Saints vs Raiders might be just what both teams need. the New Orleans Saints need a big running game to build on and the LA Raiders need, well a knockout punch. Frankly, the whole Al Davis thing is getting old. How much longer the NFL and especially raiders fans, will put up with a man who is, to put it charitably, not as good as he used to be, running an NFL franchise on whim and revenge remains to be seen. It goes to show you the power of the NFL, as LA football fans and Detroit football fans keep coming back for more.
Back to Raiders vs Saints. New Orleans is coming off a game against the Texans that saw the emergence of a passable running game, one that could be highly effective when coupled with the Saints already potent passing attack. In more than one game in 2008, New Orleans could have walked away with a win if the opposing defense would have had to worry about a ground game. Against the Raiders, New Orleans will have a chance to get that running game in high gear as LA showed no ability to stop the run against the 49ers last night.
While Mike Bell was the star of the show in Houston, word is that Pierre Thomas will get the bulk of the carries in regular season play. The Raiders game would be ideal for Thomas to step out, assert his position, and have a breakout game. Realistically, unless Pierre Thomas can do this, I’m seeing a pretty even split between him and Bell as far as carries go. It’s also going to be interesting to see how Reggie Bush fits into a scheme that frankly, migh not even need him. As much as he hates the though of being labeled a third-down back, if the shoe fits wear it. I have never seen Reggie Bush run between the tackles the way Bell did or Thomas has done in the past.
The Raiders at Saints game will be interesting, as Saints fans keep their fingers crossed that the running game takes a step forward and not back. We would also like to see the Saints secondary come across as dominant, even if it’s against a Raiders team that isn’t up to snuff. In New Orleans, 2009 success will hinge heavily on defense, as the Saints face the toughest schedule in the NFC, and possibly in the NFL. A knockout punch in LA is what we’re looking for.
