The Saints select Jenkins with the 14th pick of the draft, shoring up a glaring need in the defensive backfield.

Heading into the combine and draft process, Jenkins is the clear-cut, top-rated corner back of the draft class and is ultimately the first defensive back selected.

Concerns over Jenkins' straight-line speed surface prior to draft and speculation mounts that Jenkins might be a better fit as a free safety in the NFL.

Regardless, scouts and draft specialists largely praise Jenkins and view him as a top prospect with high character.

In the days leading up to the draft, noted NFL draft expert Nolan Nawrocki describes Jenkins as standing out for his "maturity and humble attitude."

He reports that Jenkins' "makeup is most ideally suited for the safety position" and asserts that talent evaluators are most impressed with Jenkins' "confidence, overall character and the way he's carried himself in team interviews."

Upon drafting Jenkins, Coach Sean Payton notes Jenkins' toughness, intelligence and character as the defining qualities of the first round selection.

Expectations are high. 

September 27, 2009

 In the third game of the 2009 regular season, Saints' fans get an early glimpse of Jenkins' playmaking ability. 

With six minutes to play in the first half against the Buffalo Bills, Jenkins makes his first big play, stripping the ball from Bills' punt returner Roscoe Parrish and then recovering the fumble.

This leads to a Saints' FG, putting them up three going into halftime. The Saints never relinquish the lead. 

February 7, 2010

 Jenkins plays a significant role in the Saints' Super Bowl victory against the Indianapolis Colts. He mans the nickel spot for the majority of the game and finishes with five solo tackles (second on the team), one tackle for a loss and one pass defended.

In just one season, Jenkins displays a mastery of Gregg Williams' complex schemes and significantly contributes as a rookie on a veteran-laden Super Bowl-winning team.

The rapid development in his first year will mirror his growth in his second season. 

September 9, 2010

 Jenkins opens the 2010 season as the Saints' starting free safety, replacing injured all-pro Darren Sharper.

During the 2010 offseason, Jenkins works studiously to make the transition from cornerback to free safety. 

About Jenkins' progress and abilities in the 2010 preseason, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams states that Jenkins is "special" and "[plays] so well every day." 

Grounded to the end, Jenkins credits his teammate Sharper with facilitating the transition to free safety. 

November 25, 2010

 In the nationally televised afternoon game on Thanksgiving Day, Jenkins single-handedly saves the game for the Saints. With four minutes left in the game and the Cowboys leading 27-23, Jenkins chases down and strips Cowboys' WR Roy Williams, then recovers the fumble at the Saints' 11 yard line. 

The Saints soon convert the turnover into the winning points and Jenkins proves himself a standout on the national stage.  

In the aftermath of the game, Cowboys' WR Roy Williams admits Jenkins "made a great play" while fellow Saints' safety Roman Harper says that Jenkins is "going to be a Pro Bowl player for years to come." 

Two weeks later against the St. Louis Rams, Jenkins intercepts two passes deep in Saints' territory including one he returns 96 yards for a game-changing TD just before the first half ends.

In the span of three weeks, Jenkins wins two NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards and establishes himself among the most promising young safeties in the NFL.

ESPN's NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas says that Jenkins has emerged "as one of the best safeties in the league." 

January 8, 2011

 The Saints lose a wild card playoff game at Seattle, giving up 41 points in the process (a season high).

Jenkins misses the game with a kneecap injury sustained in the regular season finale and the Saints' defensive backfield is exposed without him.

Jenkins' value to the defense is more clear than ever following the loss. 

August 2011

 Jenkins has prepared for the 2011 regular season by, among other things, studying film from each of 2010's games several times. He's also taken on a mentorship role with rookie CB Johnny Patrick, easing Patrick's transition into the league. 

With a continued focus on improving, Jenkins has impressed his colleagues to the point that former Saints' teammate, DE Alex Brown, recently stated that Jenkins is one of three "special" players he's played with in his career (the other two being Brian Urlacher and Jevon Kearse).

With high praise comes high demand for results. 

As the 2011 season kickoff creeps closer, expectations for both Jenkins and the Saints remain exceedingly high. 

If recent history is any indicator, those expectations are well within reach. 

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There seems to be more talk of who will someday land in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this offseason. Maybe it is the lack of football to talk outside of the NFL lockout. Anyway, there is a current New Orleans Saint (for now at least) up for discussion on ESPN’s NFC South blog this week.

Darren Sharper‘s future in the Hall is up for debate.

Sharper’s numbers on the Packers, Vikings and Saints over the years are comparable to some already in the HOF. If he can continue to stay on the field he will strengthen his argument. Some things to consider in his favor:

• 63 career INTs (ties with Ronnie Lott) has him at No. 6 on the all-time list.
• 11 INTs returned for TD.
• Super Bowl ring.

Working against him is the fact that defensive backs are not the prime picking. After the kickoff of the 2011 season, there will only be 22 in the Hall of Fame. Time missed due to injury in 2010 also does not appear pretty. Imagine the possible numbers had he been able to post another solid season in 2010.

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/4/2011.

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I am amazed by all the beer-belly whiners who piss and moan about the inequity of the BCS but are conspicuous by their silence about a playoff system that allows a team with a losing record to host an (Read more...)opening-round playoff game.

Well, such is life.

New Orleans faces Seattle today as they take step one in defense of their Super Bowl championship.

Better chance of the Pope joining the Jehovah's Witnesses than the 'hawks winning this one.

Seattle is bereft of talent on both sides of the ball and New Orleans has no excuse for playing poorly today in the Rainy City.

Here are 7 reasons why I think they will be celebrating at Pat O'Brien's on Bourbon St. tonight.

Editor's note: Saints Final Injury Report: LB Clark, TE Graham, DL Hargrove & S Jenkins have been ruled OUT for Saturday. DE Brown, WR Colston, TEs Shockey & Thomas & LB Waters are all PROBABLE for Saturday.

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The New Orleans Saints, fresh off a bye, will host the Seattle Seahawks.  The Seahawks are coming off a 36-18 win over the Arizona Cardinals, while the Saints last beat the Carolina Panthers, 34-3.  The Saints come into this game well rested and ready to play, and that should help them win this game.

New Orleans had the run of the division in 2009, but this year things are different.  Both the Falcons and the Buccaneers are playing good football and the Falcons may be the top team in the NFC right now.  Can the Saints change that by winning out and taking their division back from the Falcons?

Beating the Seahawks would be a great way to gain better position in the division and regain their dominance.  Seattle could also be just the right team for the Saints at this time.

So who will win?  How will they win and why will they win?

Let’s find out in this extended preview of the Saints vs. the Seahawks game this Sunday in New Orleans.

When the Saints Have the Ball

The Saints offense started to get back on track during their last two games and should be even better with running back Reggie Bush returning to the lineup.  In their three losses this season, it was evident that the lack of a solid running game (which they had last season) hurt them, so with Bush returning, hopefully the opposing defense takes that threat to heart and doesn’t put so much pressure on Brees.

The Saints are averaging about 93 yards on the ground this season and are sure to get more with Bush returning to the lineup.  Seattle is allowing teams an average of 104 yards per game, so that works out pretty well for the Saints.

Of course, the Saints passing game has always been their bread and butter, and in recent games, their passing attack has flourished.  New Orleans is averaging around 276 yards per game and that number is only going to increase as the season goes on.  So far in 2010, Brees has attempted 374 passes, completing 261 for 2,587 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Brees’ interception total is up, but without a good running game for most of the season, Brees was forced to try to do too much and had to take some chances.  He has worked hard to eliminate those mistakes and has succeeded in the last two games.

The Seahawks are letting teams gain 272 yards per game through the air, so this should suit the Saints just fine.  Look for the Saints to pass early and often to build a lead and take the Seahawks out of the game early.

When Seattle Has the Ball

Seattle has been hot and cold on offense this season, but is starting to find a little bit of a groove.  They are still manned at quarterback by Matt Hasselbeck, who has thrown 270 passes with 157 completions for 1,744 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.  It’s possible that the Seahawks could use backup Charlie Whitehurst if things get out of hand.

Seattle is averaging around 200 yards through the air per game.  The Saints defense is allowing teams to gain 165 yards per game.  New Orleans defense has also collected 19 sacks on the season and has been able to get some good pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  Seattle has allowed opponents to get to the quarterback 24 times, so the Seahawks have had some trouble protecting their quarterbacks.  

Can the Saints take advantage of this?  They should be able to with the kind of pass rush that they have developed over the last couple games.  Look for them to try to get some pressure with their defensive line, and their blitz at times as well.  They have to keep the Seahawks passing game from beating them.

When it comes to running the ball, the Seahawks rushing attack is lead by both Justin Forsett and Marshawn Lynch.  Seattle is getting 86 yards on the ground per game, which isn’t cutting it for this team.  The Saints are allowing teams to gain 110 yards per game on the ground, so Seattle may be able to find some running room Sunday.

Special Teams

Special teams have come back to bite the Saints at times this season, and if this is a close game and they need their kicker to come through, then they will be hoping that happens.  The Seahawks have great return units and their primary return specialist, Leon Washington, is as dangerous as they come. His returns can not only give Seattle good field position, but he is a threat to break a long return and score.

Analysis

On paper, it would appear that the Saints have a considerable edge in this game.  They have the better offense, their defense is better and they are playing at home.  The Seahawks are definitely a better team than they appear to be and have surprised several people this season.  Their head coach, Pete Carroll, is an inspirational leader and will have his team ready.

The Saints know that they have to win this game to keep pace with the Falcons for the lead in the division.  New Orleans will be well rested coming off a bye, and this will help them out in this game.

New Orleans will have their passing game going and their defense up to the task.  As long as they don’t make any special teams mistakes and don’t allow Hasselbeck to work some of his old magic and lead the Seahawks to a win in this game, they should do well.

Prediction

The Saints are well rested, playing at home and eager to get back into the lead in their division, so they will be ready for this game.  Look for them to win this game and keep pace with the Falcons for the lead in their division and a playoff spot at the end of the season.

New Orleans 28, Seattle 17

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This is a question that many New Orleans Saints fans are asking themselves as their team heads into the bye week this week with a 6-3 record and are not in the lead in their division.

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The pressure sits squarely on the shoulders of the New Orleans Saints.

After all, things turned south quickly for the Carolina Panthers

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The Saints appeared to hit rock bottom last week.

They were dominated and embarrassed at home against the Cleveland Browns.

Brees threw costly interceptions, two to David Bowens for touchdowns.

The running game was non-existent.

The crowd was dead.

The Saints turned it on last night against the Pittsburgh Steelers in what felt like a must win game for the Saints. Against one of the top defenses in the league, Brees completed 34 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns. The Captain took the team on his back and let them to victory.

What do the Saints need to do to get back to the Super Bowl?

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The New Orleans Saints sit at 4-3 and are not on top of the NFC South like they would have liked to have been at this point. The road doesn't get easier as they host the red hot Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Sunday Night Football.  While the Saints lost to the Cleveland Browns 30-17, the Steelers beat the Miami Dolphins 23-22.  

The Steelers come into this game with a great defense and an offense that has gotten better since the return of starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  They have been playing wellon both sides of the ball and present quite a challenge to the 2009 NFL World Champions.

So what can the Saints do to win this game?  Can they win this game?  Are we starting to see the decline of the Saints?  Let’s find out in this extended game preview.

When the Saints have the Ball

New Orleans was “shown up” by the Cleveland Browns defense this past weekend and really didn’t get much going on offense until the game was well out of hand.  What has happened to this once vaunted offense?  Why aren’t they playing as well as they did last season?

One reason may be that teams are playing them much differently than they did last season.  The Saints offense has been getting about 279 passing yards a game out of their offense which would be pretty good in most cases, but turnovers and breakdowns at the wrong time have really set their once powerful offense back.

Things won’t get any easier with the Steelers coming to town this Sunday.  Pittsburgh is allowing an average of 235 yards through the air which is a pretty respectable number.  Teams have had to pass on the Steelers to try to get ahead so that number may be skewed a little bit.

The thing that the Saints have to look out for is turnovers.  Turnovers have killed them at critical times and have cost them games.  So far this season, quarterback Drew Brees has thrown ten interceptions which is quite a lot considering how many he threw last season overall (just 11 in all of 2009).  It has been a rough start to the season.

The leading wide receiver for the Saints is Marques Colston.  He has caught 40 passes for 452 yards and one touchdown.  Their leading receiver in touchdowns is Lance Moore with four.  The Saints typically got the ball out to their receivers early and often in games last season, but this year they have struggled to complete passes and have thrown many interceptions

Last year’s Saints team had no problem scoring through the air, building up leads early in games so that teams would be forced to try to play catch up.  Most of the time the Saints would win those games.  This just isn’t happening.

One other thing that the Saints had last year that they are just now starting to see work better this season is their running game.  The Saints are averaging 92 yards rushing but they have had some big ground games this season (as well as some poor ones) so that number is a little bit skewed.  

Chris Ivory is their leading rusher, Pierre Thomas has been out with an injury.  So far this season Ivory has rushed 59 times for 325 yards with no touchdowns.  The yardage totals are good but his production (in points) is lacking.  Perhaps the Saints are missing Reggie Bush more than anyone thought that they would, but he just might be back for this game.

Pittsburgh is allowing opponents just 63 yards per game on the ground so the Saints may have to try to pass their way to a win and abandon the run.

When the Steelers have the Ball

After serving a four game suspension, Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is back and playing pretty well.  Since returning to the Steelers he has thrown five touchdown passes and targeted wide receivers Hines Ward and Mike Wallace.  This is an offense that has been hard to stop.

The Steelers are averaging right around 181 yards per game but that number is misguided a bit because Pittsburgh didn’t pass the ball much in their games prior to Roethlisberger’s return from suspension.  

The Steelers' rushing attack has been productive averaging right around 118 yards per game.  Their leading rusher is Rashard Mendenhall and he has 535 yards and five touchdowns.  He’s a load and the Saints will have their hands full trying to bring him down.

On defense, New Orleans is allowing opponents to gain 108 yards per game on the ground and 179 yards through the air. That is a reflection of just how much turnovers have affected the Saints.  They haven’t allowed a lot of yards on offense for opposing teams but those turnovers haven’t helped matters any, giving opponents good field position.

Analysis

The Saints have been playing sloppy football as of late and no one is quite sure why this is the case.  Perhaps teams are playing them differently this season and the Saints just haven’t been able to defend against this newfound energy. 

Perhaps this team has just become careless and its players don’t have their head in the game?  Whatever it is, it has got this team down and out of the lead in the NFC South.

One good thing is that the Saints did get safety Darren Sharper back last week after having him out for six weeks. He should be able to play much better in this game after missing a long amount of time.  Hopefully he will be able to assume a similar role to what he did last season and help the Saints out on defense.

New Orleans already has one advantage in this game and that’s the fact that they are playing it at home.  However, that is right about where their advantages end.  The Steelers are superior in many aspects of the game especially on defense and in the running game.

The Saints can win this game if they limit their mistakes and can get their passing game going early and often.  They might have to set the running game aside for a little while as they attempt to get a big lead and then try to hold the Steelers off and win the game.

Is this realistic?  Probably not, but anything is possible in New Orleans.

Prediction

The Saints are hurting and are probably quite angry right now.  They have watched their season get off to a rocky start and haven’t been able to find out how to stop teams from beating them.  They also haven’t figured out a way to curb their turnovers.

This is going to be an interesting game and one that the Saints will probably come up short in.

Pittsburgh 24, New Orleans 21

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