New Orleans offense vs. New York defense

	SAINTS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	16
	Pass	11
	Tot. Yds.	11
	Scoring	20
	Int's allowed	6
	Sacks allowed	11
	GIANTS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	6
	vs. Pass	8
	Total yds. allowed	4
	No. of INTs	7
	No. of Sacks	15
	Turnover differential	-9

Five games into the season it's hard to decipher the identity of this unit. From looking at their personnel, one would think the Saints would be a ground-oriented offense that uses the pass only to keep defenses from stacking the line of scrimmage. After the team's 1-4 start, it's becoming apparently clear that coach Ditka and his staff might have misevaluated their talent. The Saints are averaging 102 yards rushing per game but RB Ricky Williams managed just 35 yards on 17 carries last week against a undermanned Titan defense. The bulk of the problems come up front, where the offensive line is getting stacked at the point of attack.

A stout Giants run defense, which held the Cowboys to 24 yards on 25 carries, will have their way with the undermanned Saints on Sunday. New York ROLB Jesse Armstead is finally healthy and makes plays all over the field, but it's the contributions from role players like LOLB Ryan Phillips that make this defense special. Phillips has worked his way into the starting lineup this season and is playing aggressive, smart football on a weekly basis. Phillips made a couple of huge plays last Monday night, including one in which he kept contain on the backside and foiled an attempted reverse option. Things just don't look good for Williams on Sunday.

As surprisingly ineffective as they have been in the run game, the Saints OL has been equally effective in pass protection -- a big key considering QB Billy Joe Tolliver's lack of mobility. Tolliver played well enough for his team to win last week but three critical turnovers led to decisive scores for the Titans. WR Eddie Kennison, who again led the team last week with 94 yards receiving, is Tolliver's first option and the Saints must use a lot of motion to prevent him from being pressed at the line of scrimmage by RDC Jason Sehorn. TE Cam Cleeland played hurt last week and his status is in question for Sunday. Blocking specialist Scott Slutzker, who teamed with Cleeland for 11 catches and 147 yards, stepped in and played admirably, but the team loses a dynamic intermediate option if Cleeland can't play. Look for the Saints to test Phillips' ability in pass coverage because he has been on the losing end of some matchups this season. Washington's Stephen Alexander burned Phillips for five receptions, 86 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2.

With so many teams stacking eight men in the box, the Giants are having trouble accounting for the extra defender. When the Saints walk SS Sammy Knight up to the line of scrimmage on Sunday, the Giants can either execute their combination blocks better -- where an offensive lineman comes off his initial block to reach a second defender -- or they can opt to single block every defender.

A normally capable Saint run defense was mauled last week by the Titans' 31st ranked rushing offense. New Orleans, whose front four is comprised of quick, undersized players like RDE Brady Smith and LDE Jared Tomich, gave up 155 yards to an offense that was averaging just 66.6 per game on the ground prior to last Sunday. Look for the Saints to keep the pressure on this struggling unit by blitzing a lot on running downs in order to take advantage of the Giants' slow-developing running game.

After last week's Monday night yawner, it's clear that Fassel's offense is out of sync, as can be expected when a team has instability at quarterback. The switch back to Kent Graham was not the success that the team expected last week. The lackluster Giant offense did not reach Dallas territory until midway through the second quarter on a drive that ended in the team's only three points of the half. Graham held the ball far too long waiting for his receivers to get open and as a result was sacked five times. The Saints' fifth-ranked pass defense forced 10 straight incompletions to start the game last week but the secondary had a hard time holding coverage once Neil O'Donnell was given ample time in the pocket.