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View Full Version : NFL Divisional Round: New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks (SETTLED)



Teh One Who Knocks
01-06-2014, 08:27 PM
FOX Sports


Tight end Jimmy Graham got dressed at his locker and then turned around to face a crowd of media. He was grinning widely. The Saints had just beaten the Eagles in a physical game, outdoors, in a hostile environment, on the road and in the playoffs.

Graham admitted he and his teammates had heard all of the chatter about their inability to do such things, yet they did them all in their win over Philly.

And now, they'll have to do them all again in Seattle, where they were trounced 34-7 by the Seahawks last month.

“It was embarrassing, humbling. It was all of the above, I guess you could say,” Graham said on Saturday when asked about that Monday nighter at CenturyLink Field. “I certainly won't ever forget that moment. And now we have a great opportunity to prove ourselves against one of the best teams in the NFL. It's gonna be a battle, that's for sure.”

Saints coach Sean Payton was encouraged by the physical play of both his offensive and defensive lines on Saturday. It revealed a dimension to this seemingly pass-happy team many weren't sure they had. But the Eagles allowed it to happen and actually encouraged the Saints to run by playing both of their safeties deep. The Eagles don't have the front seven to stop a running game that's clicking without a little help from their defensive backs.

But the Seahawks do, and they'll rely upon a very good group of defensive linemen and linebackers to stop that running game, if the Saints try to go that route again. Doing so would allow them to do something else that was extremely effective last month, and that is to take away the deep ball and force Drew Brees to take check-downs to his backs and shorter options. In the loss to Seattle, Brees had only 147 yards on 38 passes. That's 3.9 yards per attempt, which is the lowest for Brees in a game since he and Payton joined the Saints in 2006.

Following the game, Brees said that performance wasn't representative of the true Saints offense. Brees also said it appeared the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC would run through Seattle. He was right. And now he and his teammates get another crack at the Seahawks.

"Just stepping into that environment on Monday Night Football, we know what to expect. We were there in the playoffs in (January 2011), so we’ve played there in some big atmospheres," said Brees, whose Saints were upset by the Seahawks in that postseason game three years ago. "We were there Sunday Night Football in 2007, so it seems like every time we’re there it’s a prime-time game. Having another crack at them, obviously I look forward to this week of preparation. I look forward to the plan that we’re going to put together. They’re a great football team.

"We’re going to need our best effort to beat these guys, but if there’s a team that can do it, I believe that’s us.”