Saints Report #16 - December 29, 2013

The New Orleans Saints total mastery over the NFL continued Sunday as they completed another undefeated season, finishing 8 – 0 and outscoring their opponents 272 – 125.  That’s an average of 34 – 16 if you’re keeping score.  This kind of total domination has rarely been seen, and the Saints are clearly the most invincible juggernaut of all time. 

At home.

Unfortunately, there won’t be any more of those games this year, and now they most do something that no one believes they can do, go win 4 games away from the bayou to become Super Bowl Champions again.  Let’s say the odds are long.

Sunday the Saints offense was a study in efficiency as they bopped Tampa Bay 42 – 17.  They scored six touchdowns in their first seven possessions.  That would be a nice recipe for success in the playoffs.

Drew Brees threw darts all over the field and sliced and diced the Tampa Bay defense, including a very ordinary-looking Darrell Revis, to the tune of 381 yards.  Underappreciated outside New Orleans, Brees exceeded 5000 yards passing for the third consecutive season, something that has never been done before.  While Peyton Manning was breaking Brees single season yardage record, Brees continued his amazing run of efficiency. 

Tonight sit down and make a long list of the things you take for granted.  Mine would include great seafood, beautiful beaches, and Drew Brees.  You may get some bad oysters, sometimes you get a cloudy day on the beach, and sometimes Brees throws a bad pass, or has a bad game.  Don’t let that diminish your appreciation of what a great quarterback New Orleans has been gifted with.

A few playoff observations:

Seattle has to be the favorite to win the Super Bowl.  My preseason picks of the 49’ers vs. the Denver Broncos is still a possibility, but the 49’ers, like the Saints have the wild-card route to travel.  Carolina is a serious threat as long as Luke Kuechly is allowed to hold receivers.  New England will be a threat as long as they have #12.  The Eagles have improved throughout the year but don’t play particularly well at home, which will make for an interesting matchup next Saturday night when the Saints travel to Philly – a bad road team against a bad home team.  The Packers have Aaron Rodgers back, and no one wants to play against him.   The Bengals, Chiefs, Colts, and Chargers still appear to be pretenders.

I’d like to tell you that I closely evaluated the Eagles, but to be honest I went home and watched the final episode of Treme.  So whatever I see Saturday night will be a surprise.   Tee it up.

Saints Report #15 - December 22, 2013

Bad News from Charlotte. 

The Saints went to Charlotte and got beat 17 – 13, in another on-the-road-again egg laying.   They did the same thing the Panthers did two weeks ago.  They drove the ball early and twice settled for field goals to lead only 6 – 0.  The game was pretty even, but sloppy.  Each defense had one bad series, and each offense had one good series.  The rest of the game was a rather ugly wash, no detergent.  Unfortunately, the Panthers only decent drive of the day came at the end of the game.

So, it’s not bad news that the Saints probably will have to go on the road in the playoffs.  It’s not bad news that they made the road to the Super Bowl a game longer.  It’s not bad news that the offense looks sloppy.  It’s not bad news that the Panthers have come out of nowhere to catch the Saints.

It’s not bad news that the Saints are struggling away from the Superdome.

No, here’s the bad news: The NFL appears to have caught up to the Saints offense.  NFL defensive coordinators don’t get fooled for long, and the Saints offense has had a good long run.  But now, they’re not fooling anyone.  The screen passes are easily anticipated.  The running game doesn’t scare anyone.  The defenses are filling the passing lanes on the mid-range stuff.  And defensive coordinators have figured out that with pressure on Brees, there’s no time for the bombs.  Face it, the Saints offense is now middle-of-the-pack.

So Sean Payton, who allegedly reconstructed the playbook last year while on Goodell Sabatical, isn’t surprising anyone anymore.  Protection problems, no deep threat, an untrusted running game, it all adds up to one simple fact:  the Saints aren’t scaring anyone, and that does not bode well for a long playoff run. 

When the season began, I thought the Saints defense would not be good enough.  I was wrong.  They are.  It’s the Saints offense that isn’t good enough.  One thing I was right about was that this stretch of games to close the season was brutal and the Saints have not met the challenge.  Can Payton straighten all this out in time for the playoffs?  We can only guess.  Can they beat Tampa to insure a playoff berth?  I guess we’ll find out.  A Superdome game that shouldn’t have meant anything next Sunday now looms very large.  Drat!

Saints Report # 14 - December 15, 2013

The New Orleans Saints travelled to St. Louis Sunday and took a firm stance against prosperity.  The laid an egg, they scrambled it, they cooked it, and then they seasoned it too much to eat it.  In a performance that can only be labelled an “epic fail” they ceded the control of the division right back to the Carolina Panthers by coughing up a 27 – 16 ball game that only got that close late.

Truth is, the Saints handed this one over very quickly - in their first two possessions.  Any other team in America, down 7 – 0 and with their first possession starting on their own 7 would have calmly tried to grind the ball out of the hole with a running play or two.  No, not the Saints, because in the Payton offense, every down is a passing down.  When the Payton offense is clicking, it’s a thing of beauty and precision.  When it’s not, it turns the ball over in bunches at the worst possible time.

That took exactly one play Sunday.  On first down, first play from scrimmage, Brees dropped back toward the end zone, got pressured up the middle (which would be a common theme) and clunked it right into the arms of a waiting Ram.  Soon it was 14 – 0.  Brees drove the Saints down the field but threw an end zone interception.  Make it a 17 – 0 hole.  And on and on.  It wasn’t until late in the 4^th quarter that the Saints battled their way within striking distance, but it probably would’ve taken two more quarters to take a lead.  We’ve seen this movie before, like every time the Saints go to St. Louis.

So the Saints spit the bit on prosperity and now have positioned themselves as an underdog for next week’s division-deciding trip into Charlotte.  It will be the game Carolina has been waiting years for.  It will be a game that didn’t have to be this important.  It will be another test of character.  It will be another road test, and at this point the Saints road confidence has to be waning.

Saints Report #13 - December 8, 2013

Once upon a time the New Orleans Saints visited Seattle and got embarrassed on a Monday night.  The plane had a windshield cracked so the return was delayed.  How would they get home and get prepared in such a short week for a game with the division lead on the line?

Simple.  Sean Payton got out of the plane, clicked his heels together 3 times, and said “there’s no place like home, there’s no place home.”

Instantly they were transported back to their home sweet dome and all was right with the team. 

The Carolina Panthers came into the Mercedes Benz Superdome on an 8 game winning streak.  They had significantly more rest, more prep time, and everything pointed to them being able to take that next step.  Nope.  There’s no place like dome for the Saints and they administered a good old fashioned beating, 31 – 13, moving to a 10-3 record.

Drew Brees picked the Panthers apart on his way to becoming the 5^th and fastest NFL Quarterback to 50,000 yards.  Marques Colston shined with 125 yards receiving.  The defense held Cam Newton in check.   This strange NFL schedule sets them up for a rematch in two weeks.  The Saints must go on the road for 2 of their last 3 games and hold their position as the second seed in the NFC.  The payoff for that will be a bye week, then a home game to start the playoffs.  They’ve worked hard to set this up. 
The Saints have slipped up in St. Louis before.  Let’s hope they maintain their focus.  Another big game ahead.

Saints Report 12 - December 2, 2013

It’s taken me a few days to fully digest the Seattle slewing that took place Monday night.  Never in the Payton/Brees era have the Saints been more thoroughly spanked.  What does it mean?  It just means the media can continue to talk about how the Saints don’t play as well on the road as they do at home, just like every other NFL team ever.   (Ok, I’ll admit the Eagles are weird this year.)  So, it was just one of 16 games.  No reason for panic at the disco.

Here’s what the 34-7 baking reminded me.  I’ve played and coached sports enough to know that when the “big” game comes, your weaknesses are going to get exposed.  Sometimes, I was the weakness.  Or maybe you have a 3^rd baseman who won’t get in front of the ball.  Or you have a point guard with limited court sense.  Or maybe you’ve tried to hide a guy who is good, but there’s a certain thing he can’t do.  Bet your bottom dollar that he will be called on to do that very thing in the big game. 

So, Monday night the Saints weaknesses got fully exposed.  The offensive line couldn’t hold up.  Pressure up the middle in the face of a short quarterback is a serious problem.  Wide Receivers who can’t separate are a problem.  It’s time to face reality.  Marques Colston is a great, dependable possession receiver.  The Saints have no deep threat.  It speaks volume that a Robert Meachum who couldn’t cut it on a mediocre San Diego team, came back to New Orleans and became our deep threat.  Lance Moore has not been productive.  Kenny Stills has shown flashes, but is not yet a consistent producer.  So it also is telltale that our most explosive passing game options are an all world tight end who is still learning, and 2 spectacular pass receiving running backs.  Look for our first round draft choice to be a speed burner wide out.  Where have you gone Devery Henderson?

Our defense obviously took a major blow when it lost Jabari Greer, who had lost a step already.  Our safeties are having to camouflage our lack of speed at linebacker.  Seattle was a match up nightmare for a defense that is fading.  I couldn’t believe the number of times the Saints only rushed three, allowing emerging superstar Russell Wilson to bide his time while his receivers outran our defenders.  Not the right formula.   Bigger, stronger and faster is a better one, and spreading the field increases the advantage.  The Seahawks were bigger, stronger, and faster and it all made me go to bed early.  Guessing we’ll see teams spreading the field out.  We’ll see more emphasis on stopping Graham, Sproles, and Thomas, meaning Moore, Stills, and Meachum must step up. 

This stretch of the schedule is proving as brutal as I thought it would be.  Two months ago who could have predicted that a surging Panther team would be licking their chops in anticipation of a relevant Superdome visit, and one that comes on the heels of the Saints looking vulnerable.  Will the crowd provide enough lift to compensate for the Saints lack of prep time?  Will Brees again look like he’s in brick galoshes compared to a young QB?  Will the Saints preserve at least a first round bye in the playoffs now that home field advantage appears out of reach?  By the time the clock strikes midnight Sunday night we’ll have our answer.

At the Cinema - November 2013

12 Years A Slave – 9
This is an amazingly well-done movie that is not at all enjoyable to watch. It is so intense and graphic that it wears you down as if the plantation owner is abusing you.  But he’s not.  Not even close.  Is there still anyplace where humans are treated this way?  That this is easily the best movie ever about slavery has been pretty well established.  It doesn't make it easy to watch

Chiwetel Ejiofor joins the Oscar discussion with his portrayal of Solomon Northrup, a free man who is kidnapped and enslaved.  If you’ve seen this actor’s incredible work in movies like “Serenity” this won’t surprise you.  He's great here.  His nuances are riveting as Northrup must keep his secret as the key to survival.  This is based on the memoirs of Northrup, who was a musician living in Saratoga, New York when he was lured away, chained, and sent to Louisiana.  Director Steve McQueen spares no detail of what it must have been like.  This is a contender for best picture and many other honors.  Michael Fassbender plays the sadistic and relentless plantation owner with a passion that is scary.    If you see this movie you will likely be equally impressed and horrified.  You will also just sit there in a silent theater as the credits roll.

Hunger Games:  Catching Fire – 8

If you liked the first Hunger Games, you’ll like this one.   Because, as is the case with many sequels, it’s much the same movie.  That is not to say that it isn’t extremely well done, because it is.  Knowing nothing about the book, as usual, I was certainly hoping for a little variety.  What I got, is an amped up version of the first movie.  If the job of this movie was to get me excited about the final movie of the trilogy, it succeeded.  These two movies are well-produced, well-acted, well-written, and just engaging enough to leave you wanting a little more.  I guess that's the point. 

Dallas Buyer’s Club – 8

If you always thought Matthew McConaughey was a great actor that just needed the right vehicle to showcase his talent, your faith will be rewarded with this movie.  I was never in that number, but here he is emerging as an Oscar contender by losing a lot of weight so that he can portray an Aids victim and activist.  Ron Woodruff was a wild living Texas cowboy who contracted HIV around 1985 just in time to be in the midst of the Aids epidemic and hysteria.  When he was given 30 days to live, he got serious about prolonging his life.  His research found that the U.S. was behind the curve and he became a major importer of more effective drugs.  Soon he had Aids patients lining up and joining his club to get access to his treatment.  Of course this didn’t go over too well with entities like the border patrol, the FDA, and the doctors treating Aids patients.

McConaughey attacks the role with a sometimes uneven gusto, but there’s no denying the power of his performance.  The subject matter is unpleasant and seemly.  It’s not easy to watch at times, but you shall be entertained.

Muscle Schoals – 8

If you like rock, pop, or soul music, this is the movie for you.  This is a documentary about the Muscle Shoals sound, which originated in a little studio run by a guy named Rich Hall.  His life story would make a movie by itself.  He opened Fame studios in 1961 in the little Alabama town on the Tennessee River.  Hit after hit flowed out of that studio, then the house band quit to form their own studio.  The rivalry of the two studios ebbed and flowed with more hits for decades.

You will be amazed at the legacy of song after song, artist after artist.  The Rolling Stones?  Check.  Wilson Pickett?  Check.  Bob Seger?  Check.  It goes on and on.  Why spoil one revelation after another.  If you get a chance, see this.  It’s not a perfect documentary, but for a music lover, it’s a little bit of heaven.

Scanning the Satellite 

Legendary Nights:  the Tale of Gatti-Ward - 9
If you are a boxing fan you’ve got to see this HBO documentary.  It is the amazing chronicle of the 3 light-heavyweight fights between “Irish” Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti.  The movie “The Fighter” is based on the first fight, and despite Hollywood’s penchant for playing it up, well it turns out you can’t even imagine what these 30 blood soaked rounds were like.  You have to see them.  When Jim Lampley calls round 9 of the first fight the greatest round of boxing he ever saw, you know that it has to be amazing.  When they meet again in the emergency room after the fights that tells you all you need to know.   Oddly, at only an hour and 20 minutes, this documentary goes on too long, as everyone gets their chance to describe things that have already been visually stated all they needed to be.  Still, this is a “don’t miss” for any sports fan. 

Killing Them Softly (2012) – 6

If you like Brad Pitt you’ll love this gabfest of a movie about hit men running their mouth way too much before they get around to their professional tasks.  The late James Gandolfini and Pitt are the hit men and the yammering is punctuated by slow motion and graphic violence.  There is little of redeeming value here other than the actors and their portrayals of low lifes.  Interesting to note that this movie, like 12 Years a Slave, was mostly filmed in Louisiana, although it takes place in New England.  Pitt fell in love with New Orleans, has a home in the French quarter, and is heroically helping to revitalize the 9^th ward with his Make It Right foundation.  By filming so many movies in Louisiana, he continues to contribute to the economic recovery.  This is a dark and lonely film.  Guess hit men have feelings after all.

Sport In America:  Our Defining Stories – 8
There are familiar and unfamiliar stories in this HBO Special about the impact of events and teams on individuals and communities.  Triggered by terrific documentary work like ESPN’s “30 for 30” film series , the NFL Network’s “A Football Life” series, and HBO’s perennial emmy-winning series “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” we are in a golden age of sports documentaries.  Fiction is wonderful but nothing can touch the real life stories we get about the passion of sports.  Which brings me to

A Football Life – Steve Gleason (NFL Network) – 9

I guess this is not technically a movie, but holy cow, what an enthralling hour.  I was there the night that the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina and saw Steve Gleason block Atlanta’s punt, thus electrifying an entire region.  As most know by now, Gleason suffers from MLS, and is deteriorating, but refusing to surrender to the disease.  With the help of his wife Michelle, and his “teamgleason” he’s setting up foundations, increasing awareness, and climbing Machu Peechu.  It’s all just incredibly inspiring.  Expect a tractor pull on your heartstrings.   No White Flags.