Okay so maybe I didn’t check my sources regarding E.J.
Manuel when I wrote the tease to the post, “Who is this E J Manuel?”
It doesn’t matter because he won’t
be playing anyway. He was injured weeks
ago and is still out. So Saints fans can breathe a sigh of relief for fear of a
rookie quarterback putting us to shame like back in the day. (For example, do you recall Atlanta Falcons
Mike Vick, pre-dogfighting? How the
entire front line of the defense chased him around in the then Louisiana
Superdome and the Georgia Dome. Then all of a sudden the secondary has to come
up to try and grab him right before he shoots a cannon to his wide receiver for
a big play.)
Well, unless the injury report changes Manuel won’t have a
chance to act like an elite quarterback on Sunday. However, there is this
Thaddeus “Thad” Lewis. He may be starting in the Dome in place of Manual or it
could be the more familiar Matt Flynn who just signed last week.
So if Thad Lewis is starting, what should we know about him?
How about he is a veteran. Yep. Lewis was
member of the St. Louis Rams during the 2010 season and in 2011 he became a
member of the Cleveland Browns. Never touched the turf or took a snap from the center
in either of those seasons until former Colt McCoy went down in 2012. He was
picked up by the Buffalo Bills earlier this season and got his start his when
E.J. Manuel went out with an injury to his knee.
So here’s what he’s done thus far. Since week six, Lewis has
two touchdowns, has been sacked nine times and has one interception. In week
seven against the Miami Dolphins, Lewis led the team to a 23-21 victory
completing 21 out of 32 passes for 202 yards.*
We’ve heard the old cliché, “stats don’t lie,” but viewing his
numbers on paper is nothing compared to watching Thad Lewis play. Now granted, he has only played two games this
season but his style is much like Drew Brees when dropping back in the pocket.
Just watch his form. He seems to be finding his rhythm with this Bills offense.
The scary aspect: he is not afraid to run. He appears to know when to tuck and
take the ball himself when opportunities shut down. One notable point is that
he is a little banged up. Not hard to believe after being sacked nine times in
two weeks.
Keys to the game: Simple
Offense: Protection. Keep Brees clean. Mario Williams
appears to have something to prove still. Analysts were sizing him up asking if
he or Reggie Bush was the biggest bust of their draft class. He may be having flash backs. Keep the ball out
the reach of CB Leodis McKelvin and FS Jim Leonhard. Mc Kelvin has been batting
down passes lately and Leonhard is highly capable of intercepting Drew Brees. Continue to give Khiry Robinson the ball while Ingram is out. #feedthatboy The more you feed him the better he will become. He will learn how to maneuver and wait for holes to open. LMeezy might be back. Lance Moore that is, so the Saints could have another weapon on offense but will Jimmy Graham play? He is listed as questionable. #ballsecurity
Defense: Make Thad stay in the pocket. Blitz. If it ain’t
broke don’t fix it. Getting pressure on the
quarterback has been working for the most part this season. Lewis hasn’t played
an experienced defense on the same level as the Saints. Please don’t blow
coverage coverage against wide receivers. That last second touchdown in week
six against the Patriots was disheartening to think about during the bye week. Check
the run. Tashard Choice is not a stranger to the Saints. It’s been years since
Choice faced New Orleans but it will be interesting to see how much he has
emerged. Stats aren’t showing breakout for he only averages 3.6 yards per
carry. Runningback Fred Jackson is suffering from a knee injury but from the
looks of it, he may be playing. The Bills are averaging more than 140 yards on
the ground while the Saints defense
only allows on average about 114 yards per game. Buffalo’s receiving
corp is energetic and has some experience with veteran receiver Steve Johnson
leading the pack. One person the Saints may
not have to worry about is C.J. Spiller. He is nursing an ankle injury. The Saints defense should win the lottery Sunday with a few pick six scenarios.
#kill'emkenny#32
Special Teams: field position, protect the ball.
How about a toast to surviving the bye week…Beber hasta……
The boys are back in town!
DE Tyrunn Walker - Out
S Roman Harper -
Out
CB Rod Sweeting - Out
T Zach Strief - Questionable
DE Cam Jordan -
Questionable
TE Jimmy Graham -
Questionable
RB Mark Ingram -
Questionable
WR Lance Moore -
Probable
S Malcolm Jenkins - Probable
Buffalo Bills
QB E.J. Manuel - OUT
RB C.J. Spiller - Doubtful
LB Manny Lawson - Doubtful
RB Fred Jackson - Probable
DT Kyle Williams -
Probable
Score prediction: bills 17 vs SAINTS 31
Season Prediction: 11-5
Cheers,
SC
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