Welcome to the first step of the march towards Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, with the defending champion Saints travelling to Seattle to face the NFC-West champion Seahawks. Much has been made over the Seahawks’ losing record. However, this will not be an easy test for the Saints. The Saints have played to the competition all season, most notably losing to lowly Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns. The Saints won the week 11 matchup with the Seahawks in the Super Dome 34-19. New Orleans had a solid offensive performance in that game, with Drew Brees passing for 382 yards and four touchdowns, and Chris Ivory added 99 yards on the ground. Here New Orleans’ key areas of focus for this game.

Compensate for injuries
New Orleans has placed Ivory and running back Pierre Thomas in Injured Reserve, ending their seasons. Starting cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and tight end Jimmy Graham, a key contributor late in the season, are both out of the game as well. If the Saints are to win, they will need contributions from running backs Reggie Bush and Julius Jones, as well as tight end Jeremy Shockey and Tracy Porter.

Exploit the Seahawks defense
Seattle is ranked 27th against the pass (249.6 yards per game) and 21st against the run (118.9 yards per game). New Orleans’ passing attack averaged 277.6 yards per game, good enough for third in the NFL. Drew Brees and company need to establish the vertical passing game early, forcing Seattle to primarily use its nickel and dime packages. This will create soft zones in the middle of the field for Reggie Bush, and open up running lanes near the line of scrimmage.

Blitz Matt Hasselbeck
Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is coming off a hip injury, which kept him from the season-ending game against the St. Louis Rams. With his limited mobility, Hasselbeck will not be able to scramble and prolong plays with his legs. New Orleans needs to blitz to pressure Hasselbeck into rushing his throws and throwing off his back foot, likely leading to interceptions by free safety Darren Sharper.

The Saints playoff experience and more talented roster should deliver a victory. Seattle will keep it close until the fourth quarter, but New Orleans will prevail, 33-14.

Today the New Orleans Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last week the Saints clinched a playoff berth by defeating the division-leading Atlanta Falcons. The Saints have a chance to improve its playoff position with a win and some help if the last-place Carolina Panthers can manage to defeat the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay is playing to determine its own playoff fate, and will not be an easy victory for the Saints. To win, the Saints will need to follow a few key things.

Maintain the up-tempo offensive style
Quarterback Drew Brees and company have regained the high-flying rhythm from last year’s Super Bowl run. Tampa’s defense is ranked sixth against the pass, allowing only 201 yards per game. The Buccaneers defense is allowing 133 yards per game, 28th in the NFL. The Saints will be able to maintain the passing game by establishing the run with Reggie Bush and Chris Ivory. A solid running game will force Tampa Bay to dedicate more defenders to the line of scrimmage, setting up play action and allowing New Orleans to spread the field with four and five receiver sets.

Contain the run
Tampa Bay running back LeGarrette Blunt has been an offensive force the past few games. Quarterback Josh Freeman has had a strong sophomore season, throwing for over 3,000 yards with 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions. However, Freeman does not have big-game NFL experience. If the Saints can contain the Buccaneers’ running game, Freeman will be forced to make plays on his own. This would force Freeman to play into the Saints’ strength; its turnover-generating defense.

New Orleans is more experienced and has more talent than Tampa Bay. Look for the game to be close, but New Orleans will pull out the victory, 28-17.