Final Score Prediction
Saints 37, Lions 30
Fantasy Player Rankings and Projections by Mike Krueger |
Detroit Lions |
Rank |
Player |
Projections |
QB 2 |
Matthew Stafford |
Pass: 360, 3 TD Rush: 0, 0 |
RB 9 |
Kevin Smith |
Rush: 60, 0 TD Rec: 4-30, 0 |
RB 15 |
Maurice Morris |
Rush: 20, 0 TD Rec: 1-10, 0 |
WR 1 |
Calvin Johnson |
Rec: 8-110, 1 TD |
WR 12 |
Titus Young |
Rec: 4-60, 1 TD |
WR 14 |
Nate Burleson |
Rec: 5-70, 0 TD |
TE 3 |
Brandon Pettigrew |
Rec: 6-60, 1 TD |
TE 9 |
Tony Scheffler |
Rec: 2-20, 0 TD |
K 2 |
Jason Hanson |
FG: 3/3 XP: 3/3 |
DEF 8 |
Defense / ST |
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New Orleans Saints |
Rank |
Player |
Projections |
QB 1 |
Drew Brees |
Pass: 370, 3 TD Rush: 0, 0 |
RB 5 |
Chris Ivory |
Rush: 60, 1 TD Rec: 0-0, 0 |
RB 7 |
Darren Sproles |
Rush: 40, 0 TD Rec: 5-40, 0 |
RB 12 |
Pierre Thomas |
Rush: 20, 0 TD Rec: 3-20, 0 |
WR 3 |
Marques Colston |
Rec: 8-110, 1 TD |
WR 11 |
Robert Meachem |
Rec: 5-60, 1 TD |
WR 16 |
Devery Henderson |
Rec: 3-40, 0 TD |
TE 1 |
Jimmy Graham |
Rec: 7-80, 1 TD |
K 1 |
John Kasay |
FG: 3/3 XP: 4/4 |
DEF 7 |
Defense / ST |
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Game Notes
For the first time in NFL history, a playoff game will feature two 5,000-yard passers - New Orleans' Drew Brees (NFL-record 5,476) and Detroit's Matthew Stafford (5,038). The duo's combined passing yardage total of 10,514 yards is the most ever for opposing starting QBs in a playoff game, and will surpass the mark of 8,888 set by PEYTON MANNING (4,500) and Brees (4,388) in Super Bowl XLIV.
Detroit is back in the playoffs for the first time since 1999. The Lions scored a team-record 474 points and gained 6,337 total net yards, the most in franchise history. Stafford set multiple team passing records, including yards (5,038), touchdowns (41) and passer rating (97.2). Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who was selected to his second consecutive Pro Bowl, led the NFL with 1,681 receiving yards and had a team-record 16 touchdown receptions. Johnson is the first Lion since Pro Football Hall of Famer BARRY SANDERS (1991) to score 15 TDs in a season.
“The regular season is over and it's the postseason now so our full attention is on the Saints,” says Lions head coach JIM SCHWARTZ. “The playoffs are about advancing and doing whatever you have to do each week to advance.”
New Orleans has won eight in a row and the club has advanced to the postseason for the fourth time in six seasons under head coach SEAN PAYTON. The Saints, who had five players named to the Pro Bowl, had an NFL-record 7,474 total net yards and 5,347 net passing yards. Brees set numerous league single-season marks, among them passing yards (5,476), 300-yard games (13), consecutive 300-yard games (seven), completions (468) and completion percentage (71.2). Running back Darren Sproles had an NFL-record 2,696 all-purpose yards and became the first player in league history to record at least 1,300 scrimmage yards (1,313) and 1,300 kick-return yards (1,383) in a season.
Results and Schedule
|
|
New Orleans Saints |
Week |
Date |
Opp |
H/A |
Score |
Dif |
1 |
2011-09-08 |
GB |
A |
L 34-42 |
-8 |
2 |
2011-09-18 |
CHI |
H |
W 30-13 |
+17 |
3 |
2011-09-25 |
HOU |
H |
W 40-33 |
+7 |
4 |
2011-10-02 |
JAC |
A |
W 23-10 |
+13 |
5 |
2011-10-09 |
CAR |
A |
W 30-27 |
+3 |
6 |
2011-10-16 |
TB |
A |
L 20-26 |
-6 |
7 |
2011-10-23 |
IND |
H |
W 62-7 |
+55 |
8 |
2011-10-30 |
STL |
A |
L 21-31 |
-10 |
9 |
2011-11-06 |
TB |
H |
W 27-16 |
+11 |
10 |
2011-11-13 |
ATL |
A |
W 26-23 |
+3 |
11 |
|
Bye |
|
|
|
12 |
2011-11-28 |
NYG |
H |
W 49-24 |
+25 |
13 |
2011-12-04 |
DET |
H |
W 31-17 |
+14 |
14 |
2011-12-11 |
TEN |
A |
W 22-17 |
+5 |
15 |
2011-12-18 |
MIN |
A |
W 42-20 |
+22 |
16 |
2011-12-26 |
ATL |
H |
W 45-16 |
+29 |
17 |
2012-01-01 |
CAR |
H |
W 45-17 |
+28 |
WC |
2012-01-07 |
DET |
H |
W 45-28 |
+17 |
DP |
2012-01-14 |
SF |
A |
|
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Offense Stats Comparison
|
DET Offense |
NO Offense |
NFL Avg. |
Adv. |
Points for |
29.3 |
40.8 |
22.4 |
NO |
Rushing yards |
79.8 |
161.0 |
121.7 |
NO |
Rushing yards per attempt |
4.23 |
5.44 |
4.37 |
NO |
Completion % |
66.8% |
72.1% |
60.0% |
NO |
Passing yards |
345.0 |
360.5 |
225.9 |
NO |
Passing yards per completion |
11.81 |
12.45 |
11.25 |
NO |
Passing yards per attempt |
7.89 |
8.97 |
6.75 |
NO |
Interceptions |
0.8 |
0.3 |
0.9 |
NO |
Fumbles lost |
0.3 |
0.0 |
0.6 |
NO |
Sacks allowed |
2.5 |
0.8 |
2.4 |
NO |
3rd down conversions |
46.2% |
63.0% |
37.1% |
NO |
4th down conversions |
40.0% |
0.0% |
40.2% |
DET |
Time of possession |
30:34 |
32:01 |
30:12 |
NO |
|
|
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Defense Stats Comparison
|
DET Defense |
NO Defense |
NFL Avg. |
Adv. |
Points against |
28.3 |
17.8 |
22.4 |
NO |
Rushing yards |
95.3 |
81.0 |
121.7 |
NO |
Rushing yards per attempt |
5.06 |
4.47 |
4.37 |
NO |
Completion % |
64.8% |
61.6% |
60.0% |
NO |
Passing yards |
319.5 |
305.5 |
225.9 |
NO |
Passing yards per completion |
11.75 |
11.64 |
11.25 |
NO |
Passing yards per attempt |
7.61 |
7.18 |
6.75 |
NO |
INT return |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
- |
Fumble recoveries |
0.5 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
- |
Sacks |
2.5 |
2.0 |
2.4 |
DET |
3rd down conversions |
40.3% |
29.4% |
37.1% |
NO |
4th down conversions |
62.5% |
11.1% |
40.2% |
NO |
Time of possession |
29:26 |
27:59 |
30:12 |
NO |
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|
Special Teams Stats Comparison
|
DET |
NO |
NFL Avg. |
Adv. |
Yards per punt return |
7.9 |
11.0 |
9.2 |
NO |
Yards per kick return |
24.3 |
26.2 |
23.6 |
NO |
Yards allowed per punt return |
7.4 |
6.6 |
9.2 |
NO |
Yards allowed per kick return |
19.7 |
24.9 |
23.6 |
DET |
|
|
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Misc Stats Comparison
|
DET |
NO |
NFL Avg. |
Adv. |
Penalties |
10.3 |
6.8 |
6.1 |
NO |
Penalty yards |
82.8 |
66.5 |
51.9 |
NO |
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Note: Team statistics are shown as the average per game
through Weeks 12 to 17 of the 2011 season after deducting the best
and worst value from the data set. The exception is yards per rush attempt, completion %, yards per
pass completion, yards per pass attempt, 3rd and 4th down conversions, special teams and the NFL averages, which are each calculated based on
totals through Weeks 12 to 17 with no adjustment.
Weather
Dome Stadium
Team vs. Team History
Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints |
Season |
Week |
Date |
Vis |
Home |
Score |
Winner |
2000 |
1 |
2000-09-03 |
DET |
NO |
14-10 |
DET |
2002 |
4 |
2002-09-29 |
NO |
DET |
21-26 |
DET |
2005 |
16 |
2005-12-24 |
DET |
NO |
13-12 |
DET |
2008 |
16 |
2008-12-21 |
NO |
DET |
42-7 |
NO |
2009 |
1 |
2009-09-13 |
DET |
NO |
27-45 |
NO |
2011 |
13 |
2011-12-04 |
DET |
NO |
17-31 |
NO |
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Note: Only playoff games from the 2004 to 2010 seasons are included in the team vs. team history. Playoff games from seasons prior to 2004 are not currently included in the database.
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