Saints Report #16 - December 30, 2018

In a game that meant little, the Saints played like it, losing 33-14 to the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome.  The Saints had already locked up home dome advantage throughout the playoffs, and now take a week off as they wait out the wild card round.

Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara didn’t play and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looked like he hadn’t played in three years, which he hadn’t.  The Saints defense was lethargic as some of the old suspects, like Ken Crawley, made Carolina’s 3^rd team quarterback Kyle Allen look all-world. If this is what the Saints are going to look like after Brees retires, it won't be pretty.

But there was some good news.  Drew Brees, by virtue of sitting out, set the single season completion percentage mark at 74.9%, bettering his previous NFL record by 2 points – incredible.  However, not playing cost him a 10^th consecutive 4000 yard season, as he finished with 3994 yards.

Michael Thomas, by playing, was able to set the Saints franchise receiving yardage record at 1405 yards, breaking Joe Horn’s single season mark. Third team running back Dwayne Washington was impressive, going over 100 yards rushing.  And that's all the good news fit to print.

So, the season ends with many similarities to the Saints 2009 Super Bowl campaign.  This year and that they lost to the Cowboys, Bucs, and Panthers.  Their season ender was a loss to the Panthers, although not as flat as the this one was.

The Saints have had a charmed playoff run in home games going 5-0 in the Payton era.  Their appearance in the 2009 NFC Championship was greatly aided by Adrian Peterson’s fumbles and Brett Favre’s interception.  The road to another Super Bowl is going to be extremely tough as the NFC is super-competitive – but at least the it goes down Poydras Avenue.  The crowd will be in full throttle, and hopefully the Saints can put their dismal December behind them.  I have to say most of the playoff teams are coming in with momentum, but the Saints will have to regenerate theirs.  Can they do it?  Well, they did in 2009, when they lost their last 3.  Let's hope Sean Payton has the handle on the team now that he had then. 

My preseason prediction was that the Saints would roll the Patriots 43-14 in the Super Bowl, and I’d take that.  But, I didn’t see the emergence of the Chiefs, who right now look like an awfully good bet to make it to the game.  Get the chips and dip out.  It’s going to be fun.

Saints Report #15 - December 23, 2018

Raucous.  You know the Superdome is loud when the announcers are having to yell over the noise.  Sunday's game, won by the Saints over the Steelers 31-28, lived up to the advanced billing, the importance, and the growing reputation of the Superdome as the most difficult place to visit in sports.

The Steelers faced an unheard-of situation.  They came into the game leading their division by a half game (or whatever a tie game represents) but a loss could mean they don’t make the playoffs.  So, the Steelers came, they saw, and they fumbled.  Two fourth quarter fumbles proved costly.  One happened before, and one after a decision to run a fake punt on a fourth and five at midfield.  The Steelers only gained 4 of the 5 yards they needed, turning the ball over back to Drew Brees and the Saints offense who were down 28-24.

The Saints drove down and Michael Thomas caught a touchdown pass just under the 2 minute mark.

Ben Roethlisberger, who was brilliant all day, drove the ball effectively with no timeouts left, only to have Ju Ju Smith-Schuster fumble after a catch.  The Saints have one glaring vulnerability – trouble covering two elite wide receivers, and Smith-Schuster and Antonio Brown lit them up all night.But the defense continued to force fumbles

The Steelers scored 28 against a Saints defense that has been brilliant over the last 6 games.  The Saints scored in bunches.  When the Steelers tied the game at 14 late in the first half, it took Brees and mostly Alvin Kamara only 40 seconds to drive into field goal range, which Wil Lutz converted for the 3 points that would eventually be the difference.  Since the Saints had deferred at coin toss, they took the opening kickoff and drove down for a touchdown to take a 10 point lead at 24-14.  Then the offense slumbered til the last drive of the game.  The Steelers dominated the second half and took a 28-24 lead until they lined up to punt and made the controversial decision to try to preserve their possession. 

Thus the Saints preserve their top seed in the NFC with a 13-2 record.  They secured home field advantage until the Super Bowl.  They should be able to rest some starters next week, although there’s also a shot at their best regular season record in franchise history.  They will probably rest Drew Brees against Carolina in the closer, providing a showcase for Teddy Bridgewater.  This also allows them to rest most of the banged up offensive line, giving them 3 weeks to heal up.

The case for Drew Brees as MVP has now been made.  The Saints got Ted Ginn back from injured reserve and it was a huge addition.  Brees has been throwing to the great Michael Thomas and 2 rookie wide receivers: the drafted Tre’quan Smith and the undrafted Keith Kirkwood.  It looks like Kirkwood has supplanted Austin Carr in the lineup, and Tommylee Lewis has not contributed.  The tight ends have been sporadic at best.  Who has ever heard of a team playing this well with 2 rookies at wide receiver?   The productivity of the offense is Brees, Moore and Alvin Kamara.   Sean Payton usually doesn’t play rookies, much less two of them in this super complicated offense.  Allegedly, Brees calls three plays in the huddle and picks the one to he wants at the line.  So, what Brees has done with this inexperienced receiving corps is a marvel.  

The next time the Saints leave town, could be, should be to travel to the Super Bowl.

Let's go.

Saints Report # 14 - December 17, 2018

Drama.  An NFL team’s season is comprised of 16 individual dramas.  Each game is different and soon forgotten.  What’s left is a win or a loss.  Nobody cares how pretty it is and Monday night’s 12-9 victory over Carolina (their 4^th straight win over the Panthers) was anything but pretty.

The game was a "suffering" marathon.  Saints fans had to suffer through ESPN’s announcers’ fixation on Luke Kuechly and Cam Newton.  They had to suffer through the constant drumbeat of “what’s wrong with the Saint’s Offense?”  And they had to suffer through Booger McFarland’s play calling from a crane.  I like almost every football announcer.  I think they are amazing.  But for some reason Booger grates on me like nails on a blackboard, and I really don’t care what he would run in “that” situation.

Here’s what I saw:  A Saints Defense that is coming in to its own.  Instead of putting the blame on Carolina, let’s say this:  Other than a trick play for a touchdown, and a fancy play for a long run on which they fumbled, the Panthers never really threatened.  I never thought Carolina’s offense could score.  Cam Newton looked like a running quarterback looks after 7 years of hits.  He’s never been accurate and his big arm looks like the punishment has taken its toll.  Take note Lamar Jackson.  While Drew Brees was throwing into tight windows, Cam was trying to hit the barn wall. 

The Saints offense threatened four times, and would have put the game away if not for a-little-too-cute running play that Tommylee Lewis fumbled into the end zone from the one yard line for a touchback under the 2 minute mark.  It was the worst thing that could happen.  Look for TommyLee to be written out of next week’s game plan.  Call me crazy, but don’t the Saints have two pretty good running backs that could carry the ball in that situation?  Had the Saints scored, or even just kept the ball, the drama would have been over.  As it was, the Saints defense had to stop Cam one more time, which they did. 

So let’s summarize the 3 game road trip the Saints completed.  They went 2-1 and gave up 14, 13, and 7 points.  That’s a total of 34 points in 3 games, and if you’ve forgotten that first loss in the first game, they gave up 48 to Tampa, and that was in the Superdome.  Yep, the defense has come a long way. 

                                                                

So, what’s wrong with he Saints offense?  Nothing that getting back home won’t cure.  Defensive Coordinators catch up to offenses as the season goes on, and the scores get lower and the games that were September track meets are December grinds.  Those big strike plays are being prevented, so the games are ball control, clock management, and finding a way to just be ahead at the moment the gun goes off.  Doesn’t bother me at all, although I wouldn’t submit to a blood pressure test during one of these dramas.

Now the Saints close their season with 2 tough home games, Pittsburgh and Carolina again.  The scoring will go up a little, and so will the tension.  The Saints are 12-2 and with two wins would wrap up home field advantage and their best record ever.   That would mean a path like 2009 to the Super Bowl.  Wouldn’t that be nice?