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| Bringing the House illustration. |
I do not remember anticipating an NFL season opener more than this one. My fantasy football league held its draft pretty early by fantasy standards, I devoured every episode of HBO's Hard Knocks with the New York Jets, and the offseason moves (trades, signings, holdouts, etc.) kept the NFL on my daily radar. Simply put, I was hungry for some pro football. Don't get me wrong, I love college football. But if I were forced to choose one level of one sport to watch for the rest of my life, I would pick professional football without hesitation. And when the league combined all of the offseason buildup with an enticing Vikings-Saints matchup tonight, I could barely hold in my excitement. Let's dive straight into the action.
The NFL did not even wait until kickoff to star the intrigue. Pop/country singer Colbie Caillat began the night by singing her rendition of the Stars and Stripes. While her remix was not a complete disaster, I can't say that I loved it. I admire her courage and originality, but it was kind of a weird way to kick off the season. It made for an awkward sing-a-long between Caillat and the Superdome fans. And after the national anthem, the camera got a shot of both teams' players holding up the number one, which, according to Al Michaels, symbolized the unity of the NFL Players Association as it approaches the negotiations of a new collective bargaining agreement with owners next summer. Translation: the NFL players want their cut of the pie, and if they do not get it, we may not have NFL football next season. Ugh. Anyway, on to the action…
First Quarter
The Saints opened the game the same way they finished last season: on fire. Brees came out in shotgun formation and rifled a ball to Marques Colston for 27 yards over the middle. He then came back with a play-action pass for 11 yards to Lance Moore. After a Reggie Bush 8-yard scamper, Brees hit Devery Henderson on a 29-yard out-and-up for the first touchdown of the game. It looked way too easy. It looked exactly like the Super Bowl Saints of last season. At this moment I felt sorry for every secondary that would face Brees and company moving forward.
People had many questions heading into the Vikings' first drive. How would Favre and his ankle perform? Would Adrian Peterson be able to hold onto the football? How would the receiving corps look without Sidney Rice? Who would fill in for the departed jack-of-all-trades Chester Taylor? Well, we didn't learn much after one drive. Coach Brad Childress drew up three straight run plays and the Vikings were forced to punt. Way to start with a bang! At this point I thought that, despite Peterson and his greatness, the Vikings would need to throw the ball to keep up with the Saints.
Neither team put up points during the remainder of the first quarter, but I saw a couple noteworthy things. First, Peterson looked pretty good. The Vikings star ran the ball hard, broke a number of tackles, and most importantly, held onto the football. His combination of speed, strength, and vision is unparalleled in football. He's coming off a very frustrating performance in the NFC Championship Game and people have crowned Tennessee's Chris Johnson as the game's best rusher. I think those two factors will motivate Peterson and result in a huge season.
Second, Bush looked extra determined in the quarter. We all know the offseason drama that followed the guy. But nobody knew how he would respond. The Saints did not run the ball much during the quarter (or the half, for that matter), but whenever Bush got the ball in space he was able to create something positive. In one instance, Bush caught a short dump pass from Brees and juked Ray Edwards on the way to a big 19-yard gain. At this point he will never be the dangerous between the tackles runner some people want him to be, and perhaps he won't even be the best scat back in the entire league, but he is a useful playmaker to have on the field and a good fit for the Saints' offense.
Second Quarter
Favre got into a small groove by throwing short passes and feeding off Peterson's strong running. The Vikings squeezed a field goal out of a long drive. The defenses really buckled down during the second quarter, but the old gunslinger was able to help the VIkings take the lead going into halftime by throwing two beautiful passes to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. The first pass was a soft bullet (if that's possible) over the Saints defense that creeped up to fake blitz. And the very next play was a high bullet where only Shiancoe could climb to get it.
Midway through the quarter Favre threw the first interception, and turnover, of the ball game. It came at the hands of intense pressure by the Saints defense. Go figure. During the pregame show, Rodney Harrison was telling Tony Dungy that the Saints planned on trying to intimidate Brett Favre tonight. The Saints, like they did in last season's NFC Championship Game, would throw all sorts of blitzes at the aging veteran and even throw some cheap shots. Dungy countered saying that Favre does not get intimidated by anything or anyone. Well from what I saw on Favre's interception, Dungy was wrong. The pocket completely collapsed under the pressure and Favre saw a Saints player dead-set on leveling him. As the player closed in on the sack, Favre looked left and right and saw nothing. It looked like he panicked and tried to dump the ball off to his check down receiver, who was completely draped in coverage by Jonathan Vilma, who easily intercepted the pass. Favre tried everything he could to avoid taking the huge hit (at his age, do you blame him?). His mind might not get intimidated, but his body sure does.
Third Quarter
Another strong defensive quarter for both squads. However, the Saints retook the lead on a 1-yard run by Pierre Thomas. I noticed a couple of interesting things during the third quarter. First, Brees' hard counts really tripped up the Vikings defense. Earlier in the contest Brees was actually called for a false start on one of his hard counts. But he seemed to correct whatever it was that tipped off the referees and abused the Vikings pass rush with his fake snaps. The effectiveness of using hard counts against dangerous pass rushing teams really manifested itself on the Saints' scoring drive.
Second, Favre did not complete a pass in the third quarter. Not a great way to start my fantasy season.
Finally, I cannot think of a better color commentator than Cris Collinsworth. When I turn on a sports game, I want the guys in the booth to provide me with two things. First, give me the play-by-play exactly as it happens/appears. If Brees fakes a hand-off to Bush, rolls to his right, and completes a 12-yard pass to Colston, who catches the ball cleanly and taps both feet in-bounds, then tell me, "Brees fakes the hand-off to Bush, he rolls to his right, fires a pass to the sideline to Colston who makes the catch! What a catch by Colston, who kept his eyes on the ball and tapped both feet in-bounds before falling out of bounds!" And then I want analysis. I want a breakdown of what just happened. I don't want someone to state the obvious (*COUGH* Madden). I want someone to do what Collinsworth did tonight and always does.
For example, on one particular play, the on-field microphone picked up Brees yelling "KILL KILL KILL KILL" to audible into a new play. Brees then snapped the ball and calmly whipped a swing pass to Pierre Thomas for a first down. NBC immediately followed with a replay and Collinsworth explained that the Saints initially called two plays in the huddle. The first play was the one they intended to use. However, Brees had full discretion to audible out of the play--to "kill" the play--and switch to the second of the two plays if he thought it would work better against the defense that he saw. Brees did exactly that and the Saints marched on to another score. Collinsworth provided insight that even diehard NFL fans could not have known. And he provided the breakdown on the spot. Not Monday morning. Awesome.
Fourth Quarter
I missed a bit of the action because I had my face buried in my oven-baked ribs. But I did not miss much. Favre continued his inconsistent play and the Vikings, as a result, never made any strong threat to score. As a Favre fantasy owner, it was kind of painful. But I understand that the guy just got off the couch and put his cleats on, so a slow start had to be expected. The low scoring affair had me incessantly worried about whether the Saints would score once more to cover the spread. Perhaps this is how gambling addicts feel. It definitely adds a new element to the game and a reason to watch it until completion (beyond the actual football).
With 1:49 left in the game, the Saints had a new set of downs and the ball at the Vikings' 40. They decided to kneel the clock out. And I heard the groans across casinos and bars everywhere. Including in my own living room.
Final Breakdown
The final score was a lot lower than I thought it would be, but I was not completely shocked because we don't know what to expect in a season opener. The Saints dominated the Vikings through the air, outgunning them 229 yards (no interceptions) to 162 yards (one interception). The Vikings had a better rushing attack, but barely. Peterson gained 87 yards on 19 carries, but it was not a dominant performance by any stretch of the imagination. The Vikings also hurt themselves with six penalties for a loss of 60 yards. Brees, per usual, completed a pass to nine different receivers. And Favre never really got into a groove. Ultimately, the game showed flashes of the intense matchup the media hyped it up to be. However, the rust won out and we got a disappointing season opener from an entertainment standpoint.
The NFL did not even wait until kickoff to star the intrigue. Pop/country singer Colbie Caillat began the night by singing her rendition of the Stars and Stripes. While her remix was not a complete disaster, I can't say that I loved it. I admire her courage and originality, but it was kind of a weird way to kick off the season. It made for an awkward sing-a-long between Caillat and the Superdome fans. And after the national anthem, the camera got a shot of both teams' players holding up the number one, which, according to Al Michaels, symbolized the unity of the NFL Players Association as it approaches the negotiations of a new collective bargaining agreement with owners next summer. Translation: the NFL players want their cut of the pie, and if they do not get it, we may not have NFL football next season. Ugh. Anyway, on to the action…
First Quarter
The Saints opened the game the same way they finished last season: on fire. Brees came out in shotgun formation and rifled a ball to Marques Colston for 27 yards over the middle. He then came back with a play-action pass for 11 yards to Lance Moore. After a Reggie Bush 8-yard scamper, Brees hit Devery Henderson on a 29-yard out-and-up for the first touchdown of the game. It looked way too easy. It looked exactly like the Super Bowl Saints of last season. At this moment I felt sorry for every secondary that would face Brees and company moving forward.
People had many questions heading into the Vikings' first drive. How would Favre and his ankle perform? Would Adrian Peterson be able to hold onto the football? How would the receiving corps look without Sidney Rice? Who would fill in for the departed jack-of-all-trades Chester Taylor? Well, we didn't learn much after one drive. Coach Brad Childress drew up three straight run plays and the Vikings were forced to punt. Way to start with a bang! At this point I thought that, despite Peterson and his greatness, the Vikings would need to throw the ball to keep up with the Saints.
Neither team put up points during the remainder of the first quarter, but I saw a couple noteworthy things. First, Peterson looked pretty good. The Vikings star ran the ball hard, broke a number of tackles, and most importantly, held onto the football. His combination of speed, strength, and vision is unparalleled in football. He's coming off a very frustrating performance in the NFC Championship Game and people have crowned Tennessee's Chris Johnson as the game's best rusher. I think those two factors will motivate Peterson and result in a huge season.
Second, Bush looked extra determined in the quarter. We all know the offseason drama that followed the guy. But nobody knew how he would respond. The Saints did not run the ball much during the quarter (or the half, for that matter), but whenever Bush got the ball in space he was able to create something positive. In one instance, Bush caught a short dump pass from Brees and juked Ray Edwards on the way to a big 19-yard gain. At this point he will never be the dangerous between the tackles runner some people want him to be, and perhaps he won't even be the best scat back in the entire league, but he is a useful playmaker to have on the field and a good fit for the Saints' offense.
Second Quarter
Favre got into a small groove by throwing short passes and feeding off Peterson's strong running. The Vikings squeezed a field goal out of a long drive. The defenses really buckled down during the second quarter, but the old gunslinger was able to help the VIkings take the lead going into halftime by throwing two beautiful passes to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. The first pass was a soft bullet (if that's possible) over the Saints defense that creeped up to fake blitz. And the very next play was a high bullet where only Shiancoe could climb to get it.
Midway through the quarter Favre threw the first interception, and turnover, of the ball game. It came at the hands of intense pressure by the Saints defense. Go figure. During the pregame show, Rodney Harrison was telling Tony Dungy that the Saints planned on trying to intimidate Brett Favre tonight. The Saints, like they did in last season's NFC Championship Game, would throw all sorts of blitzes at the aging veteran and even throw some cheap shots. Dungy countered saying that Favre does not get intimidated by anything or anyone. Well from what I saw on Favre's interception, Dungy was wrong. The pocket completely collapsed under the pressure and Favre saw a Saints player dead-set on leveling him. As the player closed in on the sack, Favre looked left and right and saw nothing. It looked like he panicked and tried to dump the ball off to his check down receiver, who was completely draped in coverage by Jonathan Vilma, who easily intercepted the pass. Favre tried everything he could to avoid taking the huge hit (at his age, do you blame him?). His mind might not get intimidated, but his body sure does.
Third Quarter
Another strong defensive quarter for both squads. However, the Saints retook the lead on a 1-yard run by Pierre Thomas. I noticed a couple of interesting things during the third quarter. First, Brees' hard counts really tripped up the Vikings defense. Earlier in the contest Brees was actually called for a false start on one of his hard counts. But he seemed to correct whatever it was that tipped off the referees and abused the Vikings pass rush with his fake snaps. The effectiveness of using hard counts against dangerous pass rushing teams really manifested itself on the Saints' scoring drive.
Second, Favre did not complete a pass in the third quarter. Not a great way to start my fantasy season.
Finally, I cannot think of a better color commentator than Cris Collinsworth. When I turn on a sports game, I want the guys in the booth to provide me with two things. First, give me the play-by-play exactly as it happens/appears. If Brees fakes a hand-off to Bush, rolls to his right, and completes a 12-yard pass to Colston, who catches the ball cleanly and taps both feet in-bounds, then tell me, "Brees fakes the hand-off to Bush, he rolls to his right, fires a pass to the sideline to Colston who makes the catch! What a catch by Colston, who kept his eyes on the ball and tapped both feet in-bounds before falling out of bounds!" And then I want analysis. I want a breakdown of what just happened. I don't want someone to state the obvious (*COUGH* Madden). I want someone to do what Collinsworth did tonight and always does.
For example, on one particular play, the on-field microphone picked up Brees yelling "KILL KILL KILL KILL" to audible into a new play. Brees then snapped the ball and calmly whipped a swing pass to Pierre Thomas for a first down. NBC immediately followed with a replay and Collinsworth explained that the Saints initially called two plays in the huddle. The first play was the one they intended to use. However, Brees had full discretion to audible out of the play--to "kill" the play--and switch to the second of the two plays if he thought it would work better against the defense that he saw. Brees did exactly that and the Saints marched on to another score. Collinsworth provided insight that even diehard NFL fans could not have known. And he provided the breakdown on the spot. Not Monday morning. Awesome.
Fourth Quarter
I missed a bit of the action because I had my face buried in my oven-baked ribs. But I did not miss much. Favre continued his inconsistent play and the Vikings, as a result, never made any strong threat to score. As a Favre fantasy owner, it was kind of painful. But I understand that the guy just got off the couch and put his cleats on, so a slow start had to be expected. The low scoring affair had me incessantly worried about whether the Saints would score once more to cover the spread. Perhaps this is how gambling addicts feel. It definitely adds a new element to the game and a reason to watch it until completion (beyond the actual football).
With 1:49 left in the game, the Saints had a new set of downs and the ball at the Vikings' 40. They decided to kneel the clock out. And I heard the groans across casinos and bars everywhere. Including in my own living room.
Final Breakdown
The final score was a lot lower than I thought it would be, but I was not completely shocked because we don't know what to expect in a season opener. The Saints dominated the Vikings through the air, outgunning them 229 yards (no interceptions) to 162 yards (one interception). The Vikings had a better rushing attack, but barely. Peterson gained 87 yards on 19 carries, but it was not a dominant performance by any stretch of the imagination. The Vikings also hurt themselves with six penalties for a loss of 60 yards. Brees, per usual, completed a pass to nine different receivers. And Favre never really got into a groove. Ultimately, the game showed flashes of the intense matchup the media hyped it up to be. However, the rust won out and we got a disappointing season opener from an entertainment standpoint.
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