Saints biggest problem is they still have not learned from last season.
They bring in Sproles and draft Mark Ingram and still, don't even try to run the ball. They would rather Brees put it in the air 40-50 times like almost every game last season.
The problem is not the interceptions. Most of Brees' interceptions are tipped passes, he's still a very accurate quarterback playing with C and B receivers. He won a Super Bowl with some of these same average guys. They aren't Reggie Wayne, Greg Jennings, Calvin Johnson type guys. Among the average, Colston is probably their best WR, while Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles I would say are their biggest threats.
Second biggest problem is their defense. They give up TONS of yards, and don't get turnovers. They are not the same team from 2009. Not just the rosters but the play calling. In 2009 their defense was very fearful and were in the top 3 of the league in turnovers. Not anymore. Most of their success wasn't blitzing like they do. They would pass rush and drop guys back to cover receivers. They didn't get all those interceptions in 2009 by blitzing every down. But even when they do drop 3 or 4 back to cover, they get BURNED really bad, especially Patrick Robinson and Roman Harper. They put Robinson on Jennings early in the opening game and Rodgers burned him with the first TD in that game. All during the Houston game, Andre Johnson was burning him. Harper has been getting thrown all over this year and can't cover.
I was more disappointed in how they lost today than how Tampa Bay played. Freeman is not that great of a quarterback and had they actually tried, they could have got some turnovers on him. They also couldn't really get to him with the pressure they kept blitzing, leaving targets wide open. I live around nothing but Saints fans and while they are blaming it on Brees, and throwing him under the bus, let's think about that last interception. What if the Saints did actually score and go up 27 to 26? I HIGHLY DOUBT they still would have won, because after Tampa Bay got the ball back, they let them drive to run the clock. They could not stop the running game at all, it was really pathetic. Brees didn't lose them that game, their terribly bad tackling defense did.
The 49ers may come down to Earth like the Saints and Lions both, but something tells me I have been wrong about them the last few years when I said they only had a few good players. All they needed was motivation. Alex Smith is playing the best you'll probably ever see him play, but they are winning. I think first few weeks they were running the ball more, trying to figure out the offense, now Harbaugh has got them spinning and firing. I am really impressed with their defense. In 2009 they finished great, but last season was a disaster. I'm more of a Harbaugh fan listening to his interviews. Before the Eagles game some reporter was already downing their chances of winning telling him "Your team has only won 3 games on the road vs NFC opponents outside the division since 2003" and he just shrugged it off and said "Someone must be digging in the computer for that statistic. Let's just call it 1-0". They are gonna meet some tough games down the road, but they've got an easy schedule.
Detroit is divisional, we must remember. They are the biggest threat to the Packers because they play in the same division, but I think they are beatable.
