Gruden and Billick Differ on Saints Chances

Two former Super Bowl coaches, Jon Gruden and Brian Billick, differed this week on the New Orleans Saints' chances of advancing to the NFC Championship game on Saturday.

Billick, who led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl XXXV win in 2000 with one of the NFL's best defenses of all-time and one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks of all-time, told ESPN Radio on Wednesday that he likes the Arizona Cardinal's chances against the recently slumping Saints.

"It's all about Kurt Warner and can you keep him from getting in a rhythm," said Billick. (It Is? Didn't Drew Brees come within one completion of breaking Dan Marino's all-time yardage mark one year ago)

"[Warner] was just lethal the other night and you see that time again." (And you don't see that from Brees?) "If Kurt Warner gets comfortable, gets into a rhythm, then I don't know that you can do anything to stop him particularly if you get Anquan Boldin back. You've got to get him out of that rhythm."

"Now, the New Orleans defense, they've steadily and progressively fallen off the mark a lot of it due to injury," said Billick. "It's going to be interesting to see if this defense now of the New Orleans Saints can hold up against a hot Kurt Warner." (What about a woeful Cardinals defense holding up against Drew Brees, Coach?)

"I'm not sure [the Saints defense] can," said Billick. "If they can, if they can knock him off a little bit early, get some pressure on him that will be key."

"Oddly enough [the Cardinals] defense kind of feeds off of Kurt Warner as well," (Oh really, Coach? what about the 45 points they gave up to the Packers the other night.)

"I think Arizona can go in and beat [the Saints]," said Billick.

ESPN Monday Night Football's Jon Gruden, who coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to a Super Bowl victory in 2002, saw things differently.

"I think the big thing is can New Orleans run the football like they did earlier in the year and can [the offense] possess it sustain drives and keep Kurt Warner off the field," Gruden told ESPN Radio on Thursday morning.

"I think the long trip and the short week will impact Arizona," said Gruden. "[The long trip] takes a lot out of you. A short week, a dramatic victory, it does impact your preparation. Guys aren't as lively on the practice field on Wednesday and Thursday. A short week late in the season. Those cross country trips are tough."

"I like the Saints in this one," says Gruden.

And I do as well. The Saints defense with a healthy Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter will regain their lost mojo. Sharper, Greer, and Porter will intercept Kurt Warner in the second half and Tom Benson will do the "Benson Boogie" for the first time in years.

And Deuce will carry Sean Payton off the field on his shoulders.

Randy's Pick: Saints 38 Cardinals 24.