Saints lock up NFC #1 seed in dramatic 31-28 win
The good, bad and ugly of the Saints win over the Steelers
Dec 23, 2018, 7:02 pm
Saints lock up NFC #1 seed in dramatic 31-28 win
The Saints came into this game needing one win in their last two games to lock up home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. They pulled it off in dramatic fashion 31-28 over the Steelers. Here's how I saw things:
The Good
-Michael Thomas caught 11 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. He now owns the team record with 120 catches in a season. Drew Brees found him in the end zone on a back shoulder throw that was supposed to be a fade, but Thomas stumbled. He's firmly established himself as a top five receiver in the league.
- Mark Ingram got his 50th career rushing touchdown in the first quarter, which is a team record. He brings the thunder while Alvin Kamara is the lightning. Kamara has 22 so far in just his second season.
-Saints special teams stopped the Steelers on a fake punt run up the middle that led to their game winning touchdown and the defense came up with a game-saving fumble recovery on the Steelers' last standing drive. Those two phases of the game are critically important and they came up big in the clutch today.
The Bad
-Taysom Hill threw an interception on a deep ball to Tedd Ginn Jr. He let the ball hang in the air too long and it was just about fair caught. Josh Hill was flagged for a horse collar tackle on the return. Not the ideal way you want to start your first offensive possession.
-Eli Apple was called for pass interference that placed the ball at the two yard line. Then two miscommunications in man coverage led to a Steelers touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game at 14 under a minute left before halftime. This capped a 16-play 97 yard drive.
-Brees took back to back sacks late in the third quarter after the Steelers cut the lead to 24-21. Saints punted and it gave the Steelers the momentum they needed to take a 28-24 lead on the ensuing drive.
The Ugly
-The pass interference call on Joe Haden against Kamara on the 4th down play was ridiculous. I understand Haden extended his arms, but he did nothing to prevent Kamara from catching the ball. Refs continue to make calls that swing the momentum.
-Terron Armstead injured his pectoral muscle again. It's apparent that the five games he missed due to the injury and the brace he's wearing means he's playing hurt. His health is clearly linked to the offense's ability to run at full strength. Securing the first round bye and home field would mean a lot to his health and overall performance of this offense.
-Steelers may have exposed a weakness even more so in the Saints defense. When they went five wide, the Saints had trouble stopping the pass attack. Ben Roethlisberger tore the defense up whether it was short, medium, or long passes out of that formation.
This was a fun game to watch. Seeing two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks duel in their primes always makes for good football. But it was the defenses that made it exciting and special teams that came up big. Oh. And Brees had yet another 300+ yard game. Now they won't have to leave New Orleans in the playoffs unless they make it to Atlanta.
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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