Week 1 Recap and Where the Saints Should Go From Here

A wild Week 1 of close calls, emerging stars, upsets and minimal Tebow distractions has gotten the 2012 NFL Season off to a fantastic start.  I'll be the first to admit that my dismal game picking record for the week (8 - 8) is pretty embarrassing on the one hand, but that's the risk you take as a rookie football blogger trying to beat the Vegas spread.  But onward and upward as expectations are recalibrated across the blogosphere!

Here are my lingering thoughts on Week 1 in Quick Snap form.  I'll also feature a big idea, team and/or player each week to keep things interesting throughout the season.  This week: Where the Saints should go from here after a shocker at home.  But first, the good stuff:

Week 1: The Good Stuff

• Holy Crap, RG3 - I must admit I did not see this one coming.  I figured Mr. III would have flashes of brilliance but make just enough rookie mistakes for a struggling Saints defense to capitalize on.  Boy was I wrong.  The thing separating RG3 from Andrew Luck in the early going (other than the fact that the Bears' defense is functional right now) is his ability to be patiently opportunistic.  He and the 'Skins play callers stuck to a scheme that virtually eliminated mistakes and allowed the rookie QB to strike big, early and often to take control of the game.
• David Aker's Platinum Toe - The 49ers/Packers game reminded me of the 2009 March Madness tourney.  A Memphis Tigers fan, I watched as Missouri built a decent but surmountable early lead and thought we'd have a chance.  Then one of their guys launched a half (more like 3/4)-court buzzer beater than went straight through the net to close out the half, and I already knew it was over.  Stuff like David Akers' record-tying 63-yard field goal at Lambeau on Sunday goes to show that 2012 might just be San Francisco's year.

• Nailed It! : My Best Prediction of the Week - It's not a rocket science prediction that goes against anyone's conventional wisdom, but my Colts-Bears pick was pretty spot on:
• "While the premise of Andrew Luck and his rag-tag team of toddlers surprising supervillain Jay Cutler and the weather-worn Bears sounds like a great Hallmark movie, it ain't gonna happen."

The Bad Stuff

• Home Field Disadvantages - We saw three powerhouses from the 2011 season/playoffs stumble badly out of the gate in front of the home crowd this weekend.  The Giants became the first reigning Super Bowl team since Elway left the Broncos to lose during opening ceremonies.  The Saints and Packers saw their explosive offenses stifled by the Redskins and 49ers, respectively.  It could be a blip on the parity-driven league's schedule, torn up secondary squads across the board or good old-fashioned overconfidence, but none of this showed up in my crystal ball, obviously.
• I'm Still Not 100% on Peyton Manning - I know this is blasphemous because dude looked spectacular in most people's eyes on Sunday night.  But the Steelers didn't look so hot in Mile High against Tim Tebow last January either and they're still missing a lot of key components including James Harrison, Ryan Clark, Rashard Mendenhall and most of their A- and B-Team offensive linemen.  In terms of things Manning was in control of, he narrowly avoided a couple of disastrous interceptions and got hit far more often than he would have liked, especially on the blind side.  All I'm saying is, this thing was closer than people think.

• Shanked It! : My Worst Prediction of the Week - I committed a mortal sin and read way too much into the preseason chatter about these AFC East rivals, though my caveat definitely played a role.  Talk about Opposite Day:
• "I'm calling it - Ryan Fitzpatrick on an average day would be worth five Mark Sanchez-es if multiplying zeroes counted.  Caveat: Fred Jackson must have fully functional knees and toes."

Week 1 Feature: Where the Saints Should Go From Here

It was a painful opening week for the New Orleans Saints, who were a far cry from their total 'Dome dominance last season.  Not even the temporary stay for Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith could pump up the team or the crowd once both sides of the ball [immediately] went to Washington.  Here are some quick thoughts on how to move forward for NOLA:

• Have a Little More Patience on Defense - There were certainly some Gregg Williams-esque blitzing gambles that the Saints should have stayed away from against the Redskins, though I can understand the sentiment going up against a rookie QB.  I'm giving Spags a couple more weeks to get everyone settled into the new system with Jabari Greer back on the field.  In the meantime, there better be double coverage on Steve Smith next week or that game is over before it starts.
• Respect Your Own Run Game - Much attention is rightfully being paid to how RG3 outplayed Drew Brees in Week 1.  But the underlying issue to me is how quickly the Saints abandoned the run.  Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram rushed the ball a collective 10 times while Drew Brees had 52 pass attempts.  In fact, 4 of those pass attempts happened when the Saints were temporarily stalled at Washington's 3 yard line.  Huh?  You know the whole bit about insanity and expecting different results.  The Saints have too solid an offensive line and too deep a rushing game to get discouraged so quickly.  Pete Carmichael knows better, and he can use that to the team's advantage in Carolina.   
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• Flexibility Is Your Friend - There's no denying that Sean Payton's absence was truly felt on Sunday in New Orleans.  Aside from his motivational skills and astute play calling, Payton has always been excellent in helping the team make mid-course adjustments when the game plan isn't working.  We didn't see much of that this week.  Per my points above, the defense never found an answer for RG3's explosiveness, and Drew Brees tried to shoulder the entire offense for 60 minutes (paltry time of possession notwithstanding).  Aaron Kromer needs to put on his analytical hat on in a big way for the next five games or this talent-rich squad is going to become a hobbling one-trick pony.
• The Silver Lining - Like I said to friends after last year's Week 1 loss to Green Bay, the Saints have all the potential in the world to contend.  This was a situation in which a very thin secondary and still-developing defensive squad combined with sloppy turnovers and penalties sunk the team's momentum too many times.  Yet New Orleans still had not one but two shots to regain control in the fourth quarter.  Had the Saints executed to their potential in even one or two more series, we might have seen a different outcome.  It's like the parable of two track stars who run the same time, one with perfect form, one not as good.  You always scout the imperfect runner because once you get the fundamentals right, she'll be much faster.