Colts vs. Saints, Week 7: 11 Players To Watch on Sunday

Colts versus Saints. At the beginning of the NFL season, this game would have been circled on calendars, bragging would be in full force and memories of Super Bowl XLIV would be all over the news. However, this season has not been a typical one. The Indianapolis Colts are the only 0-6 team in the NFL. This Sunday, they travel to New Orleans to take on the 4-2 Saints.

The Saints are coming off a close loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs, a fairly pedestrian team by all standards. New Orleans is trying to overcome their recent loss and sub par play to look more like the championship team they were two years ago.

The Colts are trying to right their season after the absence of Peyton Manning proved to be long term. If losing their perennial Pro Bowl quarterback, likely for the season, wasn’t enough, Indianapolis has also been ravaged by injuries elsewhere, particularly on defense.

Both teams are looking for a spark and a way to improve their season. Who will find a solution to their problems and who will be left searching will ultimately be decided by a few key players. Here are 11 to watch this Sunday. 

Curtis Painter

Taking over in Indianapolis after the Peyton Manning era comes to an agreed-upon close and the franchise looking for a fresh start is one thing. That would not be an easy task, but it would be a necessary one. 

But being thrust into the NFL scene as a little-used backup and quarterbacking Peyton’s team until doctors deem him ready to take over again, is quite another. Unfortunately, this is the task Curtis Painter faces in the 2011 season.

Very few people expected Manning to miss any games, let alone most of the season. However, it is unlikely Manning will play at all this season after the Colts’ 0-6 start, thus leaving Painter as the starting quarterback for the next 10 games.

Painter has had some very bright moments so far in his young career. He has also had some very forgettable ones. His level of play this Sunday will be one of the more important factors in whether or not the Colts can complete the upset.

If Painter can move the ball, do what is asked of him and not make mistakes, he will have done his job.

Instead of focusing on how lethal the Saints can be, Painter and the Colts should simply concentrate on getting first downs and scoring whenever they can. If they can succeed at those two tasks, they have a very good chance of winning the game. It all starts with Curtis Painter.

Pierre Garcon

The wide receiver has become Curtis Painter’s favorite target this season, catching 27 passes for 472 yards. The Saints do not have a great passing defense so it is important for Garcon to make some big catches.

Taking advantage of one of the Saints’ weaknesses will give Painter confidence and strengthen his relationship with Garcon.

However, one of the reasons the Saints can be prone to giving up big plays is because they are an aggressive team. Their secondary does not shy away from big hits and is always looking to make a play.

Garcon must be patient and not look to do too much. He has a history of dropping passes and had a crucial fumble in last week’s game against the Bengals when Indianapolis was driving for the winning score.

Garcon cannot afford to make mistakes against an opportunistic Saints defense. If he does, the Colts can easily get down early with no hope of coming back. If he plays under control and smart, however, Indianapolis could stick around just long enough for some late-game heroics.

Dwight Freeney

With a new quarterback, the offense is understandably struggling a bit. Because of this, the defense must help out the entire team by forcing a low-scoring game.

Dwight Freeney is a veteran player and the leader of the Colts' defense. He must set a tone on the front line that nothing will be easy for Drew Brees. Freeney has 4.5 sacks this season, and should look to add to that total on Sunday. 

No quarterback likes to be constantly pressured, even one who is fairly calm under pressure such as Brees. If Freeney’s pressure doesn’t pay off at the beginning of the game, he must keep pushing to gradually wear down the Saints' offensive line and get to Brees.

Colts' Secondary

No, there is no one on the Colts team named secondary, although that would be the coolest football name out there. The entire Indianapolis secondary must step up in this game.

It was bad enough to lose Peyton Manning, but the Colts secondary has also been ravaged by injuries. There are many rookies and might-as-well-be rookies starting meaningful games, understandably with mixed results. 

Jacob Lacey is, for all intents and purposes, the most experienced player on the roster, yet he, too, has had his fair share of mistakes. He needs to step up and lead the defense while putting pressure on Drew Brees and his receivers.

Against the Bucs, Brees threw three interceptions, boosting his total to eight on the season. Brees has made some bad decisions and has also been victim to his receivers dropping passes or batting them up in the air for opposing defenses to grab. 

The Colts must be aware of this and play aggressively. One interception can change the momentum of the game and give a boost to the offense as well as a young defense.

Running Game

Again, not a name, but again, if it were it would be sweet.

First-string running back Joseph Addai did not play against the Bengals and his status is still uncertain for the game against the Saints.

The combination of Delone Carter and Donald Brown was effective against the Bengals, but the Saints are a better team and they will have to perform at a higher level this week.

Will Joseph Addai play against the Saints? He hasn’t been phenomenal this year, but could definitely find some holes against New Orleans’ run defense. His experience would also undoubtedly help the Colts.

If Addai cannot play, how well will Delone Carter and Donald Brown be able to carry the load for a second straight game?  A solid running game takes pressure off of Curtis Painter and opens up easy throws for the quarterback. 

No running threat at all makes it much easier for the Saints defense and will mean Painter is in for a long afternoon.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees can be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. At times, however, he can also be mistake-prone and sloppy.

Against the Bucs, Brees had three interceptions. He must stop his habit of throwing costly picks in order to prepare for the rest of the season.

Admittedly, the Saints do not have a grueling schedule to end the season. The combined record of their upcoming opponents is 24-34, easiest in the league. They play four teams who currently have a winning record, but also face squads like the Rams and Vikings who are nowhere near .500.

However, New Orleans does have a tough stretch coming up, facing the Bucs, Falcons, Giants, Lions and Titans, who all (except the 3-3 Falcons) have a winning record. That stretch could either be the time when New Orleans asserts itself as one of the elite teams in the NFC or it could be the collapse of the Saints.

A team cannot just turn it on for good games. The Saints, and especially Brees, must regain their championship form sooner rather than later. The game against the Colts would be a good place to start.

Darren Sproles

When Darren Sproles can get free, his speed can take him just about anywhere he wants to go.

Sproles is averaging a ridiculous 7.4 yards per carry and, when receiving, has rushed for 252 yards after  catch this season.

Sproles should be able to exploit the Colts’ defense with his speed. The Colts rushing defense is ranked 30th in the NFL. Sproles only needs a small hole, but there should be plenty of big ones out there as well.

If Brees’ passing is not up to par early on, look for the Saints to turn to Sproles to make something happen. He is able to take a lot of pressure off of Brees and can open up big throws late in the game.

Jimmy Graham

Tight end Jimmy Graham has emerged this year as Brees’ favorite target. He has caught 39 passes for 620 yards through six games.

The tight end is a big guy who should be able to outmuscle the Colts secondary and simply run past their linebackers. Brees should look to Graham early for a few easy passes and get the secondary on their heels.

Graham also has the speed to get downfield for long passes and big gains. He has 11 catches for over 20 yards this season. If the Saints need a big play, he has been their guy.

Marques Colston

Marques Colston was Brees’ favorite receiver for a few years. However, his injury at the beginning of the season and his tendency to drop passes have moved him farther down Brees’ rotation.

In the past few games though, a healthy Colston and Brees seem to be finding their connection again. Against the Bucs, Colston caught seven passes for 118 yards. Colston also has caught five passes for 20-plus yards, second on the team behind Jimmy Graham.

Colston and Brees should continue trying to get back to their old form, especially against such a depleted Colts secondary. Colston should go at the young players early, gaining confidence for himself while robbing Indianapolis of theirs. 

Roman Harper

Roman Harper is a physical safety who ensures his presence is felt. He was fined $15,000 for a late hit on Steve Smith in New Orleans’ game against Carolina and was very unapologetic. Harper is known for his hard hits and is unlikely to alter his style of play anytime soon. 

Harper should continue his physical play against the Indianapolis wide receivers, especially Pierre Garcon. If Harper can force Garcon to fumble or drop passes, it will make life much easier for the New Orleans defense.

This season, Harper has already recorded a ridiculous 3.5 sacks. Expect him to take a few shots at Curtis Painter to try and rattle the quarterback.

Jonathan Vilma

Jonathan Vilma’s play has tailed off slightly this season compared to his seven previous campaigns. He is nursing a knee injury and is also a veteran of the league, so a slight decline may be expected.

However, Vilma is the captain of the Saints’ defense and needs to step up his game and inspire the rest of the team. New Orleans’ defense has not been at all stellar this season so there is certainly work to be done.

Vilma should be trying to hurry Curtis Painter as much as possible. Even if he cannot get to the quarterback, making Painter throw more quickly than he is comfortable and forcing him to make throws under pressure could lead to turnovers and punts. The quicker Vilma and the rest of the defense can get the football back in Drew Brees’ hands, the better.