New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit Lions: 8 Ways the Saints Can Win

In the NFL, a short week is a death sentence for a coach. Coaches are the masters of preparation. But if that preparation--and the routine involved in coming to a point of being fully prepared--is interrupted, such as it is on a short week, chaos erupts within the team facilities, and the coaches decide they can't even spend a night at home that week. 

Well, the New Orleans Saints' coaches awoke Tuesday morning to two pieces of good news involving their short-week contest against the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. 

First, Lions' stud defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will not play as the result of a two-game suspension handed down upon him by Commissioner Roger Goodell. 

Second, the Saints are facing a team very similar to the one they just played from schematics standpoint. Offensively, the Lions like to throw the ball vertically and to their tight ends, while stretching the field horizontally on rare occasions. 

Defensively, the Lions prefer to simply rush their front four to create pressure. And that front four is weaker against the run than the Giants' unit has been. 

The only key difference is that the Lions primarily play zone coverage on the back half as opposed to the Giants' primarily man schemes. 

For this reason, the Saints' coaches can rest a little easier this week knowing they are playing a team they've practically already prepared for. 

1. Crowd Must Be Involved

The crowd is always a factor inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. In past years, it has been flat and that has had a negative effect on the Saints' effort and effectiveness. 

This season the crowds been simply outstanding, and the Saints' play has reflected their involvement. 

Playing against a young team such as the Lions, a crowd could easily get under their skin—despite them being a dome team too. 

Needless to say, the Saints' defense would benefit greatly from a roaring crowd on Sunday night (which I fully expect to be the case). 

Such is the key to a great defensive effort for an opportunistic unit. 

2. Be Prepared for the Gun

No team runs more plays from the shotgun than the Detroit Lions. At one point this season they were using it on 64 percent of their offensive snaps. And in the last two games, that number seemed about right. 

The Lions present a multitude of formations and personnel groupings within the gun look. And they lead the league in gun runs--especially with any running back they've used this season not named Kevin Smith. 

In other words, the Lions are the epitome of "the NFL spread offense". Interestingly enough quarterback Matthew Stafford appears to be better suited for a more balanced attack, but the gun is the way the Lions have decided to attack defenses in 2011. 

One advantage it gives them is about a one-second advantage against the pass rush—necessary since the Lions' offensive line is only average (made obvious by their lack of ability to create many running lanes). 

The Lions will throw quick screens, short passes, quick hitters over the middle to tight ends, deep sideline throws and deep bombs from the gun. In other words, there is no limit to their offense when the Lions go to the gun. 

While that sounds intimidating, it helps knowing their passing game doesn't really change if they are under center. It helps most in knowing when they're in the gun; it's unlikely a sack can be had. Therefore when the Lions go to the gun it's probably best to simply play coverage. 

3. Slow Down Calvin Johnson

This may seem like Captain Obvious Statement No. 1. But actually, slowing Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is a lot more difficult task than simply saying it a bunch of times out loud. 

It requires great tactical skills and even better execution. 

For starters, Johnson must be identified in the formation since the Lions love to move him around all over the field. He'll line up in the slot, out wide, even on occasion stacked--just like the Saints' use of Marques Colston. 

He's a big-play guy and a possession guy. He'll catch a screen or he'll catch a bomb. He runs the ball and he catches the ball. 

You get the point--the Lions love getting the ball to Calvin Johnson. 

If I were the Saints' defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, I would put cornerback Jabari Greer on him and have him chase Johnson all night long. Then I would rotate safety Malcolm Jenkins over to Johnson's side and bracket Megatron. If that doesn't work, I would play a dime defense all day long and add cornerback Leigh Torrence as a third man to cover Johnson. 

Even that might not be enough. This guy is unreal. He's the best receiver in the league, hands down. No one comes close to this guy. He's a freak! If Larry Fitzgerald had a QB and Andre Johnson were healthy, they'd be close. But neither of them are as gifted as this guy.

It's pretty simple though. With no Jahvid Best, if you stop Calvin Johnson you stop the Lions' offense. Yeah, they have other good players, but none of them are elite playmakers. Johnson is option numero uno and dos and tres for Detroit. 

4. Play a Three Man Front and Play Cover Eight

Because the Lions are nearly as weak a running team as the Giants, it is totally fair to not even concern yourself with the Lions' running game. For this reason, the Saints should play a lot of three-man fronts, as they did Monday night, and drop all eight non-linemen. 

It would be so unlike Gregg Williams there's almost no way it could actually happen. But given the matchup nightmare Megatron presents, and the Lions' possession of other guys who will get open and catch the ball, it seems automatic to me. 

This would work well due to the Lions' lack of patience and inability to consistently put together methodical drives down the field. They rely on the big play, and when they don't get that, they struggle greatly as an offense. 

Playing Cover Eight makes it almost impossible for Matthew Stafford to push the ball down the field effectively. If he tries to do it anyway, Malcolm Jenkins or one of the other multitude of defensive backs will simply pick him off and go the other way. 

Sure, they may hit a couple screen plays, or even a few 20-plus yard throws over the middle, but in the long haul a more conservative approach will fluster Matthew Stafford and cause him to force passes that are simply not open. 

5. No Suh Means No Problem Running the Ball

Even with Ndamukong Suh in the lineup, the Lions are not the greatest run defense ever—though they aren't horrible either. 

Considering the Saints' effectiveness last week against a strong defensive line, and the way they have been running the ball lately in general, it seems almost automatic for a Saints 150-plus yard rushing performance. 

Given the play of fullback Jed Collins, look for the Saints to come out in a lot of power formations, similar to the way they attacked the Bucs' defense a few weeks back. Look for some of the "Power-I" and "Inverted Wishbone" the Saints have used on occasion this season. Even that "Pistol" look they introduced against Tampa Bay figures to be a good look against this Lions' defense. 

All these different sets will cause alignment issues for the Lions' defense, and give the Saints' blocking units great angles to make their zone blocks. Look for running backs Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, and Darren Sproles to hit the holes hard and fast against this quick defense. 

It is essential for these runners to run with low center of gravity and strength and power. Once upon the second level, this power will overwhelm the Lions' smaller back seven players. That is the strength of all three of these guys anyway. I don't see any reason for things to change on Sunday night. 

6. Running Backs Don't Just Run the Ball They Catch It Too

In Monday night's win, the Saints' running backs played a complete game, including catching the football. 

Repeating that performance is of great importance against a Lions defense created to keep the ball in front and limit big plays. It is for this reason that Sproles, Thomas, and Ingram will figure again to take on key roles in the passing game. 

Look for the Saints to run a lot of bootleg passes and other forms of play-action passes, sending receivers deep to clear out safeties and linebackers while hoping to check down to a back for an easy completion and a few broken tackles. 

As with any Tampa Two team, the Saints' favorite swing screen and flare passes are valuable weapons. 

7. Multiply the Protection Effort

The single most impressive stat, fact, or observation about the Giants' earlier game was the fact that quarterback Drew Brees was never sacked, and hardly ever touched. 

Against another impressive defensive line, the Saints' O-Line needs to recreate that performance six nights later. Call it encore if you must, but whatever the line did to stymie the Giants' electric pass rush, let's hope they bottled it up and drink a little of that before Sunday night's game. 

Detroit is even more infrequent in the number of blitzes they send the offense's way. They really rely on their team speed on the defensive side of the ball to get to the QB and to slow down receivers from making big plays. 

If the O-Line can manage to slow down defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and the other edge rushers Detroit throws their way, they can run lots of play-action passes, which will allow wide receivers Devery Henderson and/or Robert Meachem to get open deep down the field on go routes and deep posts. 

It will also allow Brees to patrol the field and find Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and Jimmy Graham running wide open down the seams and middle areas of the Lions' coverages. 

8. Special Teams Can Be Special

In recent weeks, the Lions have performed poorly against opposing returners. First they gave up numerous punt returns to Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester, then a week and a half ago gave up a 100-plus yard kickoff return TD to wide receiver Kealoha Pilares of the Carolina Panthers. 

With Darren Sproles' ability to make things happen in the open field, especially in the kicking game, this game figures to be the perfect opportunity for Sproles to get back into the scoring column as a returner. 

If the Saints can get an easy touchdown in the return game, the dome will be a rockin' and a rollin' even more than usual. The Lions won't know what hit them, and the destruction of Detroit's team will be on.