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Play action or pass week 13: Who Dat remind you of?

Play action or pass week 13: Who Dat remind you of?
The Saints are having a terrific season. David Grunfeld/Nola.Com

When you think about the Saints, you think about a high powered aerial attack that plays at an extremely accelerated pace. In the past three years, the Saints have been in the top five teams in the league in plays per game and their 7-9 record was the result. Some teams can play fast, but this recipe hasn't tasted well to the Saints in the last few seasons. Just last year they were at the very top with an average of 69.1 plays per game. If you analyze the team that won the super bowl in the 2009-2010 season, they were in the middle of the pack ending 12th overall averaging 63.7 snaps a game. This year, they are 15th averaging 63.8, which leads many to believe, the success of the team and the current run has to be credited to the balanced attack. Drew Brees's pass yards are down from the past few seasons, but the team's rush yards are up to 142 yards per game. This team is very similar to that of the one who raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Miami.



The year New Orleans won the Super Bowl, they scored 510 total points (31.8 ppg); this year they are averaging 29.3 points a game ranking them 4th in the league.

2009-2010 Saints -403.8 yards a game. 131 rush 272 pass

2017-2018  Saints- 409.3 yards a game. 142 rush 267 pass

This team also replicates the team that won Super Bowl XLIV and a few winning years after on the defensive side of the ball. Through 11 games this season, the New Orleans defense has allowed 222 points.  That's 20.2 points a game they are surrendering putting them on pace to end at 323.2 for the year. That mark would better that of the Super Bowl-winning squad that allowed 341 points in the regular season (21.3 per game).

The Saints are marching at the moment and look for them to continue the stable attack, keeping defenses off balance and Drew Brees off his back.

That year the Saints beat the Vikings in the NFC Championship game 31-28 in overtime. Could we see the same matchup this year?


Most Bet Teams

Patriots 87%

Packers 85%

Raiders 73%

Steelers 72%

Saints -4 (buy the hook if 4.5)

The Saints had their winning streak finally snapped last week by the Rams 26-20. The difference in this game was the absences of both Ken Crawley and Marshon Lattimore. Both players were limited this week in practice and are questionable with Crawley looking more likely to play. The Panthers needed 14 non-offensive points in the second half vs. the Jets to cover the spread last week. If you didn't watch the game and just saw the score, you would think Carolina handeled business. Things went the opposite way, and the Jets held the lead in the second half after Robbie Anderson's second touchdown of the game. Then came the two fortunate scores with Cam Newton sitting on the sideline for both. Saints are 8-1 straight up the last nine games this year and are 6-3 ATS in those games. The Saints have covered the last 5 in this series and teams favored are 18-6 straight up. When these teams met in Week 3, New Orleans pounded Carolina 34-13. Although I don't think it will be the same margin, look for the Saints to score consistently, and I don't see the Panthers keeping up. One thing to note, the last two meetings in the Superdome have ended in shootouts, 41-38. Play the over.

Seahawks +6

Who have the Eagles beaten? Philadelphia is on a nine-game winning streak and covered their last eight. During this win streak, they have had some soft spots playing the Giants (2-9), at Chargers (5-6), Cardinals (5-6), at Panthers (8-3), Redskins (5-6), 49ers (1-10), Broncos (3-8), at Cowboys (5-6), and Bears (3-8). Their average margin of victory this year has been 32-17. The lines have been inflated the last few weeks, and the Eagles continue to crush the number. So bettors and joe public continue to ride the hot hand. In May, when this line opened, the Seahawks were favored by 7. Now there is a -13 point swing with no quarterbacks being hurt? Is this number being driven by the public after opening at 4? Since Russell Wilson took over his rookie year, the Seahawks have been favored in 41 of 45 home games. The 12th man is 36-9 in those 45 games and have never lost by more than 7.  Since Pete Carroll took over as coach in 2010, the Seahawks have been an underdog of three or more points a total of thirteen times, and in those games, they've gone 9-4 straight-up and 11-2 ATS. This number is inflated and being driven by public perception and money. I believe it should be more around the 3-3.5 mark.

Action:

Panthers/Saints over 48

Falcons-3

Packers PK

Browns/Chargers over 43

Teasers

7 Point

Chargers-7/Patriots-2

Chargers-7/Oakland-1.5

10 point

Chargers-4/Saints over38/Seattle+16

Chargers-4/Jaguars PK/Patriots+1

Pass:

Chargers-14

Really wanted to keep fading the Browns but 14 seems like so much. There will be motivation from the Chargers and no letdown as the last win for the Browns came vs. the Chargers.

For any questions or comments reach me at @JerryBoKnowz on twitter.

 

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Defense wins championships! Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

The expanded College Football Playoff has a decidedly old-school feel: Smothering defenses have carried the last four teams still in the hunt for the national championship.

If you want offense, look elsewhere this weekend. The defenses, with All-Americans spread throughout the lineups, are the story of the semifinals. Ohio State, Texas, Penn State and Notre Dame all rank among the top eight defenses nationally this season.

The No. 8 seed Buckeyes (12-2) meet the No. 5 Longhorns (13-2) in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night. The Buckeyes are No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. Texas is ranked third and fourth, respectively.

The Orange Bowl matchup Thursday night between No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1) and No. 6 Penn State (13-2) feature run-stuffing defenses that shut down Georgia and Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, the nation's top running back, in the quarterfinals.

Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, who was 0-3 against Texas when he was at Kansas State before transferring, summed up the Longhorns defense this way: “They got some dudes, man,” Howard said.

Dudes indeed. Everywhere.

Longhorns senior cornerback Jahae Barron won the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. Edge rusher Colin Simmons has a team-high nine sacks and won the Shaun Alexander Award as the nation's top freshman.

Barron leads a deep, experienced and physical secondary that has punished receivers and anchored a defense that has produced turnovers in 23 consecutive games, the longest streak in the country.

In the quarterfinal win over Arizona State, safety Michael Taaffe's late-game hit on a receiver on the final drive of regulation was reviewed for targeting before it was determined to be legal, and Andrew Mukuba sealed the victory with an interception near the goal line in the double overtime thriller that ended 39-31, the most points Texas has allowed this season.

“I think our defense has been tremendous all year,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “As far as football goes, hey, we don’t play flag football, man. This isn’t seven-on-seven. This is tackle football. We believe in playing a physical brand of football. We try to do it the right way within the rules.”

Next up for the Texas secondary is trying to corral dazzling Buckeyes freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith.

“You know, that kid can ball. He’s a big baller. Strong, strong ability. He’s a deep threat," Barron said. "He’s a physical player, and I’ll have to be physical.

Ohio State can bully opponents too, with bookend pass rushers J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer and All-American safety Caleb Downs on the back end. The Buckeyes have allowed just 12.1 points per game, just one 300-yard passer and two 100-yard rushers all season.

When top seed Oregon beat Ohio State at midseason, Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel had a clean pocket all afternoon. In the Rose Bowl rematch, the No. 8-seeded Buckeyes sacked him eight times, with two each from Tuimoloau and Sawyer.

“When we’re executing and we’re at a high level, it’s hard to do anything with us,” Buckeyes defensive tackle Tyleik Williams said. “The most violent team, the team that plays the fastest, executes the most, and exceeds their game plan the most is going to win this game.”

Notre Dame and Penn State will feature their own style of violence in South Florida. Bowl. Both units rank in the top 10 in total defense and scoring defense.

After cruising past Indiana in the first round, the No. 7 seed Irish held No. 2 Georgia to 62 yards rushing and 10 points. Notre Dame forced two turnovers, and stopped the Bulldogs on all three fourth-down attempts, most notably inside the Irish 10 with just under 10 minutes left.

And they did it despite being without standout defensive tackle Rylie Mills, who was knocked out of the playoffs with a knee injury in a quarterfinals win over Indiana.

Still anchoring the Irish defense is safety Xavier Watts, a two-time AP All-American, who has six interceptions this season.

Penn State ranked fifth nationally against the run this season, allowing just 101 yards per game. In their quarterfinal win over Boise State, the Nittany Lions held Jeanty to a season-low 104 yards and forced an early fumble.

Penn State took a hit in that game when All-American defensive end Abdul Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, left early with an unspecified upper body injury and did not return.

Carter leads Penn State with 11 sacks and is second among all FBS players with 21 1/2 tackles for loss this season. Nittany Lions coach James Franklin seemed optimistic that Carter could return this week, even if he stopped short of saying he would.

“At this point, I don’t think there’s anything that is stopping him from playing,” Franklin said Saturday.

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