Is it possible that the Falcons are a better team than the Saints? At this point it’s quite possible. At press time, the Saints are 4-4 to the Falcons’ 4-3, and the Dirty Birds have outplayed everyone’s preseason expectations by having an explosive offense led by rookie QB Matt Ryan and high-profile offseason acquisition RB Michael Turner. They should probably be 5-2 after seven games, as they were absolutely hosed by a Week 8 call in Philadelphia (read more about that over in the St. Nick column). The ’07 Falcons were pushovers, and while it seemed safe to pencil in Ws for the Saints in the preseason, you might want to keep an eraser handy. 

Saints Players to Watch: CB Mike McKenzie will likely be charged with keeping WR Roddy White in check, and we’ll see if McKenzie’s surgically repaired knee can continue to hold up. The Saints couldn’t keep the Chargers’ average receiving corps of Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson in check, and White is better than both of those guys put together.

Falcons Players to Watch: DE John Abraham. The Falcons will find a way to match up Abraham with Saints LT Jamaal Brown, who seems to always be good for at least one false start and one holding penalty per game. Drew Brees hasn’t been sacked all that much this season, but Abraham’s a force and could cause some problems.

Ex-Saints to Watch: Conversely, the Saints could cause some problems for Falcons LT Wayne Gandy. With starting LT Sam Baker out for an undetermined amount of time because of a back injury, Atlanta was forced to re-sign Gandy, who they cut in the offseason. Saints DEs could have a field day with that matchup.

HA’s Prediction: Following the bye week, the Saints should have something up their defensive sleeves for Ryan, so we’ll go with the Saints, 34-21.

In a New Orleans sports radio world currently ruled by a turncoat “Cajun Cannon” and still overshadowed by the late, great Buddy D., the absence of Gerry Vaillancourt’s voice in the city’s afternoon drive time radio slot is a vacuum begging to be filled. Once upon a time, from early 2004 until late 2006, Gerry V. unleashed his unique blend of New York attitude and southern charm on the New Orleans public via his daily talk show on 1280AM, the former Sports Monster. In that all too brief period, the V-Man garnered a dedicated following, one that hung on his intricate knowledge of basketball and his lunch pail focus on football—whether former Saints coach Jim Haslett preferred players with phenomenal physical ability over those with a high “football I.Q.” was a frequent topic of discussion—and callers were encouraged, nigh commanded, to be prepared. This writer called in to the Gerry V. Show every now and again, and I remember scouring over a page full of notes while waiting on hold, eager to make my point about the topic of the day and continue the discourse.

Discourse was the centerpiece of the Gerry V. Show, and the other local radio shows’ stunning lack of it made his show stand out even more. Gerry V. understands that sports fans want to have their voices heard and not just given a ten-second opportunity to say their team stunk last week.

And if discourse is the Gerry V. Show’s centerpiece then entertainment sits at both heads of its table. During our conversation, the V-Man and I discovered a mutual appreciation for Howard Stern, and the King of All Media’s influence on the Gerry V. Show clicked into place—the sound effects, like a crying baby needling callers when they whined about this or that, or the unmistakable pop of a freshly cracked beer snagged from the Virtual Green Room is no doubt a subtle homage to one of the best background contributors and sound effect men of all time, Fred Norris.

This is the first time in seventeen years that Vaillancourt isn’t hosting a daily talk show, but that doesn’t mean his voice is totally absent from the medium. His day job is following the New Orleans Hornets as the color analyst on the team’s flagship station, KMEZ 106.7FM, and he hosts two weekend shows on WRNO 99.5FM, where he takes calls on everything from sports to politics. It’s a good thing that when the Hornets fled Charlotte for the laid back Big Easy, they brought their three-time Talk Show Host of the Year (as named by the excellent East Coast indie rag Creative Loafing) with them.

With the notion of a new daily show gaining momentum—“It’ll happen soon,” the V-Man told HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE when we talked with him courtside at the New Orleans Arena—we thought it’d be a good idea to let the man release some steam before he gets too busy following what looks to be a great season by the Hornets, so HA talked to Gerry V. about the Hornets’ breakout players, how the team can continue to be successful and bandwagon jumping.

Besides the starting five, what Hornets player will be the biggest factor in the team making a deep run in the playoffs?

James Posey. He plays a couple of positions, plus he can defend, plus he won two rings down in Miami and in Boston. You’ve got a guy on the floor who has taken the biggest shots in the biggest games of his life. You could tell by the way he talked to the other players in the preseason that he’s been on the magical journey—game one, the first day of camp, through the regular season and winning round after round after round to Game 7 of the championship series, which is one of the most demanding journeys a player can ever take. He’s done it twice and has two rings, and as a player he’s a guy you want to go to dinner with and pick his brain.

It really seems like Posey’s outside shots fit in well with what Peja Stojakovic brings to the table.

Yeah, and it gives Byron Scott some different combinations. In the preseason I fell in love with the Julian Wright/James Posey combo coming off the bench—two long, athletic guys. Posey will be a nice factor for this team.

What does the departure of backup point guard Jannero Pargo mean for Chris Paul? We all know Paul wants to play forty-eight minutes every game.

It means Mike James will have to fill that (backup) role, and so far it looks like it’s his role. Paul may play more minutes at first, but the coaching staff needs to monitor his minutes because he’s so incredibly valuable. You need to have a solid backup because of the pace and style the team plays and also because of how they’ve extended themselves defensibly. That backup point guard is valuable, and right now it looks like Mike James will be that guy, and Devin Brown might be the third guard, but he can play big guard too.

What does the Hornets organization need to do—or continue doing—to ensure a long, lasting run in New Orleans?

The toughest thing to do in professional sports is to build and manage a pro roster. They have to keep maintaining and feeding the roster. Whenever there’s a slippage, and they need an improvement, and Jeff Bower’s done a nice job of this, you’ve got to fill that gap. Look at the lesson of the Miami Heat—a couple years ago they win a title but then they’re in the basement. It’s tough to build and manage the roster, you’ve got to replenish, maybe it’s with a rollplayer, but you’ve got to keep the roster invigorated. Lucky for them, their core group is young.

Being a Yankee fan, what do you think about the pinstripes on the new Hornets uniforms?

With that Cajun blue, they look beautiful under the lights. I really got hooked into them in the preseason. We’re a couple games in and I said to Sean Kelley, “Those uniforms really look nice under the lights.” They’re electric blue and they’re real easy to pick out, which will probably be great for Chris Paul. They’re beautiful. I’m sentimental. Anything with pinstripes…

What returning Hornet looks set to make a big jump in quality of play?

I have two. Tyson Chandler and Julian Wright.

As good as Chandler was last year, he’s going to make a big jump?

He’s put on weight, he’s got more muscle, he’s gotten stronger. He’s going to be able to battle the bigs a little better, and he’s running beautifully. I think he’s due, plus he’s added a bit to his offensive game. He’s taken his game a few feet further from the basket to take the jump shot, which will compliment him. The extra weight will help with his rebounding, taking the hits in the post and help him defensively. With Julian Wright, because of his length and quickness, the way he plays will be a great help defensively. His confidence, too. He’s making quicker decisions now and is more decisive. That’s going to help coming off the bench. He’s not hesitating in his game.

We saw a lot of “bandwagon jumping” accusations from the national media last season. Was the Hornets’ on-court success in the middle of last season the reason this city embraced the team so passionately so quickly, or was it simply a bunch of things that came together at once?

I think one reason was the team’s style of play, number two was success. Number three—this area is a great sports area. People in this area appreciate teams because, let’s face it, the people around here are enduring people, they understand what it’s like to face adversity and bounce back, with the storms and everything else. I think they appreciated the fact that the Hornets played an entertaining style, played very hard and that the players were involved in the community. They really went out and touched people. The fact that it was new—you’ve got a legacy of the NFL here for decades, but the NBA was still fairly new—factored in. Once they got a taste of coming into the arena and watching the team, and the entertainment, the passion and the playoffs, the emotional hook set in and that’s the first step. The team took the step and was successful, and as it continues you’ll see the fan now wrap their arm around the product. You’re in a major league sports town now. You’ve got big-time college football and baseball, and the NFL and the NBA. This may be a small media market, but as far as product goes it’s just off the charts. Now what would make it complete is another sports talk show!

Find Gerry V. on KMEZ 106.7FM during every New Orleans Hornets game broadcast and also on Hornets Sportsline every Thursday from 7-8pm. The V-Man’s weekend shows continue on Saturdays from 8-11am and Sundays from 9-11am, both on WRNO 99.5FM.

The Saints are hoping their fate is the same as that of the ’07 New York Giants, who represented the NFC in last year’s London game, won against the Miami Dolphins and went on to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. A lot will be made of Drew Brees facing San Diego for the first time since they let him walk as a free agent, but the focus should be on where this game leaves each team at the halfway mark of the season. The Chargers are eager to prove they’re a team worthy of going to the Super Bowl and will probably thrive in the spotlight.

Saints Players to Watch: QB Drew Brees. As we’ve mentioned before, we closely watch Brees every game, but this one has the potential to turn into something special. San Diego’s got an offense capable of putting up tons of points, with QB Philip Rivers, RB LaDainian Tomlinson and WR Chris Chambers. With this likely to become another Saints shootout, it’ll be on Brees to help control what the black and gold put up on the board.

Chargers Players to Watch: CBs Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie. We might want to throw in LB Shaun Philips as well. Jammer and Cromartie are cornerbacks on the rise and Philips is a well above average linebacker. If Brees cannot consistently find open receivers downfield because of good coverage by the Chargers, he’ll be force to throw underneath and Philips can take advantage of an errant throw. The last thing the Saints will need on foreign soil is yet another offensive mistake turned into a touchdown by an opposing defense.

Ex-Saints to Watch: No notables this week.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 34-24.

HA’s Prediction: The Saints should be revved up for this one and it’ll be exciting to see both the fans who make the trip from New Orleans and the ones based in Europe. For that flimsy reason and that flimsy reason alone, we’ll go with the Saints, who’ll win 31-20.

We’re beginning to feel like we’re repeating ourselves here at HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE—The Panthers face the Saints with a powerful one-two running back punch with DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart. Carolina coach John Fox has gotten back to his defensive coordinator roots by focusing on running the ball and having his quarterback make plays when they count on offense and using an aggressive defense—the result has the Panthers looking as good as they were when they went to the Super Bowl in 2003. How will the Saints look entering this game? Will they come in on a roll or deflated from the toll their injury bug has taken? On a modest one-game winning streak, the Saints finally look to get healthy—Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey look to return, as if Drew Brees needs more weapons.

Saints Players to Watch: RBs Pierre Thomas and Deuce McAllister. Reggie Bush will continue to catch passes out of the backfield and line up at wideout, but Thomas and Deuce can dominate Panther DTs Darwin Walker and Damione Lewis. In last year’s two games against the Panthers, the trio of Bush, Aaron Stecker and Thomas averaged 76.5 yards, and that paltry output can be easily eclipsed here.

Panthers Players to Watch: WR Steve Smith. Odd as it sounds, considering the Saints’ poor secondary in ’07, the Saints did a good job of protecting themselves against the speedy Steve Smith. Smith had 47 yards receiving in each of the two meetings last year, with just 1 touchdown. Of course, that was accomplished against the Panthers’ QBs from last year, David Carr and Matt Moore, not with this game’s Ex-Saint to Watch.

Ex-Saints to Watch: QB Jake Delhomme. In the Saints’ two losses to the Panthers in 2006, both quarterbacked by this Saints-castoff, Delhomme threw for 376 yards, 4 TDs and no INTs.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints lose, 24-21.

HA’s Prediction: In the print edition we said the Saints probably weren’t going to go 4-0 in this October stretch, so they would have to drop one somewhere. Saints lose, 24-28. After the events of the past few weeks and the early return of some injured players (we thought Colston and Shockey would be out until next week’s London game), we’re going to now say the Saints will win this one, 34-24. The Saints haven’t won on the road yet this season, and now would be a good time to start that ball rolling.

Before you think the Raiders coming into the Superdome with a new coach means good things for the Saints, remember two things: the Saints tend to play down to their competition and the Raiders will be coming off of a bye week, which will give them extra time to prepare for Brees and company. Granted, new coach Tom Cable probably won’t be able to right the ship, but after seeing the Saints’ performance on Monday night we can’t take anything for granted.

Saints Players to Watch: The Raiders have a good one-two RB punch with Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden. One eye should be focused on offense, specifically Reggie Bush. Oakland has some good linebackers in Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison, and Bush’s problems pass blocking against extra rushers the defense sends was an issue against Tampa Bay in the season opener and could be again here. The Raider secondary has two above-average cornerbacks in Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall, who Saints fans are familiar with from his days in Atlanta. That duo won’t turn potential interceptions into second chances for the Saints—they’ll turn them into touchdowns.

Raiders Players to Watch: Forget the above for a second—everybody wants to see former LSU QB JaMarcus Russell in his first appearance at the Superdome since LSU’s 2006 Sugar Bowl victory over Notre Dame. Russell hasn’t been allowed to throw the ball much the first few weeks of the season, and there’s been no real need for him to due to the success of Fargas and McFadden. Oakland’s offense features average receivers in Ronald Curry and Javon Walker, the former Packer and Bronco who’s still rounding himself into playing shape after a hamstring injury, so the Saints defense could have a good day if the Saints can get ahead and force Russell to pass the ball in order to catch up.

Ex-Saints to Watch: No notables this week.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 34-10.

HA’s Prediction: The Saints should be in must-win mode, making this one an important game to win before a brutal stretch of road games. Despite Oakland benefiting from the extra week, we’ll go Saints 27, Raiders 16.

The Saints make a return to Monday Night Football. The good news is that Vikings’ quarterback Gus Frerotte should have even the Saints’ secondary grinning. The bad news is the Vikings’ running back duo of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor should have the knees of the Saints’ defensive line and linebacking corps’ shaking.

Saints Players to Watch: This was DT Sedrick Ellis, until he injured a knee in practice and will miss this game and at least one other. In the absence of Hollis Thomas, who the Saints cut but will hopefully re-sign when his triceps injury heals, Ellis has become the best defensive tackle in New Orleans. When Ellis is pushing offensive lineman backwards, offenses have little choice but to run the ball away from him. Against Peterson and Taylor, the Saints will need Ellis to produce all the pressure he can muster, otherwise we’ll be in for a long night of hearing WWL Radio announcer Jim Henderson say “Peterson runs left,” “Peterson runs right” and “Peterson runs up the middle.” So who gives the Saints that push now? Kendrick Clancy, Brian Young and Antwan Lake strike fear into no defensive coordinator’s heart, so we might be in for a long one tonight. The Saints’ best bet? Throw nine men in the box to stop Peterson and hope Gus Frerotte plays like Gus Frerotte—meaning he throws a few INTs and no TDs.

Vikings Players to Watch: Peterson and Taylor are the obvious choices, so we’ll skip them and go with the Vikings secondary, CBs Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin, FS Madieu Williams and SS Darren Sharper. The Vikings have not defended the pass well, and Drew Brees should be able to eat up yards in chunks, even without WR Marques Colston and TE Jeremy Shockey.

Ex-Saints to Watch: No notables this week.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 27-17.

HA’s Prediction: The Saints need this one and should be ready to show a national audience they’re ready to go on a run—Saints 34, Vikings 20.

(Saints trail all-time matchups 2-6)

Denver wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal should provide some headaches for the New Orleans secondary, as the Broncos own the top-ranked offense going into Week 3. Denver caught a break when Marshall’s original three-game suspension was shortened to one game, and he lit his Week 2 debut on fire with a Bronco record 18 receptions for 166 yards and a TD. Marshall and Royal will test the Saints cornerbacks, and this game could very well become a shootout. With Marques Colston out another three weeks with an injured thumb, Robert Meachem and David Patten need to step up at wideout, and tight end Jeremy Shockey needs to rebound from a very quiet performance in Week 2.

Saints players to watch: TE Shockey. With TE Mark Campbell out with an injured hamstring, this becomes even more of a focus because of the importance of the Saints running game improving. It’s the Saints’ turn to feature TEs that matchup well with linebackers down the field. With the attention Saints wideouts should get (see below), Shockey will get a chance to see some footballs thrown his way, as we should see the versatility he brings to the table. His run blocking will be a big part of running the ball at Mile High, and if the Saints can get a running game going early on it’ll just increase Shockey’s viability on play action passes.

Broncos player to watch: CB Dre Bly. Colston’s injury leaves Champ Bailey free to roam the secondary, so it’ll be interesting to see what Saints wideout gets his attention. Drew Brees shouldn’t force the ball into Bailey’s territory and should turn to other wideouts like Meachem and Patten, and that’s where Bly comes in.

Ex-Saint to watch: None. Until a couple weeks ago it was G Montrae Holland, but just before the season Denver traded him to the Dallas Cowboys.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 14-13.

HA’s Prediction: In the print edition we had the Saints losing 23-30, but with the Broncos getting such a boost from two blown calls in their victory over the Chargers in Week 2, we now think karma will come back to bite Denver, so we’ll flip this prediction to the Saints getting back on track with a 30-23 victory at Mile High.

(Saints trail all-time matchups 7-14)

The Saints catch the Redskins early in the reign of coach Jim Zorn and the Redskins’ success will probably hinge upon how quickly the team grasps his new offense. RB Clinton Portis will challenge the Saints’ new look defensive line, though in 2007 he posted the lowest yardage total (1262) and second-lowest per-rush average (3.9) of his career (when he’s played 13 or more games). The Saints’ ability to control Washington’s run game will dictate how many defenders can be used to control the Skins’ potent passing game, which features speedy WRs Antwan Randel-El and Santana Moss. Conversely, the Saints offense looks to produce without WR Marques Colston, who’s out for at least a month with a thumb injury. Look for QB Drew Brees to work TE Jeremy Shockey into the short passing game more than he was against the Bucs, where he had 6 catches for 54 yards.

Saints players to watch: MLB Jonathan Vilma. Vilma’s the most exciting offseason addition to the Saints defense, and his play in the pass defense may bear fruit in this game. When healthy, no Saints linebacker since Sam Mills has had the ability to play both the run and pass the way Vilma can. With OLB Scott Fujita missing the game with a slight knee injury, the onus falls on Vilma to pick up the slack.

Redskins players to watch: TE Chris Cooley. Cooley led the Redskins in both catches (66) and TDs (8) in 2007, and as QB Jason Campbell continues to test Zorn’s new offense it only bears reason that he’ll continue to lean upon the ’07 NFC Pro Bowl tight end. This is why Vilma vs. Cooley may be the matchup to watch; Vilma’s had at least one INT in each season he’s played—can he come up with a big play here?

Ex-Saint to watch: LB Alfred Fincher. He’s not going to dominate, but look for Fincher on special teams.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints lose, 24-21.

HA’s Prediction: Saints win, 24-21.

If the football gods were to mold the perfect superfan out of Mardi Gras beads, daiquiris and pure love for the New Orleans Saints, they’d produce Supa Saint. The golden mustached one played the piano to release his pain after the Saints lost the NFC Championship game in 2006, celebrated the opening of football season by walking around New Orleans with a 40oz and a boombox blasting Guns ‘N’ Roses’ “Paradise City” and recently appeared in a WDSU Channel 6 TV commercial with the Hornets’ mascot, Hugo.

With the 2008 season upon us, HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE thought it’d be good luck to see how Supa Saint prepared for this season, so we met him at a pool on the roof of a Julia St. building to talk about his favorite Saints offseason moves, Jason David and 190 Octane.

Homefield Advantage: What’s Supa Saint been up to since the end of 2007?

Supa Saint: I like to come up here on Friday afternoons, kick back with my 190 Octane. Watch the sun set over the Superdome. I don’t live here, I just hop the fence, but I don’t think they mind. I’ve been living on the side of the Superdome, they have a fence that goes around the dumpster area and I’ve made my Supa Saint headquarters there. I’ve been living there since the last game of last season, making ends meet by eating the leftover hot dogs and nachos and waiting for the new season.

HA: What’s your favorite off-season move the Saints have made?

SS: I like Charlotte, a new Saintsation. She’s got some good measurables, good athleticism, agility, flexibility, really good body type. As far as new players, I like the Jeremy Shockey and Jonathan Vilma moves equally. Vilma might get a slight nod.

HA: ESPN recently had a SportsNation poll that asked fans to name their team’s best ever player. Saints fans picked Bobby Hebert as the best player in Saints history. What do you think about that?

SS: I like Bobby. Look, Bobby and I go way back. We go fishing on Sundays, he watches my kids while I’m out of town—he’s a good kid. I’ve got to say Drew Brees is already the best player in our history, though. He’s my boy.

HA: What’s your favorite Saints moment of all time?

SS: You know what really hits me the heart, even just thinking about it—see these goosebumps right here? In that Falcons game, the first game back in the Superdome, with the national spotlight on us…for my boy Steve Gleason to break through the line and block that punt. If he were in the Olympics coming off the diving board, as fast as they go in that water with no splash, he’d get a 10.0 for the way he executed. After they took it to the end zone, I can’t remember anything that felt quite like that.

HA: What’s your least favorite Saints moment of all time?

SS: Probably the first four games of last year. I wasn’t drinking 190 Octane then, I was drinking Mind Erasers. Really, though, it had to be the early ’80s and the Ditka days. I’d love to forget those, but I can’t.

HA: Did those Ditka teams have any good players?

SS: I’d love to tell you there were a couple…

HA: What was your life like growing up?

SS: I don’t know who my parents are, but a lot of people say that Willie Roaf looks like me, and Joe Horn kind of looks like me, so I don’t know.

HA: What is Supa Saint’s mission statement?

SS: I was put on the West Bank for three reasons and three reasons only. One, I will find a shutdown corner to play opposite Mike McKenzie. There’s a lot of untapped talent just beyond the concrete walls of the Harvey Canal. Second, I will get Section 330 of the Superdome rocking each and every Sunday, you better believe that. Third off, I will never let Kenny’s Key West shut down ever again, and I will not rest until all five of those things have been accomplished or until I have a long night of heavy drinking in Fat City.

HA: What would you say to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to make a case for Rickey Jackson?

SS: I’d love to see him make some child support payments every now and again, but as far as his on the field play, I don’t think anybody could match that. His stats are comparable to some of the best linebackers out there, so I don’t see why not. If it’s just about his play of the field you’ve got to give it to him.

HA: What words of encouragement would you give to Jason David?

SS: I’d say, “Look, Jason. I encourage you to become a lawyer, something else outside of football.” I’ve actually been working with Jason on his footwork, in this pool right here. We run laps inside the pool, with the idea to get our heart rates up and then we’ve been sharing some antics, so I take full responsibility—he’s got to be in top shape to play corner in the NFL.

HA: What’s your game plan for the first regular season game—any parties or tailgating plans?

SS: Right after this interview I’m going over to Beijing to work with some of those athletes a bit, trying to get them going, then I’ll be back before the regular season. We have a float, called the River Parish Disposal Supa Saint ride, with a police escort, a DJ, some cold beer and Mardi Gras beads. We’ll take a few laps around the Superdome and have a good time.

HA: Prediction time: how are the 2008 Saints going to do?

SS: Well, when it comes to predictions, you’ve got to understand that sometimes I have to take a step back, take off the black and gold shades and really take a good look at the product on the field. I tell you, I’m thinking probably 19-0, just to be safe. 16 regular season victories, two playoff victories and a Super Bowl win.

Visit with Supa Saint at supasaint.com.

Interview by Leo McGovern; Photo by Zack Smith.

SAINTS VS. BUCCANEERS

(Saints lead all-time matchups 19-13)

The Saints begin the season against their NFC South Division rival at the Superdome. This Sunday matchup is a far cry from the pomp and circumstance their ’07 opener greeted them with, a Thursday night game at the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. This game may not be much easier, though, as the Bucs are defending NFC South champs and Tampa Bay QB Jeff Garcia has something to prove after coach Jon Gruden flirted with Brett Favre over the summer. A good start is a must for the Saints after last year’s 0-4 misstep, and with the team seemingly back under the radar the players will hopefully feel much less pressure.

Saints player to watch: QB Drew Brees. We closely watch Brees excel in almost every Saints game, but had good, not great stats against Tampa last year. In ’07’s first matchup with the Bucs, Brees threw for 260 yards and 1 TD but also an INT (the Saints lost 31-14). In the second, Brees had 2 TDs but just 179 yards through the air. In neither game did the Saints muster 100 yards rushing as a team. The Bucs are sure to test the Saints’ revamped secondary early in the game (see Bucs player to watch below) and it could be up to Brees to put the Saints on the board early and often if it becomes a shootout. He can’t afford to give away the ball and may have to keep Saints drives alive with his passing, necessitating more than 179 yards.

Bucs player to watch: This one’s easy: WR Joey Galloway. Over the past four games between the Bucs and Saints the elderly speedster has torched New Orleans with 19 catches for 500 yards and 5 TDs. In last year’s matchup at the Superdome, Galloway absolutely burned the Saints with 7 catches for 159 yards, including one catch that went for 60. In fact, in each of those four games Galloway has had a catch of at least 44 yards.

Ex-Saint to watch: C Jeff Faine. Faine bolted for Tampa for a $50 million dollar contract and anchors their offensive line. He’s sure to want to prove the Saints wrong for letting him go and starting the unproven Jonathan Goodwin, but will he be able to take Sedrick Ellis and Kendrick Clancy?

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints win, 34-7.

HA’s Prediction: Saints win, 27-17.