Week 1: Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints
No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford makes his debut today in New Orleans as the Lions attempt to put last year’s historic 0-16 season behind them and end a 17-game losing streak overall.
Oddsmakers at WagerWeb.com list the Saints as 13-point favorites – tied with Baltimore (over K.C.) as the biggest favorite on the board this week.
The Saints would seem to have little trouble. After all, they beat Detroit up in the Motor City 42-7 near the end of last season. And New Orleans has all the key players back from an offense that led the NFL in yards per game (410.7) and scoring (28.9) last season behind Drew Brees. Reggie Bush has said he’ll be back and better than ever from left knee surgery last December, despite sitting out much of the preseason. Receiver Marques Colston and tight end Jeremy Shockey are healthy.
This offense really goes as Brees does – he completed 60.1 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the Saints’ eight losses last year, compared to 71.7 percent with 21 TDs and three picks in the eight wins.
New Orleans will be missing two key players on Sunday. Starting running back Pierre Thomas has been dealing with a knee injury and won’t go. Thomas rushed for 625 yards and nine touchdowns on 129 carries in 15 games last year for the Saints. He added 31 catches for 284 yards and three scores. In addition, offensive tackle Jammal Brown will sit.
The Lions have some 30 new players on the roster this season as new coach Jim Schwartz has begun the overhaul. None of those players are more important than Stafford, who actually got a contract worth more than Brees makes. Stafford was uneven in the preseason but played well enough to beat out veteran Daunte Culpepper for the job. Schwartz said Stafford also developed a good rapport with receiver Calvin Johnson, easily the Lions’ best player who had 1,331 yards receiving and 12 TDs last year.
The Saints have a new defensive coordinator in Gregg Williams in the offseason, and he brings a far more aggressive scheme with a lot more blitzing. Facing a rookie quarterback in Stafford, expect to see many exotic blitzes from the Saints.
INJURY REPORT
LIONS: DOUBTFUL: QB Drew Stanton (knee). QUESTIONABLE: CB Phillip Buchanon (neck), WR Yamon Figurs (finger), G Stephen Peterman (ankle). PROBABLE: K Jason Hanson (right knee), DE Jason Hunter (ribs), DT Grady Jackson (knee), WR Dennis Northcutt (hand). SAINTS: OUT: T Jammal Brown (hernia), TE Darnell Dinkins (foot), RB Pierre Thomas (knee). PROBABLE: TE Jeremy Shockey (ankle), S Usama Young (shoulder).
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