New Orleans offense vs. Jacksonville defense

	SAINTS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	8
	Pass	15
	Tot. Yds.	12
	Scoring	23
	Int's allowed	13
	Sacks allowed	14
	JAGUARS
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	6
	vs. Pass	3
	Total yds. allowed	2
	# of Ints.	13
	# of Sacks	39
	Turnover differential	+10

Saints QB Billy Joe Tolliver had a solid game last weekend against the 49ers, going 12 of 15 for 242 yards and a touchdown. Tolliver was efficient and spread the ball around, completing passes to six different receivers on the day. He also displayed mobility that had been sorely lacking from New Orleans' offense over the first nine weeks of the season, carrying the ball 6 times for 36 yards. RB Ricky Williams continued his solid workhorse-like season with a 30 carry, 99-yard effort.

All in all, it was a solid, albeit unspectacular performance by the New Orleans offense, but a marked improvement over weeks past. Things will not come so easily for the Saints this week, as they face off against a Jaguar unit that is number one in the league in scoring defense and sacks and number two in total yardage.

The yards will not come easy for Williams in this game, so Tolliver should look to spread the ball around. WR Keith Poole has been the big play guy for the Saints this season, and is the only outside deep threat on the team. Tolliver needs to look for Poole downfield early in the game to stretch the defense and loosen things up for Ricky Williams.

The Jaguar defense has been nothing short of stellar this season. The Jags have allowed an average of 8.8 points per game, five points less than any other team in the league. The Saints have the 23rd ranked scoring offense in the league, so don't expect Jacksonville defensive coordinator Dom Capers to try anything fancy in this game.

Jacksonville will try to keep Saints RB Williams bottled up by forcing him to run laterally. It's when Williams squares his shoulders and turns it upfield that he can be dangerous. Jaguar DE's Joel Smeenge and Tony Brackens will try to get off their blocks and string Williams out to the sidelines where OLB's Kevin Hardy and Bryce Paup can make plays. LOLB Paup is aging and can be a liability against the run, so if New Orleans is going to be successful running the football, it will be to the right and away from the Pro-Bowl bound Brackens and Hardy. Brackens and Hardy also create match-up problems for the Saints in passing situations. Brackens is good enough to give New Orleans LOT Willie Roaf problems, and as Hardy is coming from the same side, the Saints may have to use an extra tight end or running back to get him blocked, which takes away options for Tolliver.

If Taylor is not healthy this weekend, RB James Stewart will have to carry the load. Stewart is a solid back, particularly near goal line, but he lacks the explosiveness of a Taylor and is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry -- compared to Taylor's 4.6. The Saints have a solid front four, so running the ball is not a foregone conclusion for the Jaguars.

Last week, QB Brunell completed 20 passes, but for a total of 118 yards. The Jaguars as a team had only 132 yards for the game. What has been lacking this year in Jacksonville's offense is the ability to throw the deep ball, something that has been a part of the Jaguars' arsenal with regularity over the past two seasons. Also missing is a consistent receiving threat at TE. While Kyle Brady has been a nice addition -- he blocks like a third tackle -- he lacks the speed to separate from linebackers and is not consistently available as an outlet for Brunell the way his predecessor, Pete Mitchell was.

The Saints' defense has been respectable this season, despite suffering through a rash of injuries to key players. New Orleans ranks ninth in the NFL in total yards against, and has sacked opposing QB's 28 times so far this season, sixth best in the league.

DE Brady Smith has been a key player in New Orleans' defensive schemes. Filling in for injured Pro-Bowler Joe Johnson, Smith has five sacks and has been a force defending the run as well. Smith will be challenged this week, as he will line up over Jacksonville's LOT Tony Boselli -- probably the best tackle in the NFL. Boselli has the size to handle bull rushers and the feet to neutralize edge rushers, as well as the ability to dominate opposing defensive ends at the point of attack when the Jags run the football.

Boselli will try to manhandle Smith and ROLB Mark Fields, who is still recovering from a bulging disc in his lower back. This means that New Orleans' safeties, Sammy Knight and Willie Clay, will have to be sound tacklers when they come up to support the run. RDT Laroi Glover needs to have a big game for the Saints. If he takes away Jacksonville's ability to run between the tackles, it will force James Stewart to run outside. Stewart is more of a north / south runner and is not as effective when he is forced to bounce plays outside.