ESPN
Say what you want about the man, but thanks to yet another Tim Tebow-led fourth quarter comeback and overtime field goal by the Broncos to take down the Chicago Bears this afternoon, the Saints have now officially locked up a 2011 NFL playoff berth. We're going to the post-season!
The even better news is that the San Francisco 49ers also lost their game this afternoon to NFC division rival Arizona Cardinals, now making them tied with the Saints with a 10-3 record. But the Niners still own the tiebreak by virtue of a better NFC record, so the Saints still need them to lose one more game in order to grab that second overall seed and second round bye.
It's now a battle with San Francisco for that first round bye. Let the real fun begin!
Well it wouldn't be a Saints game if there wasn't heart-stopping, pulse-pounding action until the very last second now would it? But despite putting up better numbers in many statistical categories, New Orleans was lucky to escape Tennessee with a 22 - 17 win in a surprisingly low scoring, penalty ridden affair that could have easily gone the other way.
On offense the Saints struggled to find the end zone, surviving on John Kasay field goals until the fourth quarter, when Marques Colston caught two touchdown passes to put the Saints ahead. Stupid penalties would negate several of their big plays in the first half like a Darren Sproles punt return touchdown. This game would have been completely different otherwise.
Once again the Saints defense did just enough to give the team the win while making sure to keep fans on the verge of complete heart failure. They did a great job of shutting down Chris Johnson and limiting him to just 23 yards on 11 carries, but, as usual, gave up way more big plays than I'm particularly comfortable with, including a 40-yard pass to Nate Washington with 0:27 seconds left on the clock, putting the Titans in scoring range and giving them a chance to win the game. But the defense came up with two big plays to end the game and preserve the win.
Most importantly, however, is the great job the Saints are doing protecting the football. This is their third consecutive game without a turnover and that should be noted.
More on the game from me tomorrow. For now, just enjoy the win. The Saints are now 10-3, marking the first time in team history they have recorded at least 10 wins in three consecutive seasons. They could have locked up the division title if the Panthers had come up with a win against the Falcons today but Olindo Mare missed a game-winning field goal and still continues to haunt Saints fans years after he's left the team.
Click the picture for more from today's action. Make the jump for full stats from the game and check out who played well.
| NO | TEN | ||
| First Downs | 24 | 17 | |
| Total Yards | 437 | 373 | |
| Passing Yards | 323 | 314 | |
| Rushing Yards | 114 | 59 | |
| Penalties (Yds) | 11(95) | 8(54) | |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 | |
| Punts (AVG) | 5(43) | 5(38) | |
| Time of Pos. | 37:33 | 22:27 |
| NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | ||||
| Passing | CP/AT | YDS | TD | INT |
| D. Brees | 36/47 | 337 | 2 | 0 |
| Rushing | CAR | YDS | TD | LG |
| C. Ivory | 13 | 53 | 0 | 25 |
| D. Sproles | 5 | 33 | 0 | 14 |
| Receiving | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
| M. Colston | 7 | 105 | 2 | 35T |
| D. Sproles | 7 | 58 | 0 | 20 |
| P. Thomas | 6 | 35 | 0 | 23 |
| TENNESSEE TITANS | ||||
| Passing | CP/AT | YDS | TD | INT |
| J. Locker | 13/29 | 282 | 1 | 0 |
| Rushing | CAR | YDS | TD | LG |
| J. Locker | 6 | 36 | 1 | 17 |
| C. Johnson | 11 | 23 | 0 | 9 |
| Receiving | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
| N. Washington | 6 | 130 | 1 | 40T |
| C. Johnson | 5 | 43 | 0 | 14 |
| L. Hawkins | 3 | 49 | 0 | 25 |
Saints-Titans Postgame show with Dave, Ralph, and Kevin. And, of course, we'll be taking all of your phone calls at (714) 409-0566 and talking about whatever you want. It's a good time. Oh, can't forget the chat room filled with other CSC members hanging out and talking about the game.
So be sure to LISTEN HERE today at 4:30pm central.
If you haven't been listening to our show for the last year and half, now is a great time to find out what you've been missing. Besides, what else are you gonna do? Listen to Bobby and Deke? Pfft. And if you've got a poor memory and/or smoke a lot of pot, you can head over to the show page right now and set a friendly reminder that will alert you when the time is right so you don't make the mistake of missing the show.
Remember: BE RIGHT HERE today at 4:30pm central and turn up the volume to 11
If I told you the Saints would amass 203 yards of total offense while dominating time of possession in the first half, you'd probably assume the Saints would hold a healthy lead. Instead, they've been held without a touchdown and only lead the Tennessee Titans by a score of 6-3 at the halfway point. Certainly not the Saints we're used to seeing.
Penalties have been the story so far for both teams, nullifying more than a few big plays. Rookie quarterback Jake Locker has replaced Matt Hasselbeck, who is on the sideline with a leg injury. Titans will get the ball to start.
The good news is that the Falcons are currently losing to the Panthers. If that holds up and the Saints can pull this game out, they will lock up the NFC South division title.
Click the picture for more from today's game. Make the jump for complete first half stats.
Team Stats
| NO | TEN | ||
| First Downs | 11 | 4 | |
| Total Yards | 203 | 102 | |
| Passing Yards | 142 | 98 | |
| Rushing Yards | 61 | 4 | |
| Penalties (Yds) | 8(69) | 7(49) | |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 | |
| Punts (AVG) | 3(43) | 3(42) | |
| Time of Pos. | 18:48 | 11:03 |
| NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | ||||
| Passing | CP/AT | YDS | TD | INT |
| D. Brees | 19/27 | 149 | 0 | 0 |
| Rushing | CAR | YDS | TD | LG |
| C. Ivory | 6 | 31 | 0 | 25 |
| D. Sproles | 2 | 18 | 0 | 14 |
| Receiving | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
| D. Sproles | 5 | 41 | 0 | 20 |
| J. Graham | 4 | 49 | 0 | 33 |
| M. Colston | 3 | 27 | 0 | 12 |
| TENNESSEE TITANS | ||||
| Passing | CP/AT | YDS | TD | INT |
| J. Locker | 4/7 | 63 | 0 | 0 |
| Rushing | CAR | YDS | TD | LG |
| C. Johnson | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| J. Locker | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Receiving | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
| C. Johnson | 4 | 34 | 0 | 14 |
| C. Stevens | 1 | 31 | 0 | 31 |
| N. Washington | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| New Orleans Saints (9-3) | Week 14 | Tennessee Titans (7-5) | |||
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| Date: | December 11th, 2011 | Location: | Nashville, TN |
| Time: | 12:00 p.m. CST |
Stadium | LP Field |
| TV: |
FOX (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver) DirecTV: 713 |
Internet: |
NFL.com's Game Center |
| Radio: |
WWL 870AM/105.3FM Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Tony Boselli SIRIUS: 94 (NO), 128 (Ten) XM: 232 (Ten) |
SBN Coverage: | |
| Favorite: | Saints by 3.5 | Weather: |
43 degrees and sunny...Weather Underground |
| Over/Under: | 50 | Current Mood: |
Let's keep rolling! |
You know who has been really quiet on the football field lately? Devery Henderson. The Saints wide receiver has been a relative non-factor lately with only 11 catches and no touchdowns in the last 9 games after starting the season surprisingly strong. But that shouldn't be surprising to fans, who ought to know by now how the Saints wide receiver rotation works, and that's the fact that we don't know how it works or which receiver will step up on any given game day. One Sunday it might be Robert Meachem coming up big, the next it could be Lance Moore.
Given that formula and the simple fact that Henderson is long overdue for another productive game, I'd say the odds are good that today's matchup versus the Titans could be that game. There's really no other rhyme or reason to my opinion of course. No stats, just gut feeling.
So if you've been fortunate enough to make the playoffs in your fantasy league this year and got an open wide receiver slot you don't know what to do with, think about your boy Devery.
You know who has been really quiet on the football field lately? Devery Henderson. The Saints wide receiver has been a relative non-factor lately with only 11 catches and no touchdowns in the last 9 games after starting the season surprisingly strong. But that shouldn't be surprising to fans, who ought to know by now how the Saints wide receiver rotation works, and that's the fact that we don't know how it works or which receiver will step up on any given game day. One Sunday it might be Robert Meachem coming up big, the next it could be Lance Moore.
Given that formula and the simple fact that Henderson is long overdue for another productive game, I'd say the odds are good that today's matchup versus the Titans could be that game. There's really no other rhyme or reason to my opinion of course. No stats, just gut feeling.
So if you've been fortunate enough to make the playoffs in your fantasy league this year and got an open wide receiver slot you don't know what to do with, think about your boy Devery.
It's been almost a month since the Saints played a road game (November 13 @ Atlanta), and later today they will take the field in Nashville, Tennessee to Clash with the Titans. And maybe after it's all over, we'll still be able to Remember the Titans. (more clever Titan movie/song puns are welcome in the comment section)
Nashville. Music City. Home of the Music City Miracle, the Grand Ole Opry, a Parthenon (not the original, mind you), the Ryman Auditorium, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. And soon it will be the home of the Saints tenth win of the 2011 season and the Lamentations of the Titans and their fans.
Make the jump to see what I think it's going to take for the Saints to make me Nostra-freaking-damus, as I present to you my Hot Reads.
** We can also use this comment thread as a place for our pre-pre-game chatter to help us hang in there until the actual Game Open Thread opens up. **
LP Field Current Weather Conditions
Drew Brees is having an amazing, record-setting season. To help keep this going, the team must Protect Brees and let him work his magic.
This week I think it's going to take a little more than just keeping him on his feet and giving him time to survey the field. Protection of Brees will take on many forms.
What I'd Like To See: Keep him on his feet (minimal hits and zero sacks), give him time to survey the field, but also support him with a decent ground presence early and often so it doesn't have to be on his shoulders alone, run the correct routes, and catch the ball when it comes to you. No stupid pre-snap penalties. Hang on to the damn ball.
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Chris Johnson is the most powerful weapon in the Titans arsenal, so the Saints absolutely need to KO CJ2K. He has been "en fuego" as of late. En fuego = 46 carries, 343 yards and 2 TDs in the last two games, both of them Titan wins.
This season, the Titans are 5-0 when Johnson gets 23 or more carries, and only 2-5 when he gets 14 carries or less. I'm not sure what causes what (do more carries from him cause the victory, or does the team's winning allow him to get more carries?) but it appears the Saints chance of winning increases significantly if they can hold him to under 15 carries.
The Saints defense gives up almost five yards per rush. GAAAAA!!! I have visions of CJ2K getting to the edge faster than any of the Saints defenders and then racing down the sideline for a score. I also see him heading for the edge and then cutting it back against the grain and leaving a bunch of players diving at air as he glides past them on his way to the end zone.
What I'd Like To See: Nothing from the previous paragraph. Nothing. He just needs to have less than 15 carries in the game. Whether that's through many three and outs by the Titans offense, multiple turnovers that give the ball back to the Saints, or long sustained drives by the Saints that chew up lots of the clock. I don't care. Just limit how many touches CJ2K gets (ok, this is the Saints defense, so maybe let's just keep him under 20 rushes) and the Saints can win.
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With the outdoor stadium and colder weather, along with the natural turf that may get chunked up into gritty brown bits, I see the deep ball and big plays not being as big a factor for the Saints. Because of this, drives will need to be sustained and finished, so to do this, and in order to support both the Primary Option and Checkdown # 1, the Saints must Win On Third Down.
The tale of the tape in regard to third downs is this: The Saints convert 53.2% of their third downs (83 of 156), while allowing teams to convert 34.6% (54 of 156). The Titans are not as good as the Saints at this, and convert 38.6% of their own third downs (64 of 166), while allowing opponents a 41.6% success rate (72 of 173).
What I'd Like To See: The Saints convert over 60% of third downs while holding the Titans to under 30% on third down conversions.
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One thing the Saints haven't done well away from the Dome this season is punch it into the end zone from the red zone, so a key for success today will be to Exorcize Those Red Zone Road Demons.
Overall, the Saints score TDs 56% of the time when they get inside the 20-yard line, but there's a large discrepancy between home vs. road performance on this metric: 38% on the road vs. 71% at home.
What I'd Like To See: One of two things to combat this malady. Either a perfect or high red zone TD percentage for the Saints, or many, many red zone trips that result in FGs to make up for the missed TD opportunities. If the second one happens, it will be a long afternoon at the office for us. Pass the antacids, please.
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It's go-time, people. Make or break AND shake-n-bake time. The Final Four of the regular season. Time for players and teams to give it their all, plus just a little bit more, FTW, to keep winning streaks going, for the top seed, for the division title, and/or for the wild card berth.
It is in that spirit that I present to you today my little bit more, in the form of an additional Hot Read. Whatever it takes, my friends, whatever it takes. You're welcome.
A significant X-Factor in this game will be the Matching of Wits between rookie head coach Mike Munchak and five-year veteran and Super Bowl-winning Coach Sean Payton.
Mike Munchak assumed the reins of the team this year following the dismissal of longtime coach Jeff Fisher, and he cleaned house, replacing both coordinators, and bringing in new blood or at least changing the jobs of 13 other coaching positions on the staff. Sean Payton, on the other hand, has been at the helm of the Good Ship Saints since early 2006, with the majority of his coaching staff in place for multiple seasons.
This game could come down a difference in proper strategy and advance planning coupled with well-timed and appropriate in-game adjustments to what's working/not working, responding to what the other team is doing well, decisions made in crunch time, and/or bold and creatively aggressive vs. "just don't lose it" actions taken.
What I'd Like To See: Steely resolve, good play-calling, bold decisions, proper mid-game adjustments, and excellent clock/game management by the Saints coaching staff, contrasted with some rookie/inexperienced/just plain bad coaching mistakes made by the HC of the Titans. You don't have to ice your own kicker or anything, Mike, but make a bad review challenge or two, mismanage the clock or your time outs throughout, and particularly at the end of the half or the game, and that'll be just what Dr. HansDat ordered for the Saints win.
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OK, now what are your thoughts on these reads? Let me know in the comment section!
hakimdropsball Jim Mora Jr to coach UCLA next year. He won't be able to ruin anyone's Sunday anymore with his awful announcing.@MilneMalbrough (HansDat Note: He's not a Jr. But maybe Kevin knows this already, and he's just joshing with us...)
camjordan94 O snaps bout ta head to the battlegrounds n TN soon!!! Leggo!!!
camjordan94 Wanna know what a kodiak bear looks like sleeping?lockerz.com/s/163675293
camjordan94 Bet you won't wake that bear up @QBComa92lockerz.com/s/163675526
Official_Saints Thanks to all the fans who sent us photos last week! Check out the@Motorola Moto Pics gallery: bit.ly/MP1210
Mark_Ingram28 This dude just asked me when is Christmas?!!!
LanceMoore16 Ready to get to Nashville and get this walk-thru over so I can go to Chipotle!!! I've missed u so much and can't wait to have u again lol
robyslyfe ✈ wheels up to tha 'Ville..everyone please send 🙏's high for our safety thru the air..
JohnnyPatrick32 Headed to Tennessee ✈
ChaseDaniel Wheels up to Nashville...Excited to take the show on the road! #Saints
TheJimmyGraham We are on the plane taking off for TN
JeffDuncanTP Yep, looks like we're in Nashville.... lockerz.com/s/163707365
GregBensel Navy man Tom Benson attending Army Navy game in Wash DC as guest of West Point General- then off to Nashville!pic.twitter.com/olDEzOsx
T_Porter22 We get the bread and the crumbs...
thomasmorstead Landed in Nashville. Off to check out the stadium. #whodat
T_Porter22 Made it safely thank u all and thank God most of all!!
robyslyfe Landed safe, thanks for the many prayers..!
JohnnyPatrick32 Landed.. What's up Tennessee, anybody that's here and don't have tickets i may have 2 check with me tonight...
Pierre_Thomas Just landed in Tennessee...got some meetings then ima get off my feet and relax
JonVilma51 Victories make history
T_Porter22 Excited! SUPER EXCITED!!!! To do what I have been blessed to do...PLAY FOOTBALL! #leggoo
T_Porter22 Feels like I'm a kid again on Xmas Eve and I'm waiting to open my gifts. Lol. Sunday hurrup n get here.
camjordan94 Nashville??? Smh one thought comes to mind right now (po-dunk cow town), it's still country n the city... Whaaa???
iWillSmith In Tennessee.. Ready for tomorrow. Who Dat!
drewmagary Oh hey, it's a Saturday in December and the college season is over. Know what should be on TV? F****** NFL GAMES GOODELL YOU P***HEAD.
kspainTP in #nashville for #saints v. #titans, it's chilly here, but not expected to be real cold. shud b sunny for gameday. noon kick. #whodat #nola
camjordan94 I'm hearing Tennessee has bomb BBQ, where's the best place to go?! I'm lookin forward to this
camjordan94 There's a chipotle here!!!!
judybattista Me, too. I just had to google it. RT @greggrosenthal: I must be old b/c I don't know why there are hundreds of drunk santas everywhere
JonVilma51 Where is the army navy game played and do they rotate each yr??
JeffDuncanTP The aptly-named Prince's Hot Chicken (fire extinguisher optional): lockerz.com/s/163766851
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Feelin' the Brees graphic: New Orleans Saints' offensive stats through Game 12 | NOLA.com
Dan Swenson - An illustrated look at how Drew Brees and the 9-3 New Orleans Saints' top five offensive playmakers have performed through Game 12 and during their 31-17 victory over the Detroit Lions last Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
New Orleans Saints' run defense to get a stern test versus Tennessee Titans ground game | NOLA.com
Mike Triplett - The Saints' run defense has improved greatly the past four weeks. But that's nothing compared to the way Tennessee Titans tailback Chris Johnson has improved.
New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham unfazed by Tennessee Titans' plan to attack him | NOLA.com
Mike Triplett - Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray challenged his safeties to hit harder across the middle of the field.
Saints worried about speedy Johnson | The Advocate
Brian Allee-Walsh - It appears that fleet-footed running back Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans has his "mojo" working again, which may not bode well for the NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints.
Saints prepare outdoors | The Advocate
Sheldon Mickles - Preparing for their first outdoor game in nearly two months Sunday, the New Orleans Saints changed up their routine a little Thursday and practiced in chilly conditions at their Metairie training facility.
Saints focused on winning | The Advocate
Sheldon Mickles - In two of the three postseason appearances they’ve made under Sean Payton, the New Orleans Saints took care of business and wrapped up their playoff berth with time to spare.
Humber making eye-catching plays | The Advocate
Sheldon Mickles - Before the first defensive snap of a Monday Night Football game with the New York Giants on Nov. 28, New Orleans Saints linebacker Ramon Humber was as anonymous as any third-year NFL player could be.
Surging Saints ready for key clash with Titans | sportsnola.com
Sports Network - A memo to Green Bay Packers fans: Go ahead and buy those playoff tickets for Lambeau Field, but you might want to hedge on the Super Bowl plans...just in case.
Saints-Titans Injury Reports (Friday, Dec. 9) | sportsnola.com
Justin Macione
New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams Media Q&A (Dec 9, 2011) | sportsnola.com
Justin Macione
Game Preview: Saints at Titans | neworleanssaints.com
Broadcast Information: Saints at Titans | neworleanssaints.com
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Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints coaches share common background | tennessean.com
Jim Wyatt - Tennessee Titans Coach Mike Munchak knows Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams well, going back to the days when they were both assistants in Nashville under Jeff Fisher.
Matt Hasselbeck played his way into Tennessee Titans' sights | tennessean.com
John Glennon - Seattle’s 2010 playoff upset of New Orleans may be the biggest reason quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will face the Saints on Sunday as a member of the Tennessee Titans.
Preview: Tennessee Titans (7-5) vs. New Orleans Saints (9-3) | tennessean.com
Jim Wyatt's Edge
McCarthy's Big Plays are Product of Preparation | titansonline.com
Craig Peters - On starting rookie LB Colin McCarthy...
Coach Munchak's Friday Press Conference | titansonline.com
Transcript of Q&A.
Washington, McCourty Hoping to Play Sunday | titansonline.com
Craig Peters
Final Word: AFC South - AFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Paul Kuharsky - Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 14, with large thanks to ESPN Stats and Info.
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1966: The New Orleans Saints are born | NOLA.com
New Orleans got its Saints in 1966 through a classic Louisiana political maneuver.
QB trio has Dan Marino's mark in sight: Adam Schefter's 10 Spot | ESPN.com
Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers all appear poised to break Dan Marino's single-season record for passing yardage. (HansDat note: Schefter predicts the Titans to upset the Saints.)
John Clayton's First & 10 | ESPN.com
Saints-Titans comes in at #3 with an emphasis on Brees vs. Hasselbeck.
Checking the injuries that matter most - NFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Pat Y. - It’s late in the season and the injuries are piling up. We’ve got a bunch of injured players all around the division, so let’s get the update on the most significant ones.
Film of the NFC South chat - NFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Pat Y. - As always, we had a lot of good questions in Friday’s NFC South chat. This week in particular, it seemed like the quarterbacks dominated the discussion.
Around the NFC South - NFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Pat Y. - A look at the top Saturday morning headlines from around the NFC South.
New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' son will play in Sugar Bowl | NOLA.com
Mike Triplett - Chase Williams is redshirt freshman linebacker for Virginia Tech.
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NFL Network's Playbook: Titans vs. Saints Video | titansonline.com
Video: Saints-Titans Field Pass - AFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Paul Kuharsky - Matthew Berry, Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi preview the Saints at Titans.
Countdown Daily Video: Saints-Titans - AFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Paul Kuharsky - Mark Schlereth and Jerry Rice pick the Saints-Titans game.
Video: Saints vs. Titans Preview | neworleanssaints.com
NFL Films' preview of the Week 14 matchup between the Saints and the Titans.
Video: Saints at Titans Preview | sportsnola.com
Ken Trahan and Lenny Vangilder breakdown the crucial game between New Orleans and Tennessee in Nashville coming up on Sunday.
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