New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit Lions: What Are Experts Saying About Detroit?

Opinions are like noses—everyone has one. but some take theirs so seriously that they got a job. And my job is to pass judgment on those who spoke out about the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints.

I don't think that was overstated at all.

In all seriousness, there are a lot of rumors, opinions and news flying around about this week's NFC matchup. Click through to hear the latest with a dash of analysis to guide you through the muck.

DownrIght Offensive

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Everything starts and ends with the defense in Detroit. Plenty of blame has been placed on the offensive line and the quarterback, but a little heat has been saved for tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

The former first-rounder has five catches and 40 yards months after signing a four-year, $16 million contract. But as head coach Jim Caldwell told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, it's all about the matchups:

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Asked about getting Pettigrew more involved in their struggling offense Monday, Lions coach Jim Caldwell was non-committal.

"There's a lot of guys you can say that for," Caldwell said. "You can go across the board and probably mention every receiver we have. You'd like to say he can get more targets and that kind of thing, and really it just depends on the game. Some games it may be that way, other games it won't be.

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Joe Lombardi has been an easy target since Week 2 because the offense has been so anemic. Fans have had a hard time accepting 19.3 points per game with such a ridiculous amount of talent. 

Injuries have slowed down the transition to the new scheme, especially in the red zone. Without Calvin Johnson and Joseph Fauria, defenses don't have to account for two excellent high-pointing receivers.

Rookie Eric Ebron might be used in that context, but quarterback Matthew Stafford would do well to rediscover Pettigrew and his 35 career touchdowns near the end zone. The veteran tight end is a big body that can at least shield a defender to create scoring space.

Help Wanted

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

The offense's struggles wouldn't be so magnified if someone taught the Lions kickers that you're supposed to put it between the yellow uprights. 

Matt Prater's arrival was supposed to be a life raft in a sea of missed field goals. While Prater isn't saving anything yet, Kyle Meinke of Mlive.com sums up everyone's feelings quite well here:

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Detroit already is on its third kicker, and thought Matt Prater was the answer. Maybe he is. But he missed 2-of-3 attempts in his debut.

Both those attempts were extremely difficult, kicking into a strong, swirling wind at a stadium with little track record for NFL kickers. People understand that. But people will be less forgiving if Prater struggles inside Ford Field on Sunday.

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It should be noted that one of the misses was from 50 yards out. It should also be noted that there were reports of swirling winds of at least 17 miles per hour at kickoff. 

If Prater can find the kicker he used to be and bring him on Sundays, the Lions' scoring average will skyrocket. As fellow Bleacher Report writer Ty Schalter tweeted, the Lions offense would be the 12th-most prolific if they made their kicks.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Jim Mone/Associated Press

The Saints defense was supposed to be much like Detroit's offense—explosive and effective. It's allowed just over 28 points per game, which is "good" enough for the fifth-most porous defense in the league.

Chris Morgan of CBS Detroit believes the New Orleans defense will be the tonic for what ails the offense:

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Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the Saints have been a disaster. They have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. The only team that has scored less than 26 points against them is the Vikings. They have had problems in all aspect of the game, but particularly against the pass. Their secondary just doesn’t have any depth, and they have lost safety Jarius Byrd to injury.

This bodes well for Matthew Stafford and company. Yes, Megatron may not play again, but Golden Tate will, and Reggie Bush should be back to catch passes out of the backfield. Stafford has been up-and-down this year, but he should be able to have a good game this week. If he doesn’t, then the concern should really start to set in. There are also concerns about the Lions’ offensive line, but there is no reason to fear New Orleans’ defensive line.

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Morgan is right about one thing: If the offense is going to turn it around without Megatron, this is the game to do it.

Detroit's biggest issue has been a struggling offensive line. It has given up so many sacks that the defense had to rack up eight against Minnesota just to keep Detroit from being the most sacked team in the NFL (Jacksonville and their 27 sacks don't count; it's Jacksonville).

Luckily, the Saints are a much nicer bunch than the Lions' nasty front seven. New Orleans has just six quarterback takedowns, which should equate to time for Stafford to carve up a secondary, giving up 268 passing yards a game.

Brees-ing Through

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

There aren't too many days in New Orleans history that can compare to March 14, 2006. The San Diego Chargers opted to roll with the younger Philip Rivers and allowed Drew Brees to find a new home.

The Saints put together an unprecedented (for them) string of success under Brees, including a Super Bowl title. But Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press thinks that ride might be coming to an end:

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Quarterback Drew Brees is 35, and you have to wonder when he's going to start feeling his age. Yes, the Saints began Sunday 10th in the NFL in scoring with a 26.4-point average and second with an average of 442.8 yards. But Brees has passed for only nine touchdowns through five games.

That puts him on pace for 29 touchdowns, which would be his lowest total since 2007. He's completing 68.6% of his passes, which exceeds his career 66% completion rate. But with the defense playing so poorly, Brees has to be almost perfect to win games.

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While the personal numbers aren't there for Brees in the traditional sense, he still ranks as the second-most accurate quarterback in the NFL. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he hits his target an impressive 78.9 percent of the time, which is second only to Alex Smith.

The issue behind Brees' lower scoring numbers is his running backs. Like your fantasy team, Brees falls victim to the touchdown vultures as New Orleans has rushed for the second-most touchdowns (seven).

The rest of the numbers don't lie—Brees is still a very dangerous quarterback. Detroit will need to keep the pressure ramped up to slow down his assault.

Lions to Win

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

In Gary Davenport's weekly roundup of Bleacher Report's best, the experts overwhelmingly picked the Lions to win:

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The Lions are getting it done with defense. The team ranks first in the NFL in total defense. First in passing defense. First in sacks. First in scoring defense. Third in run defense.

In other words, the Lions are playing pretty well on that side of the ball.

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There isn't much to quibble with here. The Lions have demoralized opposing offenses more thoroughly than an endless supply of TPS reports. The lack of respect for quarterbacks would make Rodney Dangerfield blush.

In all, 11 of the 16 polled selected Detroit. Brees was enough to sway roughly a third of the prognosticators, but New Orleans is a much tamer animal away from its beloved dome.

That's the only tease I'll give you for Sunday's game. Check back Friday morning for a complete preview.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.