Could Colston's Injury Be a Blessing In Disguise?

Around 10:30 Wednesday morning, I received a text message while I was at work from one of my best friends.  One of our strongest bonds as friends is our love for sports, especially for the LSU Tigers and New Orleans professional teams.  We are always looking for breaking news on our favorite teams and we quickly inform each other of the latest press release.  When I saw that my text message was from him, I knew it was sports related.

I flipped my phone open and read the bad news: Marques Colston is expected to miss the next four to six ball games.  Potentially, he will miss games against the Redskins, Broncos, 49ers, Vikings, Raiders, and Panthers.

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "no big deal."

I brushed this off because I think this will be a blessing in disguise.  He is unquestionably the Saints' top receiver.  Say what you want about Bush's open field ability, but Colston is Brees' most trusted and sought after receiver.  Whenever the Saints have needed a big third down conversion over the past two plus seasons, they have looked in Colston's direction.

The Saints will be forced to utilize more of their weapons and get them involved in more crucial situations.  The Saints more than likely will activate Robert Meachem and perhaps use him in a handful of plays against the Redskins.  Every receiver, running back, and tight end on the roster will be asked by Sean Payton to step up and take on a larger role than once anticipated. 

This is where the blessing comes in. 

While any team can win on any given Sunday, it's also a given that not every defense a team faces during the regular season is going to be a good one.  Just last season, the Saints had that defense that every team looked forward to piling up numbers against.  Yes, it's been just one week, but the Raiders' defense looks awful.  The 49ers defense, with the exception of Patrick Willis, doesn't instill fear into the hearts of opposing offenses. 

The playoffs are different from the regular season.  Nearly every playoff team possesses a strong defense.  In last year's playoffs and Super Bowl, the Jaguars, Chargers, and Giants held Randy Moss in check.  It was up to other players to step up. 

In the 2005 NFC playoffs, the Panthers beat the Giants and Bears.  In those two games, Steve Smith accounted for over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns.  In the NFC championship game, the Seahawks executed a perfect game plan to shut down Smith and advanced to the Super Bowl.

If the Saints use this situation to their advantage, they could have the best offense in the NFL by season's end and have four or five legitimate weapons ready for the playoffs.  I think New Orleans wins four games during this six week stretch.  That would make them 5-2 heading into their game in London and still in good position to make the playoffs.