The road to Super Bowl XLVI starts here as Detroit Lions take on New Orleans Saints - NFL Preview
One of the most exciting Playoff wildcard round fixtures will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans this Saturday, January 7th 2012, with new comers to the postseason, Detroit Lions, taking on the New Orleans Saints.
Both teams come into the playoffs on the back of some brilliant performances in the regular season.
The Saints and the Lions are among the National Football League’s (NFL) the best offensive sides and fans can expect a cracking game as these two in-form teams look to take one step closer to the Super Bowl XLVI.
For the Detroit Lions and Coach Jim Schwartz, this is the culmination of two years of hard work to make the franchise into an elite level team.
Schwartz joined the Lions at the end of the 2009 season in which the Lions failed to register even a single win.
Schwartz went to work immediately bringing in quarterback Matthew Stafford the number one draft pick of the 2010 drafts and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
The Coach also gave the team a physical identity which screamed at opponents that they are not to be messed with and all of those efforts have come to fruition this year.
The Lions ended the current regular season with a brilliant 10-6 record, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade, but for Schwartz just making the postseason is not enough.
"The goal is no longer to be good over a 16-game season. Whatever you have to do each week to advance is the only important thing. That's what we need to do. If you polled the locker room, I don't think anyone would say our goal is to just get into the playoffs.
It's not an end game for us."
If the Lions want to progress further into the postseason then quarterback Matthew Stafford will have to perform the same way as he has done throughout the year.
Stafford has had a brilliant 2011 season developing a seemingly telepathic understanding with star wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Stafford has passed for a mammoth 5,038 yards and has created 41 passing touchdowns. The young quarterback completed 421 passes
from 631 attempts and if he can bring his regular season form to play on Saturday, the Lions may have a chance at progression.
The New Orleans Saints however, will not make the task any easier for the Lions as they look to win their second Super Bowl in three years. The Saints are the National Football Conference (NFC) South Champions and with quarterback Drew Brees having a record
breaking season, are favourites to win the Super Bowl.
Brees this year broke NFL legend Dan Marino’s record for the highest number of passing yards in a season passing for 5,476 yards and also created 46 passing touchdowns.
His performances has led to increasing calls for him to be named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) this year ahead of Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers, and if Brees performs at his best on Saturday those calls will become more forceful.
The Saints lost out to Seattle Seahawks in the playoff wildcard round last year in a huge upset but this year there will be no complacency against the Lions.
"If you don't play your best, you're out. There is no second chance. That was reiterated to us last year," Brees said.
The game day is approaching and the excitement levels are reaching fever pitch as these two highly talented sides will fight for the chance to reach the Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.
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