Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints: Week 8 Preview for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints will return to prime time this weekend, as they play host to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.
New Orleans will be looking to get back in the win column after a stunning defeat on the road last week at the hands of the Detroit Lions.
The Saints controlled much of the contest before squandering a two-score lead in the final four minutes, and Sean Payton's club returned home to New Orleans with a 2-4 record.
While it won't be easy to bounce back from such a loss, the Saints will have to pick themselves up off the mat quickly, because the Packers invade New Orleans as one of the hottest teams in the league.
After starting somewhat slowly this season, Green Bay (5-2) has been victorious in its last four straight games, three of which were blowouts. The Packers have ridden the rocket arm of quarterback Aaron Rodgers throughout their winning streak, as the emerging MVP-candidate has spearheaded an explosive downfield passing game.
The Saints will be at home in this one, however, and they'll have the benefit of one of the loudest home crowds in the NFL at their backs.
With Rodgers in town, New Orleans will attempt to get its own highly decorated passer back on track. Drew Brees was having a fine game a week ago, but he tossed a crucial interception in the final minutes. His blunder wasn't the sole reason for the Saints' loss, but it couldn't have come at a worse time in the contest.
The Saints defense will also be primed to return to the field. Coordinator Rob Ryan's group dominated the Detroit offense for three quarters last week before collapsing in the final period.
New Orleans will face a much steeper challenge this Sunday night, as Rodgers leads an offense that can rack up points in a hurry.
Following is a complete preview of this Week 8 matchup, with a score prediction on the final slide.
Week 7 Recap
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New Orleans dropped last week's contest to Detroit on the road, 24-23, as Payton's club choked away a 13-point lead in the game's closing minutes.
The Saints entered the game with the league's second-ranked offense, while the then-4-2 Lions came in with the NFL's No. 1 defense. This strength-on-strength showdown was all it was hyped to be.
Detroit held New Orleans' running game in check for much of the matchup, but Brees and the passing game enjoyed a highly productive outing against a formidable Lions defense. The Saints worked all areas of the field, as wide receivers Marques Colston and Kenny Stills each went over 100 receiving yards on the day.
With the Saints ahead 23-10 with less than four minutes remaining, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with wideout Golden Tate, who outran the New Orleans defense for a 73-yard touchdown.
On the following possession, Brees tried to look off Glover Quin, but the Lions safety stepped right in front of his pass intended for Colston, and the Saints' implosion continued.
Moments later, Detroit scored the game-winning touchdown, and the Saints were suddenly in a 2-4 hole heading into Week 8.
News and Notes
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Saints-Packers Series
The Packers are one of the older franchises in the league, but they don't have a very extensive history with the Saints. Green Bay leads the overall series 16-7, while New Orleans has won the last two games played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which is the venue for Sunday's contest.
In fact, the Packers' last victory in the Superdome was their Brett Favre-led win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI in 1997.
New Orleans' last win in the series was a 51-29 home blowout of the Packers in 2008 on Monday Night Football.
As for the current coaches, both Sean Payton and Mike McCarthy were hired by their respective organizations in 2006, and the two Super Bowl winners are 2-2 against each other since then.
Another Brees-Rodgers Shootout?
The Peyton Manning-Tom Brady rivalry may be the game's most storied between two quarterbacks, but when Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers face off, fireworks typically ensue.
The two gunslingers lit up the Lambeau Field scoreboards like a pinball in each of their teams' last two meetings. Rodgers and the Pack outlasted Brees and the Saints, 42-34, in the 2011 season opener, and Green Bay fended off New Orleans again the next season, 28-27.
The numbers these two prolific quarterbacks posted in these last two contests is eye-popping. Brees amassed 865 yards and six touchdowns, while Rodgers tossed for 631 yards and six touchdowns. That makes for a combined total of nearly 1,500 passing yards and 12 touchdowns in two games, and neither signal-caller threw an interception.
Despite two tremendous individual efforts from Brees, Rodgers' squad claimed victory in both contests, both of which were highlighted by down-to-the-wire finishes.
Injury Report
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The Saints released their final injury report for the game on Friday, and they'll be without three key players on offense.
According the team's official site, NewOrleansSaints.com, starting center Jonathan Goodwin (knee/ankle), running backs Pierre Thomas (rib/shoulder) and Khiry Robinson (forearm) and reserve linebacker Kyle Knox (ankle) are all out of the game. The absence of the three offensive players won't go unnoticed by the Saints, especially that of Thomas, who has played a huge role in both the passing and running games this season.
The Saints have three other starters who are questionable, including cornerback Keenan Lewis (knee shoulder), tight end Jimmy Graham (shoulder) and nose guard Brodrick Bunkley (concussion). With Thomas out, New Orleans could certainly use the services of Graham, who played sparingly in last week's loss because of a shoulder injury suffered in Week 5 against Tampa Bay.
Injury Report obtained via NewOrleansSaints.com.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Saints Cornerbacks vs. Packers Wide Receivers
The New Orleans cornerbacks have had a rough go of it throughout the team's 2-4 start, and they'll be facing one of their toughest challenges to date on Sunday.
Green Bay's receiving corps has been on fire for the past month, as Rodgers' strong arm and pinpoint accuracy have propelled this group to a prolific season thus far in 2014. Packers starters Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are both fleet-footed vertical threats that are sure to test the Saints cornerbacks on deep balls.
Keenan Lewis is undeniably New Orleans' top cover man, and he's coming off a solid outing against the Lions, but he'll have to raise his game to greater heights this weekend against Nelson and Cobb.
At the other outside spot, Corey White had a disastrous game in Detroit, and the Saints will likely shade safety help to his side as often as possible.
Nickelback Patrick Robinson's services will also be needed, as the Packers's aerial attack will attempt to utilize every inch of the field.
Saints Rushing Attack vs. Packers Run Defense
New Orleans won't have the services of two running backs in this one, but it will have its most powerful downhill runner in Mark Ingram. The former first-round pick has had some nice performances this season, and the Saints will be looking to him on Sunday to carry the load between the tackles.
Up front, guards Ben Grubbs and Jahri Evans, as well as right tackle Zach Strief, pack a solid punch as road-graders, and center Tim Lelito has demonstrated some potential as run-blocker, as well.
The Saints will be operating against a Packers run defense that ranks second-to-last in the league. Green Bay yields an average of 147.9 yards per game on the ground, and while the likes of Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers lead a capable pass defense, this group is vulnerable to a potent ground game.
Saints X-Factor of the Week: Travaris Cadet
The New Orleans all-purpose back hasn't had a breakout game yet, but Sunday night could be the time when Travaris Cadet finally makes a big impact for the Saints.
With Thomas out, New Orleans will be missing one of its primary weapons in the passing game, but Cadet has the skill set to potentially fill the void. He hauled in six balls for 51 yards a week ago, and he's been used in the short passing game at various points this season.
When it comes time for the Saints to run one of their patented screen passes, Cadet may very well hear his number called.
Prediction
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Last week's debacle in Detroit undoubtedly placed the Saints in a tough spot, but they're still only a game back of the division-leading Carolina Panthers in the NFC South. A victory on Sunday night against a formidable opponent like Green Bay would do wonders for the Saints' confidence, especially after last week's loss.
A win would also help keep pace with the Panthers, who host New Orleans this coming Thursday night.
Unfortunately for the Saints, this challenge will prove to be too steep. Green Bay has looked every bit the part of Super Bowl contender for the past few weeks, while New Orleans has struggled to close out games.
The Superdome crowd will be rocking, and the Saints will be fired up to play on such a big stage. The problem for the Saints, however, is that they don't quite have the offensive firepower to keep pace with the Packers, especially with Thomas and Robinson out and Graham not 100 percent.
Brees and Co. will fight hard, and they'll put points on the board, but it won't be enough.
Prediction: Packers 31, Saints 27
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