regular season the - NOLA.commedia.nola.com/saints_impact/other/1NN04NMD0920.pdf · game Daygame Daygame Daygame Daygame Daygame Daygame DaygameD the gameMIKETRIPLETT NFL Mike TripleTT

Output at 6:28 pM, Sunday

1nn04nMd0920

paGE: d-4 Monday, September 20, 2010 Zone: Metro

D-4 Monday, SepteMber 20, 2010 tHe tIMeS-pICayUne

S a i n t SscheDule

1-0regular season

sept. 9 sept. 20 sept. 26 oct. 3 oct. 10 oct. 17 oct. 24 oct. 31 nov. 7 nov. 21 nov. 25 Dec. 5 Dec. 12 Dec. 19 Dec. 27 jan. 2

vs. Vikings

w, 14-9at 49ers

todayvs. Falcons

Sept. 26vs. panthers

oct. 3at Cardinals

oct. 10at Buccaneers

oct. 17vs. Browns

oct. 24vs. Steelers

oct. 31at panthers

nov. 7vs. Seahawks

nov. 21at Cowboys

nov. 25at Bengals

dec. 5vs. Rams

dec. 12at Ravens

dec. 19at Falcons

dec. 27vs. Buccaneers

jan. 2

gameDaygameDaygameDaygameDaygameDaygameDaygameDaygameD

thegame

thegameMIKE TRIPLETT

NFL

Mike TripleTT

KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. at Candlestick Park

COACHES: Saints Sean Payton (39-26 in five seasons, all with Saints); 49ers Mike Singletary (13-13 in three seasons, all with 49ers)

TELEVISION: ch. 6, espn RADIO: 870 AM, 105.3 FM, 830 AM (Spanish)

Where they ranK Offense Pass offense Rush offense Defense Pass defense Rush defenseSaints 15 12 22 6 8 13 49ers 22 13 26 4 t10 6

Keep an eye onsaints rB reggie Bush anD 49ers QB alex smith

What a long, strange trip it’s been for these two former teammates at Helix High School near San Diego. They both became college stars — Bush at USC and Smith at Utah — before Smith became the first pick in the NFL draft in 2005 and Bush was drafted second overall in ’06. But they both have battled injuries and inconsistency during pro careers that haven’t lived up to such lofty expectations. And this past week has been especially tough, for different reasons.

Bush decided to give back his 2005 Heisman Trophy, tarnishing that terrific legacy he left at USC. Tonight will offer him an opportunity to turn the page. He’s healthier than he’s been in several years and has looked dynamic all summer. Plus, he’s always had a knack for delivering big performances in high-profile games.

Smith, meanwhile, struggled in the San Francisco’s opener at Seat-tle, throwing two interceptions and the 49ers mustered only six points. The controversy this week has mostly centered on offensive coordina-tor Jimmy Raye and the team’s play-calling and communication prob-

lems. But Smith needs to step up and prove he’s still the right man for the job.“For me, it’s just (about) playing quarterback, getting the ball out when I have to, making

good decisions, giving my team a chance to win,” said Smith, who said he tries not to make too much of those bigger picture questions. “It’s big enough when it’s Monday night, the lights are on and you’re the only show on. I’m just going to continue to try to do the little things.”

game planThe Saints offense would love to open things up after “settling” for a 14-9 victory over Min-

nesota last week. But it won’t be easy against this defense, which features an outstanding front seven in a 3-4 scheme, led by All-Pro middle linebacker Patrick Willis.

The 49ers have been dominant on their home field, dating back to 2008. In their past 11 home games, they’ve allowed just 15.2 points per game and a total of five touchdown passes. Last season they forced 26 of their 33 takeaways at home. And they tied for third in the NFL with 44 sacks last season.

New Orleans likely will cause some matchup problems for San Francisco’s secondary, which is thin behind starting cornerbacks Nate Clements and Shawntae Spencer. Expect the Saints and quarterback Drew Brees to do a better job this week of getting the ball down the field.

Key matchupsaints lineBacKers vs. rB FranK gore/ te vernon Davis

The 49ers offense is not threatening down the field. But they can attack teams up the middle with perhaps the best tailback-tight end combination in the NFL. Gore, a two-time Pro Bowler, is the center-piece of the 49ers’ offense and has been remarkably efficient despite teams regularly loading up the box to stop him. Davis, a first-time Pro Bowler last season, is a dynamic athlete and a go-to outlet for Smith.

The Saints have struggled against the run and against big-play tight ends. But don’t expect them to make any drastic changes to what they do best. Expect something similar to last week, when the Saints allowed Minnesota tailback Adrian Peterson and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe to get their yards but shut down everybody else.

“I think it’s a situation where you have to kind of pick your poison a little bit at certain times of the game,and have to be willing to give up something why you’re trying to take something else away,” said Saints outside linebacker Scott Shanle, who may match up the most frequently with Davis. “It’s going to be a challenge. But every week I think we come

up with something defensively to try to make a team play left-handed a little bit.”

By the numBersThe 49ers hold a 45-23-2 lead in the all-time series against their former NFC West rivals.

But the Saints have won the past five meetings, dating back to 2002. They last met in the Superdome in 2008, with the Saints winning 31-17. … The Saints are 11-17 all-time on “Monday Night Football.” But they’ve won their past three Monday night games and are 5-2 under Pay-ton. … This will be the fifth consecutive prime-time game for the Saints, dating back to last year’s playoff run. It will be their ninth consecutive night game, if you include the preseason. … New Orleans is trying to start 2-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.

From the coach’s mouth“This is a real good defense. When you look and study all the tape and go through all the games from the past season as we have — you can look at Indianapolis last year and they were under 21 points (against the 49ers). This is a team that has found its niche there and certainly is a reflection of the head coach, who played on many great defenses.” — Payton.

— compiled by Mike Triplett

saints oFFenseNO. NAmE POS. HT wT. ExP. COLLEgE

saints DeFenseNO. NAmE POS. HT wT. ExP. COLLEgE

saints statistics

49ers statistics

PASSINg

NAmE ATT COmP PCT YDS AVg LNg TD TD% INT INT% SCK RATE

Drew Brees 36 27 75.0 237 6.6 29 1 2.8 0 0.0 1 101.3

Totals 36 27 75.0 237 6.6 29 1 2.8 0 0.0 1 101.3

Opponents 27 15 55.6 171 6.3 33 1 3.7 1 3.7 1 71.7

PASSINg

NAmE ATT COmP PCT YDS AVg LNg TD TD% INT INT% SCK RATE

Alex Smith 45 26 57.8 225 5.0 23 0 0.0 2 4.4 2 52.5

Totals 45 26 57.8 225 5.0 23 0 0.0 2 4.4 2 52.5

Opponents 23 18 78.3 170 7.4 35 2 8.7 1 4.3 1 108.3

saints special teamsNO. NAmE POS. HT wT. ExP. COLLEgE

49ers oFFenseNO. NAmE POS. HT wT. ExP. COLLEgE

49ers DeFenseNO. NAmE POS. HT wT. ExP. COLLEgE

49ers special teamsNO. NAmE POS. HT wT. ExP. COLLEgE

9 Drew Brees QB 6-0 209 10 Purdue10 Chase Daniel QB 6-0 225 2 Missouri25 Reggie Bush RB 6-0 203 5 USC29 Chris Ivory RB 6-0 222 R Tiffin U.23 Pierre Thomas RB 5-11 215 4 Illinois21 DeShawn Wynn RB 5-1 232 4 Florida44 Heath Evans FB 6-0 250 10 Auburn87 Adrian Arrington WR 6-3 192 2 Michigan12 Marques Colston WR 6-4 225 5 Hofstra19 Devery Henderson WR 5-11 200 7 LSU17 Robert Meachem WR 6-2 210 4 Tennessee16 Lance Moore WR 5-9 190 5 Toledo15 Courtney Roby WR 6-0 189 5 Indiana80 Jimmy Graham TE 6-6 260 R Miami (Fla.)84 Tory Humphrey TE 6-2 255 4 C. Michigan88 Jeremy Shockey TE 6-5 251 9 Miami (Fla.)85 David Thomas TE 6-3 248 5 Texas76 Jonathan Goodwin C 6-3 318 9 Michigan65 Matt Tennant C 6-4 300 R Boston Coll.73 Jahri Evans G 6-4 318 5 Bloomsburg77 Carl Nicks G 6-5 343 3 Nebraska71 Charles Brown OT 6-5- 297 R USC74 Jermon Bushrod OT 6-5 315 4 Towson78 Jonathan Stinchcomb OT 6-5 315 8 Georgia64 Zach Strief OT 6-7 320 5 Northwestern

96 Alex Brown DE 6-0 260 9 Florida97 Jeff Charleston DE 6-4 265 4 Idaho State93 Junior Galette DE 6-2 258 R Stillman91 Will Smith DE 6-3 282 7 Ohio State92 Remi Ayodele DT 6-2 318 4 Oklahoma98 Sedrick Ellis DT 6-3 307 3 USC69 Anthony Hargrove DL 6-3 272 6 Georgia Tech99 Jimmy Wilkerson DL 6-2 270 8 Oklahoma53 Stanley Arnoux LB 6-0 232 2 Wake Forest53 Danny Clark LB 6-2 233 11 Illinois56 Jo-Lonn Dunbar LB 6-0 226 3 Boston Coll.50 Marvin Mitchell LB 6-3 249 4 Tennessee58 Scott Shanle LB 6-2 245 8 Nebraska51 Jonathan Vilma LB 6-1 230 7 Miami (Fla.)59 Anthony Waters LB 6-3 238 3 Clemson20 Randall Gay CB 5-11 190 7 LSU33 Jabari Greer CB 5-11 180 7 Tennessee27 Malcolm Jenkins CB 6-0 204 2 Ohio State22 Tracy Porter CB 5-11 186 3 Indiana34 Patrick Robinson CB 5-11 191 R Florida State24 Leigh Torrence CB 5-11 179 5 Stanford41 Roman Harper S 6-1 200 5 Alabama31 Pierson Prioleau S 5-11 188 12 Virginia Tech39 Chris Reis S 6-1 215 4 Georgia Tech39 Usama Young S 6-0 200 4 Kent State

5 Garrett Hartley PK 5-8 196 3 Oklahoma6 Thomas Morstead P 6-4 225 2 SMU57 Jason Kyle LS 6-3 242 16 Arizona St.

5 David Carr QB 6-3 216 9 Fresno St.11 Alex Smith QB 6-4 217 6 Utah1 Troy Smith QB 6-0 217 4 Ohio St.24 Anthony Dixon RB 6-1 233 R Miss. St.21 Frank Gore RB 5-9 217 6 Miami (Fla.)20 Brian Westbrook RB 5-10 203 9 Villanova44 Moran Norris FB 6-1 250 10 Kansas15 Michael Crabtree WR 6-1 214 2 Texas Tech19 Ted Ginn Jr. WR 5-11 180 4 Ohio St.89 Jason Hill WR 6-0 202 4 Wash. St.84 Josh Morgan WR 6-0 219 3 Virginia Tech10 Kyle Williams WR 5-10 186 R Arizona St.17 Dominique Zeigler WR 6-3 185 2 Baylor82 Nate Byham TE 6-4 264 R Pittsburgh85 Vernon Davis TE 6-3 250 5 Maryland46 Delanie Walker TE 6-0 242 5 C.MissouriSt.66 Eric Heitmann C 6-3 312 9 Stanford64 David Baas G 6-4 330 6 Michigan77 Mike Iupati G 6-5 331 R Idaho62 Chilo Rachal G 6-5 323 3 USC69 Tony Wragge G 6-4 310 6 New Mex. St.75 Alex Boone OT 6-7 328 1 Ohio State76 Anthony Davis OT 6-5 323 R Rutgers65 Barry Sims OT 6-5 300 12 Utah68 Adam Snyder OT 6-6 325 6 Oregon74 Joe Staley OT 6-5 315 4 C. Michigan

93 Demetric Evans DT 6-4 275 9 Georgia92 Aubrayo Franklin DT 6-1 317 8 Tennessee95 Ricky Jean-Francois DT 6-3 295 2 LSU91 Ray McDonald DT 6-3 290 4 Florida94 Justin Smith DT 6-4 285 10 Missouri90 Isaac Sopoaga DT 6-2 330 7 Hawaii53 NaVorro Bowman LB 6-1 242 R Penn St.50 Diyral Briggs LB 6-4 230 2 Bowling Grn 55 Ahmad Brooks LB 6-3 259 5 Virginia98 Parys Haralson LB 6-0 255 5 Tennessee54 Travis LaBoy LB 6-3 250 6 Hawaii99 Manny Lawson LB 6-5- 240 5 N.C. St.51 Takeo Spikes LB 6-2 242 13 Auburn52 Patrick Willis LB 6-1 240 4 Ole Miss35 Phillip Adams CB 5-10 192 R S.Carolina St.25 Tarell Brown CB 5-10 193 4 Texas22 Nate Clements CB 6-1 205 10 Ohio St.31 William James CB 6-1 200 10 W. Illinois36 Shawntae Spencer CB 6-1 190 7 Pittsburgh38 Dashon Goldson S 6-2 200 4 Washington32 Michael Lewis S 6-1 222 9 Colorado23 Taylor Mays S 6-3 230 R USC30 Reggie Smith S 6-1 200 3 Oklahoma28 Curtis Taylor S 6-2 208 2 LSU

6 Joe Nedney PK 6-5 220 15 San Jose St.4 Andy Lee P 6-2 180 7 Pittsburgh86 Brian Jennings LS 6-5 242 11 Arizona St.

4 9 e r SscheDule

0-1regular season

sept. 12 sept. 26 oct. 3 oct. 10 oct. 17 oct. 24 oct. 31 nov. 7 nov. 21 nov. 25 Dec. 5 Dec. 12 Dec. 19 Dec. 27 jan. 2

at Seahawks

L, 31-6vs. Saints

todayat Chiefs

Sept. 26at Falcons

oct. 3vs. Eagles

oct. 10vs. Raiders

oct. 17at panthers

oct. 24vs. Cowboys

oct. 31vs. Rams

nov. 14vs. Buccaneers

nov. 21at Cardinals

nov. 29at packers

dec. 5vs. Seahawks

dec. 12vs. Chargers

dec. 16 at Rams

dec. 26vs. Cardinals

jan. 2

Reggie Bush

Alex Smith

Frank Gore

Vernon Davis

RUSHINg

NAmE ATT YDS AVg LNg TD

Pierre Thomas 19 71 3.7 11 1

Reggie Bush 2 14 7 8 0

Drew Brees 4 -6 -1.5 -1 0

Totals 25 79 3.2 11 1

Opponents 23 91 4 14 0

RECEIVINg

NAmE REC YDS AVg TD LNg

Marques Colston 5 62 12.4 0 28

Devery Henderson 2 38 19 1 29

Reggie Bush 5 33 6.6 0 19

Robert Meachem 3 33 11 0 26

Jeremy Shockey 3 23 7.7 0 14

Lance Moore 3 23 7.7 0 12

Pierre Thomas 3 15 5 0 15

Heath Evans 1 7 7 0 7

David Thomas 2 3 1.5 0 3

Totals 27 237 8.8 1 29

Opponents 15 171 11.4 1 33

KICKOFF RETURNS

NAmE ATT YDS AVg LNg TD

Courtney Roby 3 70 23.3 25 0

Totals 3 70 23.3 25 0

Opponents 2 41 20.5 22 0

PUNT RETURNS

NAmE ATT YDS AVg LNg TD

Reggie Bush 3 7 2.3 6 0

Totals 3 7 2.3 6 0

Opponents 2 2 1.0 2 0

PUNTINg

NAmE ATT YDS AVg LNg In20

T. Morstead 5 216 42.8 58 2

Totals 5 216 42.8 58 2

Opponents 7 310 43.3 49 2

FIELD gOALS

NAmE Fgm FgA PCT LNg 19-20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+

Garrett Hartley 0 2 0 0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-0

TOTALS 0 2 0 0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-0

Opponents 1 1 100 41 0-0 0-0 0-0 1-2 0-0

RUSHINg

NAmE ATT YDS AVg LNg TD

Frank Gore 17 38 2.2 10 0

Delanie Walker 1 10 10.0 10 0

Moran Norris 1 1 1.0 1 0

Totals 19 49 2.6 10 0

Opponents 23 77 3.3 32 1

RECEIVINg

NAmE REC YDS AVg TD LNg

Vernon Davis 8 73 9.1 0 16

Frank Gore 6 45 7.5 0 23

Josh Morgan 3 32 10.7 0 17

Delanie Walker 3 27 9.0 0 14

Ted Ginn Jr. 1 19 19.0 0 19

Michael Crabtree 2 12 6.0 0 9

Dominique Zeigler 1 10 10.0 0 10

Nate Byham 1 5 5.0 0 5

Moran Norris 1 2 2.0 0 2

Totals 26 225 8.7 0 23

Opponents 18 170 9.4 2 35

KICKOFF RETURNS

NAmE ATT YDS AVg LNg TD

Ted Ginn Jr. 3 54 18.0 30 0

Josh Morgan 1 13 13.0 13 0

Totals 4 67 16.8 30 0

Opponents 2 58 29.0 41 0

PUNT RETURNS

NAmE ATT YDS AVg LNg TD

Ted Ginn Jr. 2 27 13.5 16 0

Totals 2 27 13.5 16 0

Opponents 3 17 5.7 12 0

PUNTINg

NAmE ATT YDS AVg LNg In20

Andy Lee 6 249 35.3 47 2

Totals 6 249 35.3 47 2

Opponents 5 207 36.0 49 1

FIELD gOALS

NAmE Fgm FgA PCT LNg 19-20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+

Joe Nedney 2 2 100.0 23 0-0 2-2 0-0 0-0 0-0

TOTALS 2 2 100.0 23 0-0 2-2 0-0 0-0 0-0

Opponents 1 1 100.0 35 0-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-0

Pierre Thomas

Reggie Bush

SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

MICHAEL DEMOCKER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE