Black and Gold X's and O's: What the Saints Can Do This Week To Get Better

Before I speak on how the New Orleans Saints can get better, I must make a statement on something that has been bothering me for some time now.

Many are saying the Saints did not deserve to win against the Minnesota Vikings. Really?

Last time I checked, if you force five turnovers, you deserve to win. And if you turn the ball over five times, three of which came when you had a legitimate chance to score, you do not deserve to win.

If you can win when being outgained by 200 yards or so and losing the time of possession war by nearly 15 minutes and win, you deserve it. You are a good football team.

Could the Saints have played better? Of course! But it's not the team that plays best, it's the team that has the most points on the board when the game is over. That is the team that gets to advance.

With that in mind, here are a few things I think Sean Payton, Gregg Williams, and the rest of the staff can work on to make sure the Saints are ready to play their best game of the season on Super Bowl Sunday:

1. Eliminate the Penalties

Sure, some of them on Sunday were questionable. Yes, some of them were aggressive mistakes, but Peyton Manning will make you pay for those mistakes.

2. Eliminate the Running Game

Peyton Manning is good enough even if he only has a passing game. If you allow him to maintain a balanced offense, he is nearly unstoppable. At all costs, do not allow the Colts to run the ball.

3. Find a Way To Consistently Run the Ball on Offense

Minnesota was set up to give up yards in the running game, but Sean Payton stuck with the pass for most of Sunday's tight win. Indy's defense is set up very similarly, so his ability to adjust his gameplan will be key.

4. Sack Peyton

Yes, the Saints' pass rush did a wonderful job of almost killing Brett Favre, but at 40, he was an easy target. Peyton moves very well in the pocket and will not be so easy to rattle. You must actually get him to the ground if you want to have success in slowing down this offense.

5. Get Them Off the Field

The Colts' offense is great because they are explosive, but truthfully, they are a ball-control offense that thrives on repetitions. Because of this, third down is huge. The success of Gregg Williams' third down package is the absolute key to this game.

Next week, I'll have a much more detailed X's and O's article for both major phases. Until then, Geaux Saints!