Though the game means so much to the orgnization, this preview is going to be short and to the point.
The Saints will be fielding their most complete team since the Miami game. Most of their starters will see action with defensive end Charles Grant being conspicuous by his absence on IR.
The most important returnees are the Saints corners. Arizona is a passing team and the redbirds have the best wide-out tandem in the NFL. Hopefully the refs will do a much better job calling out Larry Fitzgerald for his shoves than they did last weekend.
This will be the first match-up between the two teams in post-season and there is relatively little history between the franchises, with the most recent being the Saints' inability to land the opportunity to score running back Beanie Wells in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Running back Pierre Thomas is nursing a serious injury (broken ribs) and can't expect to be at his best. However this could be the perfect opportunity for running back Reggie Bush to shine at the highest level.
Three things:
1) Does Saints quarterback Drew Brees torment Arizona defensive back Michael Adams the way opposing teams used to pick on undersized Saints db Jason David?
2) Can the Saints get yards and first downs,and thus control of the game clock, on the ground?
3) Will the Saints' secondary distinguish themselves as the big-play squad that help the Black and Gold dominate the early part of the season?
The aforementioned matters more than how the Saints finished the season. The team is well-rested and largely healed up after a rough end to the regular season.
Oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Saints as a 7 point favorite. I think the Saints are going to win but it could come down to a field goal, (insert deity)-forbid.
Take the points...worst case scenario, the Saints win the game and host an NFC championship game for the first time in the Superdome.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
News That Made Me Mad As Hell
Sunday’s Times Picayune contained an article that had my blood boiling.
It was outrageous and proof that a certain body of “experts” lack all objectivity and possess an obtuse mindset.
The collective action by this group was inexplicable and ought to cause their credibility as leaders in their field to be questioned.
Of course, I’m referring to the article heralding that Saints quarterback Drew Brees was denied the Associated Press’ NFL MVP award.
Oh wait…you thought I was going off about the decision by the Louisiana Republican Party to issue a fatwa against a group of young professionals in the New Orleans area.
While that certainly has been a great point of annoyance, I’ll get around to addressing that issue later. Besides, it’s not like the state GOP putting a blunderbuss up to its head and pulling the trigger should be considered newsworthy.
Back to a subject the public actually cares about.
I wasn’t surprised to learn that Brees came in second, though not because he was the second best performer on the professional gridiron this season. No, it’s because I am convinced the people who make decisions concerning individual pro-football accolades have posters of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady plastered across their bedroom walls.
Why do I make this accusation?
Consider the following. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning claimed his FOURTH MVP award by a landslide 39.5 votes, or 79% of the total votes cast. His nearest rival was Brees, who garnered a paltry 7.5 votes.
Wowzers! Yes that’s a lot of sportswriters in the tank for Peyton.
Judging by that disparity you’d think the scion of former Saints great Archie Manning would have had a much better season than the man who is THE greatest Saints quarterback.
Nope.
The basic numbers for Manning are as follows: passed for 4500 yards, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Brees’s in the aforementioned categories are 4,388 yards in passing, 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
A virtual draw…except Brees’s are better in two out of the three, marginally concerning touchdowns, significantly regarding INTs. If one were to apply general fantasy football scoring to these three sets of numbers, Brees would have more points.
But what about the other numbers?
Brees, not one to be compared to the likes of Michael Vick on ANY level, rushed for 33 yards and scored 2 touchdowns on the ground; Manning didn’t run ANY touchdowns into the endzone and rushed for a negative integer, -17.
Sacks and ball handling is the one area where Peyton had significantly better stats than Brees. Peyton was sacked only 10 times and didn’t turnover a single fumble to the opposition in contrast to Brees’s 20 sacks and having coughed up the ball 6 times. But interceptions, not fumbles, tend to be the negative stat most people weight when judging quarterbacks.
However there are two sets of numbers where Brees clearly outclassed Peyton: completion percentage and passing average. Peyton completed 68.8% of his passes while the Saints qb completed 70.6% of his passes.
Though the difference between the two’s pass/completion average is seemingly miniscule, it was Brees’s average that broke the season record of 70.5% set by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson in 1982. It should be kept in mind that Brees flirted with breaking Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino’s passing yards record last year, breaking 5,000 yard but coming up just a bit short of besting the Hall of Famer’s benchmark.
Though Peyton passed for 112 more yards than Brees, the Saints quarterback had 57 fewer attempts, which is not a bad thing since the Saints’ commitment to the run in 2009 season played no small role in racking up a record 13 (straight) wins.
Both players are clearly indispensable to their teams. As Times Picayune sportswriter Jeff Duncan observed, one only had to watch the Saints finale at Carolina to see what the Saints would look like sans Brees. It’s not a pretty picture.
A frequent complaint by Saints fans that does not involve Charles Grant is the lack of respect the team receives from the national media.
The AP’s overwhelming adulation for Peyton and relatively little support for Brees rightfully reinforces this belief and helped make the chip in the shoulders of Saints fans that much deeper.
It’s not that Peyton wasn’t a deserving recipient; it was that Brees was more deserving.
The Other Screw-Job
As if it were an omen of the MVP farce, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was selected NFL Comeback Player of the Year. New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove received one vote for this award.
While Brady posted strong numbers after missing out almost all of last season with a knee injury, I would hardly consider Brady’s story as true “comeback” material as he only had one real hiccup in what has been a magnificent career.
Perhaps I am more sympathetic to Hargrove for parochial and personal reasons.
As an unapologetic Saints fan, I am prone to show favoritism, unlike those totally unbiased MVP voters- right?, but I also have respect from where Hargrove came back from.
Hargrove’s playing career was endangered not by an injury sustained on the field but because of substance abuse. His personal story is sad and tragic, though inspiring in a gritty sense as people who have walked as far down the road Hargrove had generally don’t walk back.
Hargrove has made a great deal of progress turning his life around, even offering a heartfelt apology for his behavior to the fans of the previous teams he played for. As the relatively obscure Hargrove didn’t have media monitoring his every move, unlike a certain other player that landed in big trouble, so his public contrition is that much more remarkable.
Number sixty-nine could have quietly tried to blend in, not attract attention to himself and cash his checks, but he didn’t. Hargrove has had a good year stepping in after injuries took down the Saints’ starting defensive tackle.
Brady spent the past season repairing an injured knee with his supermodel wife and a pile of money. Hargrove, by contrast, was fighting for the opportunity to make the league minimum and healing his soul.
It’s regrettable that the fanboy sportswriters don’t have a greater appreciation of the differences between the two players’ comebacks.
It was outrageous and proof that a certain body of “experts” lack all objectivity and possess an obtuse mindset.
The collective action by this group was inexplicable and ought to cause their credibility as leaders in their field to be questioned.
Of course, I’m referring to the article heralding that Saints quarterback Drew Brees was denied the Associated Press’ NFL MVP award.
Oh wait…you thought I was going off about the decision by the Louisiana Republican Party to issue a fatwa against a group of young professionals in the New Orleans area.
While that certainly has been a great point of annoyance, I’ll get around to addressing that issue later. Besides, it’s not like the state GOP putting a blunderbuss up to its head and pulling the trigger should be considered newsworthy.
Back to a subject the public actually cares about.
I wasn’t surprised to learn that Brees came in second, though not because he was the second best performer on the professional gridiron this season. No, it’s because I am convinced the people who make decisions concerning individual pro-football accolades have posters of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady plastered across their bedroom walls.
Why do I make this accusation?
Consider the following. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning claimed his FOURTH MVP award by a landslide 39.5 votes, or 79% of the total votes cast. His nearest rival was Brees, who garnered a paltry 7.5 votes.
Wowzers! Yes that’s a lot of sportswriters in the tank for Peyton.
Judging by that disparity you’d think the scion of former Saints great Archie Manning would have had a much better season than the man who is THE greatest Saints quarterback.
Nope.
The basic numbers for Manning are as follows: passed for 4500 yards, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Brees’s in the aforementioned categories are 4,388 yards in passing, 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
A virtual draw…except Brees’s are better in two out of the three, marginally concerning touchdowns, significantly regarding INTs. If one were to apply general fantasy football scoring to these three sets of numbers, Brees would have more points.
But what about the other numbers?
Brees, not one to be compared to the likes of Michael Vick on ANY level, rushed for 33 yards and scored 2 touchdowns on the ground; Manning didn’t run ANY touchdowns into the endzone and rushed for a negative integer, -17.
Sacks and ball handling is the one area where Peyton had significantly better stats than Brees. Peyton was sacked only 10 times and didn’t turnover a single fumble to the opposition in contrast to Brees’s 20 sacks and having coughed up the ball 6 times. But interceptions, not fumbles, tend to be the negative stat most people weight when judging quarterbacks.
However there are two sets of numbers where Brees clearly outclassed Peyton: completion percentage and passing average. Peyton completed 68.8% of his passes while the Saints qb completed 70.6% of his passes.
Though the difference between the two’s pass/completion average is seemingly miniscule, it was Brees’s average that broke the season record of 70.5% set by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson in 1982. It should be kept in mind that Brees flirted with breaking Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino’s passing yards record last year, breaking 5,000 yard but coming up just a bit short of besting the Hall of Famer’s benchmark.
Though Peyton passed for 112 more yards than Brees, the Saints quarterback had 57 fewer attempts, which is not a bad thing since the Saints’ commitment to the run in 2009 season played no small role in racking up a record 13 (straight) wins.
Both players are clearly indispensable to their teams. As Times Picayune sportswriter Jeff Duncan observed, one only had to watch the Saints finale at Carolina to see what the Saints would look like sans Brees. It’s not a pretty picture.
A frequent complaint by Saints fans that does not involve Charles Grant is the lack of respect the team receives from the national media.
The AP’s overwhelming adulation for Peyton and relatively little support for Brees rightfully reinforces this belief and helped make the chip in the shoulders of Saints fans that much deeper.
It’s not that Peyton wasn’t a deserving recipient; it was that Brees was more deserving.
The Other Screw-Job
As if it were an omen of the MVP farce, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was selected NFL Comeback Player of the Year. New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove received one vote for this award.
While Brady posted strong numbers after missing out almost all of last season with a knee injury, I would hardly consider Brady’s story as true “comeback” material as he only had one real hiccup in what has been a magnificent career.
Perhaps I am more sympathetic to Hargrove for parochial and personal reasons.
As an unapologetic Saints fan, I am prone to show favoritism, unlike those totally unbiased MVP voters- right?, but I also have respect from where Hargrove came back from.
Hargrove’s playing career was endangered not by an injury sustained on the field but because of substance abuse. His personal story is sad and tragic, though inspiring in a gritty sense as people who have walked as far down the road Hargrove had generally don’t walk back.
Hargrove has made a great deal of progress turning his life around, even offering a heartfelt apology for his behavior to the fans of the previous teams he played for. As the relatively obscure Hargrove didn’t have media monitoring his every move, unlike a certain other player that landed in big trouble, so his public contrition is that much more remarkable.
Number sixty-nine could have quietly tried to blend in, not attract attention to himself and cash his checks, but he didn’t. Hargrove has had a good year stepping in after injuries took down the Saints’ starting defensive tackle.
Brady spent the past season repairing an injured knee with his supermodel wife and a pile of money. Hargrove, by contrast, was fighting for the opportunity to make the league minimum and healing his soul.
It’s regrettable that the fanboy sportswriters don’t have a greater appreciation of the differences between the two players’ comebacks.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Week 17: The Flat Finale
The New Orleans Saints treated their Week 17 game as if it was a Week 4 preseason contest.
Quarterback Drew Brees and a host of other starters, with defensive end Charles Grant now being a now notable exception, sat out the game virtually assuring the Saints a loss.
Aside from gaining a greater appreciation of punter Thomas Morstead and becoming cognizant that Mark Brunell is the highest paid ball-holder in the NFL (surely this guy isn’t being paid millions to play quarterback?), the game, which three weeks ago could have been an important milestone in the Saints’ drive for perfection devolved into a throwaway contest that cost the team one of its starting defensive ends and possibly our kick returner thanks to the Chicago Bears locking up the first seed for the Saints the week before.
The best that could be said about the effort by the Saints’ b-string defense is they forced the Carolina Panthers to punt eight times, which is a considerable improvement form the three times they forced Tampa Bay to punt and Washington and Atlanta once.
And while the Grant getting sidelined is a major blow to the Saints going into the playoffs, it’s not of the same level as say the New England Patriots’ loss of wide receiver Wes Welker. Considering Grant’s inconsistent play, his replacement in the lineup by defensive ends Bobby McCray, Jeff Charleston and the newly resigned Paul Spicer should cause that great of a drop-off.
At the start of the season, I rather optimistically projected the team to finish 11-5. One Redskins fan, whose name I won’t post as he’s suffered enough already, sarcastically encouraged me to “keep on believing”.
And though fans would be a lot more excited had the Saints dropped their first three and went on to win their next thirteen instead of the other way around, there is one little fact I would like to point out: the Black and Gold’s two playoff wins came after losing their regular season finale- the most recent being against none other than the Panthers.
The value of the bye and homefield advantage cannot be overstated: the Saints hope to field their first almost fully healed starting line-up for the first time in months and it’s always to have control of the crowd noise.
The Saints have a 3-1 record against the teams that have made the playoffs. The Black and Gold have proven that they can beat the best.
And here is what really matters: the Saints are only two “any given Sundays” away from the Super Bowl.
Quarterback Drew Brees and a host of other starters, with defensive end Charles Grant now being a now notable exception, sat out the game virtually assuring the Saints a loss.
Aside from gaining a greater appreciation of punter Thomas Morstead and becoming cognizant that Mark Brunell is the highest paid ball-holder in the NFL (surely this guy isn’t being paid millions to play quarterback?), the game, which three weeks ago could have been an important milestone in the Saints’ drive for perfection devolved into a throwaway contest that cost the team one of its starting defensive ends and possibly our kick returner thanks to the Chicago Bears locking up the first seed for the Saints the week before.
The best that could be said about the effort by the Saints’ b-string defense is they forced the Carolina Panthers to punt eight times, which is a considerable improvement form the three times they forced Tampa Bay to punt and Washington and Atlanta once.
And while the Grant getting sidelined is a major blow to the Saints going into the playoffs, it’s not of the same level as say the New England Patriots’ loss of wide receiver Wes Welker. Considering Grant’s inconsistent play, his replacement in the lineup by defensive ends Bobby McCray, Jeff Charleston and the newly resigned Paul Spicer should cause that great of a drop-off.
At the start of the season, I rather optimistically projected the team to finish 11-5. One Redskins fan, whose name I won’t post as he’s suffered enough already, sarcastically encouraged me to “keep on believing”.
And though fans would be a lot more excited had the Saints dropped their first three and went on to win their next thirteen instead of the other way around, there is one little fact I would like to point out: the Black and Gold’s two playoff wins came after losing their regular season finale- the most recent being against none other than the Panthers.
The value of the bye and homefield advantage cannot be overstated: the Saints hope to field their first almost fully healed starting line-up for the first time in months and it’s always to have control of the crowd noise.
The Saints have a 3-1 record against the teams that have made the playoffs. The Black and Gold have proven that they can beat the best.
And here is what really matters: the Saints are only two “any given Sundays” away from the Super Bowl.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Matthew Lesko Pick of the Week: Take the Points
Perusing oddsmaker Danny Sheridan's numbers for the week, one comes upon what could be the closest thing to free money out there: the New Orleans Saints are a Two Point FAVORITE over the Carolina Panthers. That's right, the same Saints team that could not finish off the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers AND the same Panthers team that crushed both the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings. Actually, that's not totally accurate, it won't be the same Saints team since quarterback Drew Brees is not expected to play much and long-in-the-tooth back up Mark Brunell is going to start. Also a number of Saints starters have been declared out, including running back Pierre Thomas and wide receiver Lance "Put him on IR already" Moore. I'd almost be more disappointed if the Panthers did not cover the spread than I was when the Saints lost to the Bucs. Mortgage your home (or homes if you're Cindy McCain) and hit a sportsbook for this Matthew Lesko "Free Money" Play of the Week.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Week 17 Preview: Bears Give Saints a Break
An article in Tuesday morning Times Picayune article announced how the Saints earned the NFC’s number one seed in the playoffs after Minnesota dropped what may have been the most exciting Monday Night Football game of the season.
Earned is the TP sports-page’s word, certainly not mine.
Had the New Orleans Saints managed to squeak out a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon, it could be said that they earned their coveted spot. Instead, the Black and Gold was embarrassed by a two-win team and it took the hated Chicago Bears, the same team that stopped the Saints’ Super Bowl drive and whose fans mocked the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, nudged New Orleans over the finish line.
Stumbled and bumbled would be more suitable words to earned.
Am I being too harsh on the Saints? Perhaps.
But if the Saints perform in the NFC playoffs in the same manner by which they are closing out the regular season, then this fan will be converting a booked flight to south Florida into a $200 Southwest Airlines credit sooner than later.
While I might seem ungrateful considering that they have accumulated an unprecedented number of wins and possess their first-ever full homefield advantage in franchise history, there is much room for improvement.
The same Saints team that took the field against Tampa Bay, Washington and Saint Louis couldn’t beat any of the NFC teams slated for post-season play.
Starting with the Miami game, opposing running backs have enjoyed career games against the Saints’ defense while the Black and Gold’s offensive ground game has ground to a halt.
Granted the Saints have been hobbled with injuries. Running backs Reggie Bush and Mike Bell have spent a lot of time on the shelf; defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy was placed on IR while fellow DT Sedrick Ellis has had recurring knee issues; wide receiver Lance Moore has spent much more time on the sideline than on the field; the linebacker corps has been riddled with injuries and finally starting cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer have been out a good bit in the season’s second-half.
With the first-round bye and homefield now secured, the Saints banged up squad has two weeks to heal up before they play the game that will determine whether the Saints host their first NFC Championship or begin speculating earlier than they would like what to do with their late draft pick in the first round.
The relevance of their regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte has evolved much over the past two weeks.
Going into the Saturday night showdown with the Dallas Cowboys, the week 17 match-up was a milestone en route to giving the 1972 Miami Dolphins in the NFL history book.
After losing to the Buccaneers, it was the game the Saints needed to win in order to lock-up homefield for the playoffs.
Thanks to the Bears, the game has assumed a “pre-season game four” identity, with starters expected to play sparingly to minimize the potential for injury to key players.
The Saints should be grateful that the game no longer has playoff seeding implications as the Panthers have won their past two contests with a combined score of 67-16 against the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.
The Saints first-string would have had trouble beating a reinvigorated Panthers team under replacement, perhaps on a permanent basis, quarterback Matt Moore and their duo of 1,000-yard running backs. Their stingy pass-defense, 4th in the league, would not have mad matters any easier.
This Sunday, the Saints could be getting their first glimpse at their biggest threat for repeating as the NFC South division champions next season.
Six Shoulda, Five Were
Hopefully the five Saints players selected for the Pro-Bowl will not actually play in the game. Congratulations to starters quarterback Drew Brees, guard Jahri Evans and free safety Darren Sharper and to back-ups middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and tackle Jon Stinchcomb. That defensive end Will Smith was snubbed is a major disappointment. Smith, who has comeback after an injury-plagued 2008 season, is second in the conference in sacks with 13, a half behind Minnesota’s Jared Allen. That Smith was not chosen as a reserve is inexcusable.
Earned is the TP sports-page’s word, certainly not mine.
Had the New Orleans Saints managed to squeak out a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon, it could be said that they earned their coveted spot. Instead, the Black and Gold was embarrassed by a two-win team and it took the hated Chicago Bears, the same team that stopped the Saints’ Super Bowl drive and whose fans mocked the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, nudged New Orleans over the finish line.
Stumbled and bumbled would be more suitable words to earned.
Am I being too harsh on the Saints? Perhaps.
But if the Saints perform in the NFC playoffs in the same manner by which they are closing out the regular season, then this fan will be converting a booked flight to south Florida into a $200 Southwest Airlines credit sooner than later.
While I might seem ungrateful considering that they have accumulated an unprecedented number of wins and possess their first-ever full homefield advantage in franchise history, there is much room for improvement.
The same Saints team that took the field against Tampa Bay, Washington and Saint Louis couldn’t beat any of the NFC teams slated for post-season play.
Starting with the Miami game, opposing running backs have enjoyed career games against the Saints’ defense while the Black and Gold’s offensive ground game has ground to a halt.
Granted the Saints have been hobbled with injuries. Running backs Reggie Bush and Mike Bell have spent a lot of time on the shelf; defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy was placed on IR while fellow DT Sedrick Ellis has had recurring knee issues; wide receiver Lance Moore has spent much more time on the sideline than on the field; the linebacker corps has been riddled with injuries and finally starting cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer have been out a good bit in the season’s second-half.
With the first-round bye and homefield now secured, the Saints banged up squad has two weeks to heal up before they play the game that will determine whether the Saints host their first NFC Championship or begin speculating earlier than they would like what to do with their late draft pick in the first round.
The relevance of their regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte has evolved much over the past two weeks.
Going into the Saturday night showdown with the Dallas Cowboys, the week 17 match-up was a milestone en route to giving the 1972 Miami Dolphins in the NFL history book.
After losing to the Buccaneers, it was the game the Saints needed to win in order to lock-up homefield for the playoffs.
Thanks to the Bears, the game has assumed a “pre-season game four” identity, with starters expected to play sparingly to minimize the potential for injury to key players.
The Saints should be grateful that the game no longer has playoff seeding implications as the Panthers have won their past two contests with a combined score of 67-16 against the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.
The Saints first-string would have had trouble beating a reinvigorated Panthers team under replacement, perhaps on a permanent basis, quarterback Matt Moore and their duo of 1,000-yard running backs. Their stingy pass-defense, 4th in the league, would not have mad matters any easier.
This Sunday, the Saints could be getting their first glimpse at their biggest threat for repeating as the NFC South division champions next season.
Six Shoulda, Five Were
Hopefully the five Saints players selected for the Pro-Bowl will not actually play in the game. Congratulations to starters quarterback Drew Brees, guard Jahri Evans and free safety Darren Sharper and to back-ups middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and tackle Jon Stinchcomb. That defensive end Will Smith was snubbed is a major disappointment. Smith, who has comeback after an injury-plagued 2008 season, is second in the conference in sacks with 13, a half behind Minnesota’s Jared Allen. That Smith was not chosen as a reserve is inexcusable.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Week 16 Review: Who Can't?
Saints fans now know what it was like to have been wearing red and gold in FedEx Field a few Sundays ago.
After going into the half resembling the team that dominated the New England Patriots and New York Giants, the New Orleans Saints behaved like the squad that struggled against the likes of the lowly Washington Redskins and the lowlier Saint Louis Rams when they lost to the lowliest team in the NFC South, a Tampa Bay team that had won only two wins going into the second-to-last regular season game.
WWL sportscaster and former Saints quarterback Boibby Hebert described the defeat by the Buccaneers as the worst in the franchise's history; while I feel the Cajun Cannon's pain, I won't go that far as the team chronicles are chock full of bleak moments.
In addition to the embarassment of being over-run by the Bucs, the Saints blew what was their best opportunity to own homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, though if the team continues to performance like this in post-season, the Saints will only be in one playoff game anyway.
Tampa Bay should be credited for overcoming the stark challenge before them, as they were a two-touchdown + dog to the Saints going into the game and trailing them 17-3 entering the third quarter. The cellar dwellers of the NFC South did not pack it in and played for pride and just possibly saved their coach's job for another season.
The Saints played sloppy on every side of the ball, offense (wide receiver Marques Colston's second fumble of the season), defense (making Tampa Bay running back Cadillac Williams look like Steven Jackson- the Saints defense made Jackson look like Barry Sanders in November) and special teams (bad punt led to bad punt return). And then there was kicker Garrett Hartley's missed attempt at winning the game in regulation.
And yes Mr. Hartley, the loss is your fault.
I know there were failures across the board by many of his teammates on Sunday but when it came down to it, Hartley gets paid to win games like that, like he did against the Redskins when Hartley's opposite number didn't get it done.
The Saints started their winning streak by dominating on offense and making big plays, not to be confused with good play, on defense. The second half of their winning streak has been mostly "miracle wins", with a few exceptions.
Unfortunately for the Saints, the miracle well with the fleur-de-lis bucket has run dry the last two weeks.
And yes, while writing this, I am aware of a miracle being played out on Soldier Field that could lock up homefield and while that should help their chances (or at a minimum save me the expense and agony of flying to Minneapolis in January).
The Black and Gold doesn't need gris-gris or fans to pay ludicrous homages to the "unknown who dat"; the offense needs to learn to not cough the ball up; the defense needs to learn to stop opponents on third down and special teams needs to convert field goals and adequately cover kickoffs and punts.
After going into the half resembling the team that dominated the New England Patriots and New York Giants, the New Orleans Saints behaved like the squad that struggled against the likes of the lowly Washington Redskins and the lowlier Saint Louis Rams when they lost to the lowliest team in the NFC South, a Tampa Bay team that had won only two wins going into the second-to-last regular season game.
WWL sportscaster and former Saints quarterback Boibby Hebert described the defeat by the Buccaneers as the worst in the franchise's history; while I feel the Cajun Cannon's pain, I won't go that far as the team chronicles are chock full of bleak moments.
In addition to the embarassment of being over-run by the Bucs, the Saints blew what was their best opportunity to own homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, though if the team continues to performance like this in post-season, the Saints will only be in one playoff game anyway.
Tampa Bay should be credited for overcoming the stark challenge before them, as they were a two-touchdown + dog to the Saints going into the game and trailing them 17-3 entering the third quarter. The cellar dwellers of the NFC South did not pack it in and played for pride and just possibly saved their coach's job for another season.
The Saints played sloppy on every side of the ball, offense (wide receiver Marques Colston's second fumble of the season), defense (making Tampa Bay running back Cadillac Williams look like Steven Jackson- the Saints defense made Jackson look like Barry Sanders in November) and special teams (bad punt led to bad punt return). And then there was kicker Garrett Hartley's missed attempt at winning the game in regulation.
And yes Mr. Hartley, the loss is your fault.
I know there were failures across the board by many of his teammates on Sunday but when it came down to it, Hartley gets paid to win games like that, like he did against the Redskins when Hartley's opposite number didn't get it done.
The Saints started their winning streak by dominating on offense and making big plays, not to be confused with good play, on defense. The second half of their winning streak has been mostly "miracle wins", with a few exceptions.
Unfortunately for the Saints, the miracle well with the fleur-de-lis bucket has run dry the last two weeks.
And yes, while writing this, I am aware of a miracle being played out on Soldier Field that could lock up homefield and while that should help their chances (or at a minimum save me the expense and agony of flying to Minneapolis in January).
The Black and Gold doesn't need gris-gris or fans to pay ludicrous homages to the "unknown who dat"; the offense needs to learn to not cough the ball up; the defense needs to learn to stop opponents on third down and special teams needs to convert field goals and adequately cover kickoffs and punts.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Week 15 Review: They Dat
I guess those crazy Cowboys fans got their money's worth on Saturday night.
Dallas fans had driven up prices on the secondary-ticket market months ago, well before the Saints had amassed an impressive winning streak. Five weeks ago, a ticket in the nosebleeds could be sold for $300.
The Saints had their first total reality check of the season in their own building, unable to play Houdini once again, even if the latest improbable comeback was marked by an opposing team missing an easy field goal.
Turnovers, an inability to run the ball and poor defense contributed to the first Black and Gold loss of the season. Oh did I mention that dropped end zone reception?
In all fairness, the Saints had a virtual monopoly on "breaks" this season. Just last week a wide-open Atlanta wide-out bumbled what would have been a touchdown reception that would have made a Saints come-back unlikely.
Rather than break the game down, I'll address the most wide-spread lunacy that has been circulated since the Saints faced the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football: a loss is not a good thing.
That the Saints' shot at perfection has been dashed has many Saints fans glum; my main concern is home-field in the playoffs when many of our key-players will have returned.
That's what matters now.
If the Saints beat Tampa at home and beat Carolina on the road they will have beaten the Minnesota Vikings out for the coveted post-season advantage. And looking at the Vikings' schedule (Carolina, Chicago and the G-men), the Saints will most likely have to win out.
There will be no rest for the weary.
The Saints' o-line has to do a better job holding back opponents; quarterback Drew Brees needs to protect the ball better; the Saints running backs need to be more productive so as to not put the fate of games squarely on Brees' shoulders.
Losing to Dallas is not the end of the world, though it is painful to drop a game to the worst winners in all of organized sports.
Thre good news is that the team will have an extra day to prepare for the Bucs and that the season finale in Charlotte will not be flexed into an evening game.
Dallas fans had driven up prices on the secondary-ticket market months ago, well before the Saints had amassed an impressive winning streak. Five weeks ago, a ticket in the nosebleeds could be sold for $300.
The Saints had their first total reality check of the season in their own building, unable to play Houdini once again, even if the latest improbable comeback was marked by an opposing team missing an easy field goal.
Turnovers, an inability to run the ball and poor defense contributed to the first Black and Gold loss of the season. Oh did I mention that dropped end zone reception?
In all fairness, the Saints had a virtual monopoly on "breaks" this season. Just last week a wide-open Atlanta wide-out bumbled what would have been a touchdown reception that would have made a Saints come-back unlikely.
Rather than break the game down, I'll address the most wide-spread lunacy that has been circulated since the Saints faced the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football: a loss is not a good thing.
That the Saints' shot at perfection has been dashed has many Saints fans glum; my main concern is home-field in the playoffs when many of our key-players will have returned.
That's what matters now.
If the Saints beat Tampa at home and beat Carolina on the road they will have beaten the Minnesota Vikings out for the coveted post-season advantage. And looking at the Vikings' schedule (Carolina, Chicago and the G-men), the Saints will most likely have to win out.
There will be no rest for the weary.
The Saints' o-line has to do a better job holding back opponents; quarterback Drew Brees needs to protect the ball better; the Saints running backs need to be more productive so as to not put the fate of games squarely on Brees' shoulders.
Losing to Dallas is not the end of the world, though it is painful to drop a game to the worst winners in all of organized sports.
Thre good news is that the team will have an extra day to prepare for the Bucs and that the season finale in Charlotte will not be flexed into an evening game.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
