Saturday Playoffs
By Fanspeak Contributing writer Geoff Nelowet
The New Orleans Saints will dominate the Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals played in one of the most exciting playoff games of the decade last week, and they are fortunate to have walked away with a victory in a 51-45 shootout over the Green Bay Packers. This week, the Cardinals will go up against a different animal in the New Orleans Saints, and it does not look like a match-up that favors the Cardinals.
The Saints and Cardinals are two high-powered offensive teams fraught with talent at the skills positions. The Saints’ Drew Brees has been arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, and he has made his entire team better. The Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin at wide receiver has been the best receiving tandem the NFL has seen for numerous years, and quarterback Kurt Warner is an imminent hall-of-famer.
Despite the Cardinals’ offensive brilliance, this still sits as a bad match-up, as the Cardinals’ strengths are second-best to the Saints’. New Orleans had far and away the best offense in the NFL this past regular season, and they rarely ever had trouble moving the ball – even against some of the best defenses the NFL has to offer.
Couple that with the Saints’ ability to force turnovers on defense (3rd in the NFL in interceptions), and the Cardinals will find themselves outmatched. Last week’s game was truly an anomaly, and the Cardinals will surely find themselves in a lower-scoring game in which late-game good fortune will not be enough. Drew Brees will lead his team as he has all season, the Saints will end the Cardinals’ playoff run. Final score New Orleans 38 Arizona 21