49ers have had the Saints number in recent years
The New Orleans Saints steamrolled over the Dallas Cowboys 49-17 Sunday night, but they must now prepare for the biggest game of the season when the San Francisco 49ers come to town this weekend.
Sunday night against the Cowboys, the Saints could do no wrong. Quarterback Drew Brees completed 34 of his 41 passes for 392 yards and four touchdowns. The Saints also rushed for 242 yards, the most in the Sean Payton-era. Mark Ingram, who has been a major disappointment during his young career, got into a groove and rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown.The Saints set a new NFL record by recording 40 first downs and set a new franchise record with 625 total yards.
It was the Saints 12th straight win in prime time action and it sets the stage for a big battle on Sunday against the 49ers. San Francisco is considered to be one of the best teams in the NFC, along with the Saints and the Seattle Seahawks.
Last season, the 49ers beat the Saints 31-21 and San Francisco won’t be in a very good mood coming into Sunday’s game. The 49ers (6-3) lost a tough home game to the Carolina Panthers by a 10-9 score and they were physically beat in the trenches, something you rarely see happen to a Jim Harbaugh-coached team.
The Saints, at 7-2, are sitting squarely in the No. 2 playoff spot in the NFC, but the road gets much tougher from here on out. After the 49ers the Saints face Atlanta, Seattle and the Carolina Panthers twice.
The Panthers, at 6-3, are keeping pace with the Saints and we all know what it means to play those games in New Orleans and not on the road come January. In recent years though, the 49ers have had the Saints number.
We all remember how the 2011 season ended when the Saints lost on the road in the divisional round of the playoffs. I firmly believe that the 2011 team was a better squad than the one that won the Super Bowl in 2009.
The 49ers are physical on both sides of the ball and this will be a game where the team who can make a few plays without turning the ball over will be the winner.
It’s the most important game on the 2013 schedule. No matter how bad the Saints beat the Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers are not the Cowboys.
San Francisco can play defense.
The question is, how many points can the 49ers put up? To pick up a win, the Saints must stop the vaunted 49ers rushing attack.
The outcome will mean quite a bit for both teams with a top playoff spot at stake.Waiting for Johnny Football to hit Baton RougeThe LSU Tigers have a week off after getting pounded by No. 1 ranked Alabama 38-17.
For two and a half quarters, the Tigers hung tough with the Tide, but Alabama’s suffocating defense, and a ground attack led by T.J. Yeldon, overwhelmed a Tiger defense that has been unable to get off the field all season.
Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron, who I think deserves the 2013 Heisman Trophy, put on a very impressive performance passing for 179 yards after completing 14 of his 20 passes.The Tigers are a 7-3 football team before playing Texas A&M on Nov. 23. Despite the loss to Alabama, they again have a chance for a double-digit win season.
A win over the Aggies and closing out the season with a victory over Arkansas would put LSU at the 9-3 mark entering the bowl season. A win in the bowl would put them at the double-digit mark.
That would be an outstanding season considering what the Tigers lost to the NFL on the defensive side of the ball, but it is obvious that the Tigers need a major infusion of talent on the defense.
Right now, the Tigers don’t have a signature player in the front-seven and that is saying something for a team noted for producing some tremendous talent along the defensive line and at linebacker.
But before we look at another double-digit win season, the Tiger defense better get ready for Johnny Manziel.He is college football’s version of the “Showstopper” and he told me this summer he has long wanted to play in Tiger Stadium.
Manziel is fixing to bring his magic to town next week.
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