The New Orleans Saints might be in trouble. Between the New England Patriots’ ability to mimic a successful Carolina Panthers defensive game plan and their own issues on that side of the ball, the Saints have a big puzzle to put back together and they’re missing some important pieces.
That’s music to Bill Belichick’s ears. His specialty throughout his coaching career has been taking away what opponents do best and forcing them to play off-balance; double-teaming their top receiver, bullying their pass protection with overloaded sets, the works.
The Saints offense looks more vulnerable now than it’s been in three previous meetings under Sean Payton’s tenure, and there’s reason for concern on defense, too. Here are four questions on my mind: