Kickoff: 7:20 p.m. at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Coaches: Sean Payton (57-34 regular season; 4-2 postseason in six seasons, all with the Saints, Jim Schwartz (15-28 in three seasons, all with Lions. TV: NBC (WDSU-6; Al Michaels play-by-play, Cris Collinsworth color. Radio: 870 AM, 105.3 FM, 830 AM (spanish.
KEEP AN EYE ON
RB DARREN SPROLES
With all the deserved hype Sproles has gotten for his contributions this season, it is sometimes overlooked that he has been quiet of late and seems due for another breakout performance. Sproles’ 1,748 all-purpose yards are the most of any player in the NFL this season (just as his 9,866 are the most for any player since 2007. He made some big plays last week against the Giants, when he averaged 6.8 yards on eight carries and had two receptions for 28 yards. But his combined total rushing and receiving yardage has not topped 100 yards since the Saints beat Tampa Bay on Nov. 6, and he hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown since the loss at the Buccaneers back on Oct. 16. With the Saints’ full complement of running backs and receivers at full strength, it will be difficult for the Lions to key on Sproles as much as other teams did after his explosive start.
SAINTS WR ROBERT MEACHEM
Unlike Sproles, Meachem seems to be alternating his big games. After making no catches against Tampa Bay on Nov. 6, Meachem burned the Falcons for 69 yards and a touchdown on two catches, then followed that up with another null outing against the Giants. By that measure, he is due to hurt the Lions. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael laughed last week about how difficult it is to predict who might be featured in New Orleans’ attack. «We’ll try to get them all the ball,» he said. For the season, Meachem is averaging 12.4 yards per catch on 29 receptions, and he has scored four touchdowns.
KEY MATCHUP
LIONS WR CALVIN JOHNSON vs.
SAINTS CB JABARI GREER
Greer was one of the last Saints out of the shower Friday, and he smiled wryly when he spotted reporters around his locker. «Guess you want to talk about Calvin Johnson?» he asked. Correct. Like his teammates in the Saints’ secondary, Greer had no magical formula for stopping Johnson, who leads the NFL with 12 touchdown receptions. «You play hard to the whistle,» Greer said. «You realize you are here for a reason. Even though he is a top receiver in the league, you’re on the same field, you’ve got the same opportunity for the ball. So you have to trust yourself, trust your technique, trust that your guys are going to get to the quarterback. And you have to make the plays when they come your way. I know what I bring to the table, and I have to do that to give my team the best chance of winning.» Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford may need Johnson even more than usual, given the Lions’ best running back, Jahvid Best, is out and backup Kevin Smith is nursing a sore ankle. That could spell trouble for Detroit’s already middling rushing attack (Johnson and fellow wideout Maurice Stovall were also on the Lions’ injury report this week, but both practiced fully and are probable. Payton made it clear he will double-team Johnson when necessary, but neither he nor Greer were willing to concede that must be a permanent arrangement. «We’re going to do what we need to do to be successful,» Greer said. «Putting pride aside, we understand he’s a big part of their offense. We have to adjust accordingly and be ready for anything.»
BY THE NUMBERS
10-9-1 — Saints’ all-time record vs. the Lions. 2-0 — Saints’ record vs. Detroit under Payton. 10 — NFL record for 300+-yard passing games in a season. 8 – Drew Brees’ 300+-yard passing games this season. 395.4 — Yards of offense Saints average per game since 2006, best in the NFL. 449.6 — yards of offense Saints average this season, best in the NFL. 117 — sacks allowed by the Saints since 2006, second best in the NFL. 0 — Sacks allowed by the Saints in the past three games. 16 — Sacks by Saints safety Roman Harper since 2006, most of any defensive back in the NFL since 2006.
FROM THE COACH’S MOUTH
«Number one, if you can hurry the passer and the clock in his head, there is a good chance that will lead to some of the takeaways you are looking for. Your pursuit of the football … We have said this before. There is no guarantee that with 100 percent effort that turnovers are going to come. There is a certainty, if there isn’t that effort, that they are not going to come. Certainly, not as frequently as you would like them to. The ball disruptions, defensively, you can say it starts with your ability in the front, whether it’s through pressure or whether it’s just a four-man rush. That can begin the process of creating more tipped balls, balls that are hurried, balls that are thrown off of the quarterback’s clock that give you an opportunity for those plays.» — Payton on the improvement he’s looking for defensively down the stretch.
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