NFC wild-card round Lions (10-6) at Saints (13-3)
When » Saturday, 8 p.m.
Where » Superdome, New Orleans
TV » NBC
By Examiner Staff Writer Jeffrey Tomik
Storylines
1 Home sweet home » The Saints went 8-0 this season at the Superdome, outscoring opponents 329-143 and averaging an astounding 41.1 points. And it wasn’t just the dregs of the NFL the Saints beat up. New Orleans dominated some playoff teams, beating the Texans 40-33, Giants 49-24, Lions 31-17 and Falcons 45-16. The Saints’ speed is suited for the dome environment, where quarterback Drew Brees can best utilize his weapons.
2 Stafford needs to make a statement » Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns and wasn’t named to the Pro Bowl. The former No. 1 pick finally proved he can stay healthy for an entire season. Now he needs to prove he can take that next step as a quarterback and win a playoff game in a hostile environment. With the Saints’ explosive offense, Stafford will have to put up big numbers to keep up.
Key matchup
Lions WR Calvin Johnson vs. Saints secondary
In the last three games, Johnson has 560 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Saints’ defense ranks 30th against the pass. In 2009, when they went on to win the Super Bowl, the Saints forced 39 turnovers. This year, they have just 16 takeaways. If they can’t stop Johnson and the Lions’ passing attack, the Saints need to force some turnovers.
Last meeting
Saints 31, Lions 17 (Dec. 4) » Brees passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns and had a 129.6 passer rating as the Saints raced to a 24-7 halftime lead and put the game away early in the fourth quarter. Stafford raked up big numbers as well, passing for 408 yards, but he only had one score and threw an interception.
By the numbers
2 » Seasons in which Drew Brees has thrown for more than 5,000 yards. Only three other quarterbacks have done this once, including Matthew Stafford and Tom Brady this year.
8 » Games in which Calvin Johnson had more than 100 yards receiving this year, including two in which he went over 200.
Examiner predicts …
Saints 45, Lions 30
This has the makings of a classic passing duel between Brees and Stafford. But you’ve got to side with the home team with playoff experience. Stafford must pay his dues before taking the leap. Take notes as Brees shows how it’s done.
