" Kill'em Kenny"

       After a slow start in the season opener, the New Orleans Saints (1-0) turned up victorious in the end.

 Toasting usually makes for a great ending but after a kick to the guts of the Atlanta Falcons, I must pull out the hops and brew up a round myself. 

A Toast:

     TO:  Kenny Vaccaro. With only seconds left, Vaccaro batted down Matt Ryan’s pass to Tony Gonzales to seal the Saints win. He sent the Falcons on what probably will be one of their longest plane rides back to Georgia this season. Imagine if the safety had been a Saint during the 2011-2012 run in the play-offs, against the San Francisco 49ers. Remember the final defensive drive?  Quarterback Alex Smith’s touchdown pass to Vernon Davis with Roman Harper defending? The score ended the Saints second run at the National Championship. Maybe, just maybe if Vaccaro had been birthed a few yrs earlier...

   (#killem’kenny is the newest slogan when referring to the talent of Kenny Vaccaro on opposing players. Not meant to be too dirty.)

    TO:  Kenny Stills. Eventhough the rookie wide receiver let a few big ones slip through his grips, he came up big with his longest catch of 67-yards.  No touchdowns yet, but the rookie outshined veteran receivers Lance Moore and Marques Colston. OK, maybe not totally outshined but #84’s jersey was called upon more times than anyone else. Could this be beginners luck? Probably not. The upcoming duels should squash any doubt.

Next up, the (0-1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After an impressive drive to take the lead against the New York Jets, the Bucs suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final seconds. The Jets were without their starting quarterback Mark Sanchez. West Virginia product, Geno Smith, led the team to victory.  All this means is that Tampa will be looking for a win. Not desperate yet, but a loss to the Saints on Sunday could turn out to be factor at the end of the season. Sunday will also be the return of notable former Saints, (OLB) Jonathan Casillas and (G) Carl Nicks.

Saints Keys to the game:

DEFENSE:

 Saints’ Defense needs to stand firm. Tight coverage is a must if they want to shut down Freeman’s weapons: Running Back Peyton Hillis, Wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. If the Saints’ defense blinks, these key veterans will likely burn them.

THE ISLAND: Newly acquired Cornerback Darrelle Revis who suffered a knee injury during the 2012 season is back. With all the hype surrounding “Revis Island,” it will be interesting to see how well the veteran corner performs against the powerful Saints offense. Hopefully, for the Saints, he has some off-season rust. Who will he cover? Colston, Stills,or  Moore? Does Colston still have the speed left to rack up yards after the catch? Can he athletically battle Revis in the endzone?  Rookie receiver Kenny Stills has the speed but he can make the big catches? He dropped a few in the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Dropped passes and deflections could bring Revis Island back to life.  Lance Moore may be a better, more secure target for Brees.

   

OFFENSE:

Simple: CATCH THE BALL, SECURE THE BALL and RUN LIKE HELL!!!

Seriously,  turnovers will be the determining factor in Sunday's game in Tampa. Also, controlling the time of possession is major when going against a potentially powerful offense led by Josh Freeman. The Saints need to make as many successful trips in the red zone as possible. Be patient. Let the big play open itself up. Don’t force anything.  Let the run set up the switchblade.  

PREDICTION:BUCS 13 SAINTS 27

                                                                                                         CHEERS,

                                                                                                             SC

****please drink responsibly. age 21 and older. always choose a designated driver.