Saints Report #15 - December 27, 2021

The Saints fell to the Dolphins 20-3 in the annual Attrition Bowl Monday Night.  It wasn’t that close.  It was never going to be that close.

The Saints had no choice but to trot out QB Ian Book, their 4^th round draft choice, who by all accounts had never taken a practice snap with the first team.  He looked as bad as you would expect, as he couldn’t even throw the ball away when headed out of bounds faced with a loss.  It looked like he had never played the position before, at least at times.

Not his fault.  He never expected to have to play this year, and I’m a little concerned at the lack of development here, but I guess the Saints have had other things on their mind, like fighting the war of attrition, which they are losing as surely as the world is losing the war on covid.  And to ask him to play behind that make-shift offensive line with only two starters and three who should’ve been in street clothes was like putting a matador in the ring with a bull and blindfolding him.  It was treacherous.  Remember the replacement teams?

The Greed Football League expanded the schedule to 17 games this year in the year they should have dropped it to about 12, with teams getting 3 byes.  Many teams have had to send out players that don’t belong in the NFL.  It’s not the product we are used to.  The Saints looked so inept on offense, by far their worst game in the Payton era, that’s it no wonder they reached out to Brees last week.  Bobby Hebert was probably sitting by his phone.  They coulda been killed.  Glad Brees stayed the course on his retirement, on the course.

The Saints have fallen to 7-8 and I just don’t think they can get up.  I’d just as soon they start Book the last 2 games and see if he improves any.  Look, I read all the Saints chatterboxes doing the Hill/Winston argument and let me say this.  The Saints don’t have any NFL Playoff Caliber Quarterback on their roster. 

Winston has a good arm, but can’t read defenses quickly enough, Hill will never make it through a season, Siemian is a known quantity, and it’s average at best, and Book – well would any other team have drafted him?

What’s sad is that this year, and I emphasize “this year,” the defense may be the best the Saints have ever had.  The injuries have been excessive, and it is rather disconcerting that covid has swept through the team in the last couple of weeks.  Doesn’t exactly make me want to browse Wal-Mart. 

Other than last night’s embarrassment, and the weird propensity to beat great teams and lose to bad ones, I actually like the way the Saints have competed, given all the injuries.  Sean Payton has kept them in the games.  I have questioned his play calling at times, like we all do, but he has put together a great team which is lacking at one position, where he has saddled himself with some Ansel Elgot’s.  If it can happen to Speilberg, it can happen to anyone.  Casting your leading man is extremely important.  The off-season will be interesting.  In the NFL, there are about 10 Quarterbacks who can win a Super Bowl.  If the goal is the Super Bowl, time to find an eleventh.      

Saints Report #14 - December 19, 2021

It is doubtful that Tom Brady began his evening wondering if his team would score any points.  

He certainly wasn't expecting a score that would read like a baseball forfeit.

The Saints defense shut out Tampa Bay 9-0 in a game that had to be a shock to the football world.  For the second straight year the Saints swept the TB’s. 
Let's review:  38-3, 34-23, 36-27, 9-0.  

I will always maintain that the Saints would have won the playoff game as well if not for Jared Cook's fumble.  

Sunday night, it was as if the Saints took it personally that Brady hasn’t retired yet.  “Hey man, it’s time for you to sit in your hot tub on your deck overlooking some body of water sipping mint juleps, or those smoothies you make.  Hang it up, already.”  Or, at least that's what CJ Gardner-Johnson was probably thinking when he stared down Brady during the game. Brady at 44 is probably older than some of the Saints player's parents.  

With Sean Payton sidelined with Covid, Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen continued his mastery of Brady.  The Saints have had a lot of things go wrong this year, but one thing that has gone right is the defense.  That has to be attributed to Allen.

It is a luxury to have a competent coordinator in his 7^th year.  He has molded the defense, he has filled the holes, and he is well acquainted with every team in the league.  He’s seen it all, and he is getting better and better.  After this headline-making performance I’m a little scared.  Is he going to be a head coaching candidate?  Selfishly, I hope not.  This morning on the NFL network Peter Schrager said the Saints have the best defensive backfield in the league, and that was the part of the team I was most concerned about.  Go figure.  You have to give Sean Payton credit for following the Belichick process which is build your team to dominate your division and beat your divisional opponents, in those 6 games.  That strategy has resulted in 4 straight divisional titles on the heels of Carolina winning 3 in a row during Cam Newton’s prime.  A fifth is a long-shot, but it’s still a great run.

On the offensive side, the Saints didn’t do much against an excellent Tampa defense.  The Saints basically took just enough advantage of good field position to kick 3 field goals.  Who began the night thinking that would do it?

So the Saints are still alive to win the division.  Sure, at 7-7 they would have to win their last 3 and the Bucs would have to lose their last 3.  Let’s face it, the Saints offense is a little tepid for that to happen.  But there’s no question that given the many adversities of this season, Saints fans can hold their heads high.  Lotta Heart on this team.

 

Saints Report #13 - September 12, 2021

Give me your tired, your poor, your losing teams.  Come to New York and face our team, the J-E-T-S, the worst the NFL has to offer.  If you can’t beat this team, you’re really in trouble.

The Saints traveled to New York, well actually New Hoffa, to feast on the Jets, and feast they did, 30-9.  The Jets looked awful, a reminder to the Saints fans what an awful team really looks like.  The game left the Saints as one of many teams at 6-7 and squarely in the playoff hunt, although it almost certainly won’t be by division title.  The Saints have some quarterback uncertainty over the next few years, but not like the Jets.  The green team invested the 2^nd pick in Zach Wilson, who looks like a great NFL quarterback maneuvering around the pocket, until he actually has to let go of the ball.  At that point anything could happen, but it usually involves bouncing.  Bouncing off a shoulder pad, a helmet, or the turf.  I have said all along that I don’t think the Saints have an NFL quarterback on the roster, but after watching Wilson I could make the argument that the Saints have 4, 5 if you count Kamara.  If Wilson makes it as an NFL quarterback, I will be shocked. 

Yes, Alvin Kamara was back from his fall break, and did he look fresh!  He is clearly the NFL MVP as the Saints are 6-3 with him, and 0-4 without him.  He was spectacular, accounting for 145 yards running and catching and just bothering the Jets.  Taysom Hill also had a good game, doing what he does.  But the defense was stout, allowing only 3 harmless field goals, threatened only at the end of the game.    They didn’t miss Cameron Jordan, who missed his first game ever as a Saint, and with their biggest game of the season on tap next Sunday Night against TB, now is the time to make a challenge for a a playoff spot. 

How will it go?  Well, you can bet they will concentrate on Kamara, so someone else will need to step up.

 

Media Captures - November 2021

 

After 15 years, a name-change for my monthly capsules on my viewing.  It's way more than just "Cinema" these days. 

Red Notice – 9

Netflix has a hit adventure movie on its hands with this tale of 3 thieves playing like Cary Grant across Europe.  Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot pretty much play their standard every-movie character, so this ain’t Shakespeare, but it ain’t trying to be, and that’s what makes it so much fun.  Yes, it’s predictable, and yes, it’s ridiculous, but sometimes we just need a nice diversion from the variant of the day. 

 

The Sparks Brothers – 10

The thing I probably enjoy the most about the accessibility we now have with streaming is the music documentaries.  They come one after another.  Some are on artists I grew up with.  Some are about ones I never heard of.  I knew nothing of the Sparks Brothers, nor their 50 year career.   

Edgar Wright is the director and he’s most famous for the movie “Baby Driver” and his love of music comes across in that movie, and he turns his attention to an influential but little know pair of brothers, Ron and Russell Maei (The Sparks).  I felt the same way I felt when I watched Searching for Sugarman a few years back.  How could I have not known?  The movie is more fun that almost any documentary.  If you like music, don’t miss it.

Mr. A & Mr. M – 10

I’ve only seen the first of the two episodes of this little doc series on A&M Records, but does it hit home for me.  Herb Alpert (Mr. A) puts together a record called The Lonely Bull, follows it up with Whipped Cream and Other Delights, and he and Jerry Moss (Mr. M) open a record company with their windfall. They sign artists like Sergio Mendes, Joe Cocker, The Carpenters, The Police, Cat Stevens, Peter Frampton, and Carole King.  Their love of the music and the freedom they give the artist make them unique.  Great stories and the love the artists confess for the company is unique.

And that's Herb's wife Lani Hall in this promo shot.  You've probably never heard of her, but she's in my top 3 favorite female vocalists.  Been listening to her since high school.  

Lani on the left, with a little ear candy

 

Every Little Step – 9

Another documentary about music, this one is a 2008 film you can catch on Netflix and it covers the auditions for a revival of the Broadway Musical “A Chorus Line.”  I’ve never doubted the craftsmanship and commitment it takes to put on a Broadway Musical, but this brings it to full, vibrant life.  This was the first Broadway Musical I ever saw and now I want to see it again. 

 

Condor - 9

One of my favorite movies is Three Days of the Condor.  So, when I heard they did a 10 episode updated version of it I had 2 questions.  "Why?"  And "What Channel?"  The answer was Epix (which is 4 channels you can add on Directv for 99 cents a month).  I then watched all 10 episodes straight through in one day.  I'm crazy.  But, it was good, credible, and I liked it.  It ain't Redford and Dunnaway, but close enough in a pandemic.  

 

Hacks – 9

The year of Jean Smart which started with her pivotal role in Mare of Easttown, concludes with her winning a best comedy actress Emmy in Hacks.  First, let me mention a specific scene in Easttown that was amazingly well executed.  She plays Mare’s mother, and there’s a scene where she falls, as old people do from time to time.  It is so real and heart-wrenching that anyone who has ever seen or done that will be moved.  It was a bravo moment for Jean portraying the embarrassment of that movement. 

Now, for Hacks.  She plays Deborah Vance, a declining Las Vegas comic who is seeing her venues get smaller and dates fewer.  She’s not ready to go quietly, so she hires Ava, a 25 year old writer with no resume to speak of.  You know what happens, at first they don’t trust each other, then over 10 episodes they make progress.  Deborah is just a classic character, and Jean Smart treats it like the role of her lifetime, which it is.  10 quick episodes on HBO.

 

And finally, two fascinating Musical TV moments:

First, here’s a clip from some kind of upcoming show with Jimmy Fallon, featuring some stunning voals:  

Secondly, if you haven’t seen Taylor Swift’s performance on SNL, keep in mind it could be worse.  You could’ve dated her.  Nevertheless, I found this pretty impressive..

Saints Reports # 11 and 12 December 2, 2021

A Tale of Two Thursdays.

It was the worst of times, then it got worser.

For some reason, the NFL decided to put the Saints on back to back Thursday night games, from the Superdome.  It couldn’t have gone worse.  Try to imagine the elation the home crowd would have felt in the Drew Brees era with two straight Thursday night games.  This is not those times.

I do have a theory.  The NFL wanted to roll out their latest versions of “the worst call ever” on National TV.  How long is this going to go on?  I hate the length of the games, but I’m with Bill Belichick on this one.  Every call should be reviewable.  Just like real life. The Saints win the twitter conversation every week.  It doesn't make me feel any better.

My Thanksgiving day was a family pleasure.  We didn’t cook, we traveled.  We just showed up, and it was great.  Our hosts experienced the same overproduction problems we have when we cook, unless you think 8 pies for 9 people is normal, but it was probably our first ever break from the heavy lifting.  After a great meal, we retired to our son’s basement to watch a scintillating Saints performance in a contest with the Buffalo Bills. Afterwards, I felt like I was the one that had been scintillated.  Keep in mind the Bills may be the best team in the NFL, and I predicted they will win the Super Bowl, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when the Saints got carved up 31-6.   The streak was at 4.

If the Trevor Siemian era is to be remembered, all 4 games of it (to this point) it will be remembered for Payton’s most cautious play calling of his tenure.  The Saints rarely threw the ball on first down, presumably to reduce the sacks of the immobile QB. Almost every promising situation was punctured by a sack, and once the announcer version Drew Brees noted that Siemian doesn’t step up into the pocket, it got repeated by every commentor on the web.  Why isn’t Taysom in there?  Wait, we’ve got another 4^th down pass by the punter up our sleeve. 

The Saints defense performed fairly well, in both games, but you can only ask so much. They are the best run stopping bunch in the NFL, and the secondary is way better than I thought they would be, but they wear down and the law of averages catches up with them.  Then, it’s not pretty.

On the second Thursday, it was Taysom Hill’s turn finally, after signing a mega contract that will pay him handsomely if he can actually play quarterback, and well if he can’t.  Payton is clearly enamored of the Hill skill set, enough to put Mrs. Benson’s money where his mouth is.

So, how did it go?  It went 4 interceptions, one a pick-six.  Yes, he injured his finger early, and his running was exciting at times, but the Saints were overmatched again.  The Saints scored late on a nifty run after catch by Deonte Harris to pull it close 27-17, but this just highlighted that Harris may be the only receiving threat the Saints have, he’s just missing about 8 inches of height.  He’s also appealing a 3- game suspension which would cripple the Saints, when he has to serve it.  The gamble of not drafting a wide receiver is officially a bumble.  Look, I know few teams that could lose 3 offensive linemen, and be down to their third quarterback and still be competitive, but the lack of wide receiver talent is glaring given that there have been great receivers go in the first round the last few years.  The streak is at 5.

So, after more than half of the greediest season in NFL history, 17 games with no roster expansion, there is one thing I’m sure of.  A running QB makes no sense.  He will get hurt.

Saquon Barkley, an immensely talented running back, has played 36 games in 4 years.  Injured
Christian McCafferty is out for the season, again
Alvin Kamara has just missed his 5^th straight game.  The Saints are 5-2 with him, and 0-5 without him.
Dalvin Cook is out.  Cam Akers is out.

And these are just the running backs.  They can’t stay on the field.  The game is too violent.  Check out the Tom Brady documentary on ESPN 3.  You can’t help but notice the violent hits from 20 years ago that just wouldn’t fly today. 

Meanwhile, Let’s look at the QB’s:

Jameis Winston got injured scrambling.
Russell Wilson missed several games, and doesn’t look good since he came back
Taysom Hill apparently has the same injury now. 
Cam Newton and Big Ben can’t throw.
Kyler Murray is on the shelf.
Lamar Jackson may be the most exciting player in the NFL. He gets hurt too much.

Now, just for fun, let’s look at Alabama Quarterbacks in the NFL.

The jury is still out on Jalen Hurts.  He can run the ball very well, and hasn’t gotten hurt yet, but hasn’t proven he can throw it at the NFL level.

Tua Tagovailloa is not what everyone thought he would be, and the injury he suffered to his hip late in his college career, while scrambling, may be why.

Then there is Mac Jones, who yes, landed on a good team, but is a statue in the pocket, reading defenses and distributing the ball.  I still think this is the prototype. 
So, who do I want?  Bama’s Bryce Young.  Can we draft him early like the Celtics did Larry Byrd?

Saints Report #10 - November 21, 2021

The Saints traveled to Philadelphia, and they wish they hadn’t as the Eagles dropped the Liberty Bell on them to the tune of 40-22, and the Saints had to rally to get it to that point.  The game featured a dismal performance by the defense, and a dreary performance by the offense.  The special teams didn’t contribute, other than it is becoming apparent that the Saints best player is their punter.

Any hope that the Saints had evaporated before halftime.  Jalen Hurst scored two touchdowns to power the Eagles to a 14-0 lead.  The Eagles ran the ball on the Saints easily for most of the game.  The Eagles fumbled deep in their own territory, the Saints who had been unable to move the ball, accepted the gift and were down 14 – 7.  The Eagles kept driving, but added two field goals.  Then they tried to give the Saints another gift, by fumbling deep in their own territory again.  This time the referees called it dead, saying forward progress had been stopped.  It certainly looked worth a challenge as the two minute warning approached and Payton had plenty of time to challenge, but he didn’t.  We wouldn’t know for another minute or so, but the game was essentially over. 

Then, Trevor Siemian gave a gift of his own, a pick-six to Darius Slay and the Saint were submerged at the half 27-7.

The Saints then waited until the 4^th quarter to begin their normal too-little-too-late comeback.  Siemian picked things up late, but it was his worst game of the year, and there were plenty of players simulating his performance.  It was a drab, dull, desultory effort, but let’s face it, it was by a bunch of guys who would not normally be playing.  Neither of the offensive tackles started, and it showed.  Payton doesn’t like to make excuses about injuries, but this has gotten ridiculous.  Meanwhile the receivers seem to be on a one-play quota per game. 

Three straight losses and that dreamy 5-2 start has transformed into a 5-5 nightmare.  They face two strong teams on successive Thursday nights, and expectations have to be low at this point.  There’s still time to have a good year, but the personnel doesn’t appear to be present.  I’m getting flashbacks to those three straight 7-9 seasons.  Ugh.  

I've been watching a lot of college football to try to spot the Saints QB of the future, as I don't think he's on the roster.  The task is extremely difficult because of a) the idiotic targeting enforcement, and b) I don't see any superstars.  This weekend I was kind of impressed with a lefty, Brennan Armstrong of Virginia.  But, deep down, I'm just not sure Sean Payton relishes starting fresh with a rookie.  I'm not sure the fan base does either.  

Saints Report # 9 - November 14, 2021

John Steinbeck’s last novel, published in 1961, was the “Winter of Our Discontent” and the only reason it wasn’t about the New Orleans Saints was because they didn’t exist yet.  If he were writing today about Saints Fandom, it would undoubtedly be titled "Autumn of Our Frustration."

The Saints lost another winnable game 23-21 to the AFC’s best team, the Tennessee Titans, in Nashville.  Probably 75% of NFL Games are close ones that could go either way, and that way is usually decided by just a few points.  In this game it was:

• 2 missed extra points by the 4^th placekicker of the year, soon to be an ex.  Sometimes they don’t matter, but in this game they greatly affected strategy.  The Saints lost by 2, you notice.
• More dropped passes, although not as many as last week.
• A wiped-out Tannehill end zone interception by Marcus Williams.  Kaden Ellis was flagged for illegally playing football when he pressured Tannehill.  It was a terrible call, and it wasn’t just Saints fans who thought so.
• Two critical back to back sacks of Trevor Siemian at the end of the first half.  The Saints were driving in the final minute when he tried to dance out of pressure.  He had time, and should have thrown the ball away.  Siemian shows some promise, but his feet are reminiscent of Drew Bledsoe.  Movement in the pocket is not a strong suit.      
• A Devonte Harris fumble of the second half kickoff that tee’d up an easy TD.  Payton almost always defers when the Saints win the toss, because he wants that first possession of the second half.  In this game, that possession lasted 7 seconds.  His strategy is to score late in the first half, then hopefully back to back to start the 2^nd.  That’s pretty much what happened here, but for the Titans.  They scored a touchdown with 1:38 left in the first half, then 3:00 into the 2^nd half.  The Titans scored their two touchdowns in this 4 minute span.   They kicked 2 field goals before, and one after this sequence, as the Saints defense again played well.
• The Saints got down to the 3 yard line with 8:44 left in the game.  At 5:35 after several miscues by both teams, they settled for a field goal to bring them within 8, and it took way too long.
• Adam Trautman pulled a Brad Edelman and got called for illegal procedure on the two point conversion try late in the game.  A successful conversion would have tied the game.  Instead the Saints got moved back to the 7 and their try fell incomplete.  Game over.

Any of these incidents could have changed the game.  It’s the way things are going for the Saints right now. The wrong way.

The tar on the cake is the same as last week.  A win would’ve moved the Saints ahead of the faltering TB Bucs to lead the division. The Bucs are floundering and the Saints can’t take advantage.  A fifth straight division title is available, as the puzzling Saints remain 1 game back.

Think back.  Going into the season, the typical Saints fan had a preference on who would be the heir to Drew Brees, Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill.  Who would’ve thought Trevor Siemian would be in his third game, and performing quite well?  Who would’ve thought the Saints would be playing well against good teams, and poorly against bad teams?  Who would've thought Mark Ingram would be back starting games for the Saints, and even doing a good job?

The good news, is that the rest of the league is as inconsistent as the Saints. At 5-4 the Saints are still in the playoff hunt, but the injuries continue to cripple them, the late comebacks are falling short, and the Autumn winds don’t blow.  They suck.

Saints Report #8 - November 7, 2021

Any Saints loss to the Atlanta Falcons is heart-breaking, end of the world sorrowful, but this one was a throwback to the 70’s, with a last minute dagger that felled the Saints 27-25. 

The Saints played a pretty lackluster first 3 quarters, allowing Matt Ryan to chop up their vaunted defense with mostly short passes, with an occasional embarrassing long one thrown in.  The Falcons led 24-6 with 8 minutes left, and it all seemed a formality.  The Saints were going to squander their chance to take the division lead.

There are a lot of tried and true ways to lose in the NFL.  Here are a few:

• Sleep walk through 3 quarters and let the other team jump out to a big lead
• Drop about 7 passes
• Fail miserably on a couple of critical two point conversions
• Lose a fumble in the pocket in the middle of the comeback.
• Waste a stirring comeback by leaving the veteran opposing quarterback too much time to mount a comeback of his own.
• Put a rookie man to man on the best receiver with the game on the line.

Consider all those boxes checked.

The Saints trailed by 18 with 8 minutes left and mounted a thrilling comeback, as Siemian and Taysom Hill began to sling the ball all over the field.  It was the most remarkable comeback since the Brees-led one over the then-Skins of Red back in 2017.  When Kenny Stills caught a touchdown pass with 1 minute left, Saints fans were ecstatic, but also knew that was a lot of time for Matt Ryan.  He needed about 10 seconds of it.  His 64 yard pass to Cordarrelle Patterson over rookie Paulson Adebo took the wind out of the Superdome faster than a bomb cyclone, whatever that is. The Falcons won it on a short field goal.

The Saints are a puzzling lot.  They’ve lost to three teams, the Giants, Falcons, and Panthers that now have worse records than the Saints.  They beat the two teams, the Bucs and Packers that are the favorites to play in the NFC Championship. 

They broke their improbable 3 game winning streak.  Instead of a remarkable 6-2 record, they stumble to 5-3, making their playoff odds significantly longer.  Three of their next 4 opponents, Tennessee, Dallas, and Buffalo lead their divisions, and the one that doesn’t, Philly, is in 2^nd place.  Cakewalk it ain’t.  These 3 losses to teams they should have beaten would have provided a margin for error they don’t have now.  Going into December at or under .500 is a very real possibility.  Meanwhile, their home field advantage seems to have evaporated and escaped through that fire on the roof a few months back.

They’ve hidden their major deficiency – wide receiver, until today.  Against the Falcons, drops were plentiful, and separation was not in evidence until late in the game.  My personal opinion is that OBJ is a head case, but he’d easily be the #1 receiver on this team.  Not that I’m advocating.

Tight End Adam Trautman contributed a couple of critical drops, but came alive in the 4^th quarter.  They say he’s a good blocker.  Whatever.

Mark ingram looked good in the first quarter, then he disappeared, into the “minimal use” bucket.

Atlanta receivers, on the other glove, were wide open all day.  If this is evidence of game-planning by their first-year coach, Arthur Smith, the Saints recent superiority may be in jeopardy.  While Atlanta upped their series lead to 54-51, the Saints are 21-10 since Payton arrived, including 6 out of the last 7 until today.  It would be nice for recent momentum to continue.

Taysom Hill embarrassed the Birds last year, and zinged two completions right before Siemian’s game-changing fumble.  Payton may not have been convinced Hill was ready after his concussion, and Siemian played pretty well, but I’m thinking the decision will be tougher next week.  The loss was certainly not Trevor’s fault, but could he win a Super Bowl?  I don’t know.  Could Nick Foles?  Brad Johnson?  Jeff Hostetler?  Trent Dilfer?  How much has the game changed?  I just don’t know.  No one is talking about his big arm, that’s for sure.

Today reminded me of the Minneapolis Miracle.  The Vikings jumped out to a big lead.  Brees piloted a brilliant comeback, one that should have made it a signature win.  It all went out the window on an improbable bomb to Stefon Diggs, whose part was played today by Patterson.  After what the Saints did to Brady last week with under a minute left, this outcome was particularly surprising.  The defense was a step slow all day, and Patterson one-on-one with any rookie is a full load, although they did contain rookie phenom tight end Kyle Pitts.

So, a puzzling day in the NFL all around.  In future opponents, Jacksonville embarrassed Buffalo, and Denver surprised Dallas, so they’ll be more focused.  Let’s hope the Saints are. 

At the Cinema - September/October 2021

Come From Away – 10

During these two months of rehab from knee surgery, I’ve enjoyed some nice movies, but none more than this one, featured on Apple+.  It is the filming of a Broadway play about a town in Newfoundland and the role it was drafted into on 9/11.  When Air Traffic Control grounded all air traffic, I guess I never wondered where they all went.  Well 38 of them landed at a small airport in Canada.  That’s quite an influx of folks for a small town to handle.  Think of the pets.  Think of the Diapers.  Think of everything.  This movie does, and it's wonderful.

No Time to Die – 9

This is the only movie that I actually left the house for since my surgery, although Dune is on the horizon.

There are plot holes you can drive a truck through.  There are slow patches.  There are a slew of what I call “Bond Conveniences” like “oh, look, here’s a rope I can swing from,” and “here’s a ladder close by.” There is a virtually useless villain performance by Rami Malik who must have been trying to consolidate all the previous Bond villains into one mumbling, incoherent mess, with a scarred face of course.

So, why did I enjoy this movie so much, maybe more than any Bond since Goldfinger?  I often say you either buy a movie or you don’t.  Well, I just bought it all.  There have been 25 Bond movies now, piloted mostly by the Broccoli family, who got the rights to the Ian Fleming output and while the quality has fluctuated through numerous actors playing Bond, they’ve never failed to produce a blockbuster of some magnitude.  I believe, except for the first two (I was 7 or 8) I’ve seen them all in a theater.  I have no allegiance to a particular actor, although they’ve all been chasing Sean Connery.

Daniel Craig has been tremendous in his 15-year, 5-movie run.  Sure, he was different from previous bonds, “why so serious?” but he certainly brought some gravity to the proceedings, and I realized that there are a lot of young people who only know this Bond, unless they have been concientious about their TBS viewing.  What this movie does beautifully is finish the Daniel Craig arc.  Early in the movie, he captures the old Bond in this incredible fight sequence co-starring Ana Del Armas (the next big thing, don’t ya know?).  Later on, the plot gets a little heavier as he must deal with what I think is the 3^rd love of his life (if you’re counting) who he has mixed feelings about but is forced to unmix them to save the world, and other significant people.    

Memo to the Broccoli’s:  Good luck replacing Craig, drop the crazy villain trope and just go with a sane businessman, a Tony Soprano type, and tighten these scripts already.  If Tom Cruise can save the world in under 2 and a half hours, so can you.

Cry Macho – 7

Only the staunchest of Clint Eastwood fans will jump up and down over this one.  While it is enjoyable, it takes all the starch out of a story that had the makings of an interesting adventure.  It’s slow, but, it never bores you.  It’s just not what we expect from Eastwood. But, at 90, what should we expect?  

News of the World – 8

Tom Hanks is his reliable self in a western featured on Apple+.  Nothing spectacular here, just a solid story.

The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin – 10

When a documentary starts with the unexpected death of its subjects, as filming was being concluded, you know it’s going to be a wild story, and it is.  HBO has never been shy about Documentaries about religion, and this is another revealing one.

The Remnant Fellowship is based in Brentwood, Tennessee, and was founded on the magnetism of founder Gwen Shamblin who actually started her movement, now 150,000 strong nationwide, on a gospel built around weight loss, what she called “the weigh down.”  Accused of casting aside followers who couldn’t stay trim (I’m not making this up) and for other reasons, she and her family ruled with an iron fist, on their way to great wealth.  You won’t believe this.  Three episodes now, more to come in a year or so after the mysterious plane crash is fully investigated.

Bitchin’:  The Sound of Fury of Rick James - 8

I am totally ignorant when it comes to addiction, so I watch this kind of stuff to get an education, and there sure is one to be had here.  Rick James was a mess.  Talented, but a mess.  I can still remember when he had a couple of songs that dominated music, but it could have gone on a lot longer but for his appetite.  This is a top notch documentary on Showtime. 

 
Miles Davis:  Birth of the Cool – 8 (Netflix)

Another American Masters PBS documentary that is fascinating.  What am I doing watching this?  It stems from that one great Tom Cruise scene in a jazz club in “Collateral” where they talk about Miles Davis.  What a life this guy had.  I’m just starting to learn.

Count Me In.  – 8

A Netflix documentary on drumming and drummers.  I’ve known very few drummers in my life, but they all seemed extremely happy.  I always wanted to play the drums.  Seems like fun.  These two impressions were fortified with this nifty little doc.  Anything that tries to quantify the greatness of Keith Moon is going to be interesting, and they make the case here that he played the drums every waking hour, even when there was no drum set around. 

Untold:  Malice in the Palace – 9 (Netflix)
The Ron Artest Story – 9 (Showtme)

What an oddity.  Two nearly identical documentaries, which main difference seems to be the clothes the interviewed are wearing.  Metta World Peace indeed. 

Only Murders in the Building – 9

This Hulu comedy/murder mystery stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and the surprisingly splendid Selena Gomez, who team up to try to solve a murder mystery in their New York City apartment building, which is also a star.  The great Amy Ryan is on board as a love interest for Martin, and for star power, charisma, and chemistry, who could ask for anything more.  They are trying to solve a long running mystery and of course the way you monetize that is with a podcast.  The series starts a little slowly, but as they get closer to the murderer, the tension ramps up.

Ted Lasso – 9

And finally, season two of the highly acclaimed Apple series finishes it up.  It seems to lurch around a bit, as it tries to give its due to each character. Including one who appears to go over to the dark side.  In the end it’s Brett Goldstyn’s portrayal of hardcore Roy Kent that is the most interesting to me.  Make no mistake, there’s nothing else like this show on TV.  But, not for long.  Look for a slew of imitators.  Their Emmy haul for season 1 insured that.

 

Gunpowder Milkshake – 7

A female assassin who was abandoned by her mother (an assassin – go figure) must reunite with mom to protect her daughter.  There is a group of female assassins who come to the rescue and it’s as ridiculous as most action movies.  Not to say it doesn’t have its moments, and a great cast.

In a Lonely Place – 9

I was told this 1950 flick was one of the all-time great movies, which I thought was interesting since I’d never heard of it.  It’s an oldie with Humphrey Bogart as a screenwriter under suspicion for a murder he didn’t commit, but you’d never know that by his crazy actions.  A good one for sure, but great?  No.

Deadwood – 10

I’m binging Deadwood, the HBO miniseries from the early 2000’s.  It is often discussed as the greatest drama series of all time with The Wire and The Sopranos, so I thought I would check it out.  It’s written like Shakespeare in the west, as the characters speak in a unique prose that is sometimes hard to decipher, and that’s before the profanity.  Eventually, you can taste the dust of the mining town, and the disposability of life, as each person is just trying to get to the next day. 

This is some of the most difficult to watch scenes, and storylines you’ll ever see on TV.  If you can stomach it, you will be rewarded by things like Ian McShane as the most wicked villain of all time, Al Swearengen.    He swears alright.  The critics are right, this is epic television, but not for the faint of ear.

Muhammed Ali – 10 (PBS)

I’ve watched many a fine documentary on the great boxer.  I could not have foreseen that Ken Burns would take on the task of wading through it all again, but he does, and his usual quality is evident.  Covering Ali’s religious conversion, every wife, almost every fight, and his illness in great detail, Burns leaves nothing else to be said.  Clocking in around 8 hours, it’s like that good book that you stay up all night to read.  You can’t look away.

There was a time when the Heavyweight Champion of the World was the center of the sporting universe.  Ali took up all that oxygen and more.  Boxing peaked with him.  It’s that simple.  I know many that loved him and many that hated him.  You couldn’t be ambivalent when it came to Ali.  This documentary probably won’t change your mind, but it gives you insight into the methods to his madness.

Dave Chappelle – The Closer - 5
Chris Rock – Total Blackout:  The Tambourine extended cut - 8

Dave Chappelle sold 3 stand up specials to Netflix, and his third and last really lit the controversy bulb.  Netflix employees walked out over his comments on transgender people, and I can see why.  For me, its just not that funny as he rambles through his grievances.  However, I will give him credit for wrapping it up in a poignant ending, so if you’re going to watch, stick with it until the end.

Chris Rock on the other hand continues to give social commentary that everyone can understand.  He explains the difference between being rich and wealthy way better than any politician, and bares his soul on his divorce, and why we have to learn to deal with bullies.  This is an extension of a previous special. 

Saints Report #7 - October 31, 2021

Sean Payton loves us.  He loves us not.

His stellar game plan led to a 36 – 27 Saints victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But his clock management put a game in jeopardy, for the second time this year.  Fortunately, it was Halloween in New Orleans, so a repeat of the Giants debacle was not going to happen. 

The Bucs took a 27-26 lead with 5:44 minutes left.  Jameis Winston had exited the game in the first half with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.  The Saints were counting on backup Trevor Siemian for a game winning drive.  With two minutes remaining, the Bucs were down to one timeout and the Saints had a first down within the 10 yard line.  Good clock management would dictate 3 runs and kick a field goal, leaving Brady about 40 seconds and no timeouts.  So, of course, Payton, in a strategy reminiscent of the Saints playoff loss to the Rams a few years ago, called 3 pass plays that had no chance.  The Saints kicked the field goal to lead 29 – 27, and Brady would get the ball back with 1:41 plus a timeout.  It looked like a layup for the GOAT.

But Dennis Allen’s defense bailed Payton out.  PJ Williams intercepted Brady and ran it in to the end zone, and a shell-shocked Brady only had two sacks ahead of him.   Brady had a three turnover day.  I enjoy them when I’m hungry, but not great for a quarterback.

The Saints deserved to win.  They had dominated early, scoring 23 straight points to lead 23 – 7. Then Brady orchestrated his comeback, although the failure on a 2 point conversion was key.  Winston got hurt when he scrambled out of the pocket and was tackled by the shoulder pad in a tackle that illustrated why horse collar tackles are illegal.  At this point Winston had continued to surprise defenses with his running ability, having run for several first downs.  Unfortunately, the scrambling did him in.

The Saints stubbornly, and admirably, stuck to running the ball.  There wasn’t much yardage there, but their commitment to the run helped the unexpected passer – Siemian.  Here’s a scouting report – I always liked him when he was with the Broncos.  He doesn’t have a big arm, but he’s smart and accurate, and is close to Brees in tools.  Looks like he’s about to get another shot at an NFL starting job.

He ended this game 16-27 for 159 yards.

So the Saints beat the Bucs for the 6^th straight time in the regular season.  Of course an argument could be made, and Bruce Arians would probably make it, that the Bucs beat themselves with one crucial penalty after another, often extending Saints drives.  Sometimes they were even petty.  But, the Saints often play the bully roll, and pay for it.  In the end, the last Saints drive of the day gave the Saints a lead Brady couldn’t touch. 

So the surprising Saints are 5-2 and yet have only played two home games.  With 4 of the next 5 at home just imagine if the Saints flex that dome field advantage.  It could be like Halloween every night.  

Saints Report #6 - October 25, 2021

 

The Saints went into normally rainy Seattle and put the clamps on the Seahawks to the tune of 13-10 in a part time storm on Monday Night.  Another ugly win to move to 4-2.

The game resembled a fight scene in the rain in The Matrix, minus the grace and stylishness, unless you watched Alvin Kamara who put forth a fantasy dream night.  Suddenly the Saints have rediscovered his effectiveness when the ball is tossed to him, and without that it would have been a gloomy night, where we would have said “Why don’t we just get in the running car?”

The two teams pushed inefficiently against each other except for one touchdown drive a piece.  A lot could be made of the sluggish offenses, or the good defenses, but the truth of the matter is that this game was won by the kickers.  The Saints continuously flipped the field position behind the leg of punter Blake Gillikin, and they got two field goals from their 4^th placekicker of the year, Brian Johnson, while the Seattle kicker was going 1 for 3,  Where did Brian come from?  Sean Payton met him last Monday and his heart stood still, when it appeared Johnson could actually put the ball between the uprights.  This was to become even more important the next day, when kicker #1 Will Lutz was declared out for the season after a setback in his recovery.  Hang on Brian, Brian hang on.

The Saints continue to fly under the radar, rating rarely a mention in the national media.  No one believes in the Saints yet but the next week’s opponent, Tampa Bay will lead the Saints into the heart of their schedule, including Dallas and Buffalo.  I truly believe it takes a strong franchise quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and each season starts with about 10 – 12 of those.  I regret to say that this will probably not be the case for the Saints this year.  I’m not a Winston hater.  I think he’s doing fine, workmanlike stuff.  But he’s not going to carry this team, and the days of a dominant defensive team, which the Saints are, racing through the playoffs is over.  The rules favor the offenses, and there are too many stars out there.  Would love to be wrong, but instead, I’m going to appreciate this team for what it is – a hardnosed defense minded team, and I look forward to next Sunday’s showdown with Brady.  I think he’s in for a dogfight.

Meanwhile, some other comments about sports:  The Pelicans are back, minus Van Gundy, “airball” and “slowfoot,” my two least favorite players from last year.  I won’t say their names.  Unfortunately Zion is hurt and reportedly way overweight.  New Orleans teams don’t seem to “stay in touch.”  See Michael Thomas. 

I’m enjoying baseball.  I remember Lolich and Gibson, Koufax and Ford, and those great pitching duels.  It’s now a parade of relievers and the strongest bullpen wins.  I’m ok with that.

Here are some important lessons from sports of today:

• Replay has gotten out of hand.  I didn’t think it possible to make the last 2 minutes of an NBA game last longer, but I was wrong.  We beat everything to death.  
• Yelling at the top of your lungs is important at the end of every big play.  I plan on applying this to my life.  Wait until the next time I successfully parallel park.
• Someone should be designated to bring water to every celebration, especially at home plate, to douse the pile with.  It’s kind of funny to see. 

Saints at the Bye

This is the Saints bye week report.  Sorry, I did not write about the last 2 games until now, as I was on the disabled list getting a new knee.  Unfortunately, I was joining Michael Thomas, Wil Lutz, Erik McCoy, Terron Armstead, Deonte Harris, Taysom Hill, Tony Jones Jr, Marcus Davenport, Chase Hanson, Kwon Alexander, Ken Crawley, Nick Vannett, Tre’Quan Smith, and others on the sideline. 

Put them together with those from last year who aren’t here:  Drew Brees, Latavius Murray, Thomas Morestead, JT Gray, Trey Hendrickson, Sheldon Rankins, Malcolm Brown, Josh Hill, Jared Cook, Alex Anzalone, Emmanuel Sanders, Michael Burton, and Janoris Jenkins totals 26 absent.  All but Brees are contributing on other teams. 

And the Saints are 3-2 at the bye. 

Imagine if it was your company and you experienced that kind of turnover and absenteeism.You’d take 3-2 all day long.  And you’re just a bad quarter away from being 4-1.

Yes, the Saints last 2 games were experiments in what to do with 11-point fourth quarter leads. In the first, they just blew it to the Giants. 

If you’ve ever been a manager, you’ve had a bad day at the office.  You went against your instincts and hired the wrong person.  You chewed someone out for something that wasn’t their fault.  You made the wrong choice and it backfired.  You just made a stupid decision and it was costly.

Sean Payton simply had a bad day at the office against the Giants, something we’re not used to (except in the playoffs.)  Except for a three straight touchdown stretch in the second and third quarter, the Saints bungled decision after decision. They held a 21-10 lead with 8 minutes left, and then the Giants did to us what we are used to seeing the Saints do to teams over the last 15 years.

Squandered a time-out and a challenge with one of the most meaningless challenges of a spot I can ever remember seeing. 

Having a kicker that is obviously mediocre try a 58 yarder but not a 43 yarder.

Having only one running play that Taysom Hill can run.  His previous 2 spectacular runs were kind of a tip for the Giants to move the Titanic into that particular hole.

Having Taysom Hill throw a bomb which he didn’t have the arm for, thus an interception.

Not Throwing one pass to Alvin Kamara, who carried a career high 26 times.

Defense was no better

The annual Joe Montana create-a-star award goes to Daniel Jones who racked up over 400 yards passing and looked all world.  For one week.

Paulson Adebo, who appears to have the physical tools, got picked on all day, and the Saints lost in overtime 27-21.

Almost all those strategic errors got rectified the next week when the Saints when to DC and beat the nameless team 33-22.  As good as Ron Rivera appears to be as a coach, he rarely can handle Payton.  Blake Gillikin had the best game I’ve ever seen a punter have, as he seems to be on a mission to revive the coffin corner.  He deposited three punts of 53 yards or more inside the 5-yard line, completely changing the game.  Likewise, Marshon Lattimore seemed to take every ball in the air as a personal insult.

There are 3 things that I think are the most difficult in sports:  1) hit a round baseball moving very fast with a round bat, 2) hit a golf ball where you want it to go, and 3) cover a wide receiver.  I looked at the Saints secondary as their weakest link, but Lattimore may be the best in the game right now, Adebo has improved and looks like the steal of the draft, and if he’s not, linebacker Pete Werner is.

Being 3-2 at this point is a testament to organizational stability.  The first three draft choices are contributing.  Other than the place kicker, the Saints have been able to reload, restock, reboot, and stay competitive. 

Then there’s Jameis Winston, who has held his own.  While throwing to an all-new receiving corps, he has cut down his mistakes, but not eliminated them.  He’s thrown some good, bad, and ugly passes.  But, it ain’t a beauty contest and the reality of it is that the Saints are a middle tier team right now.  The question is, when some starters come back, can they make the jump?   

At the bye, all things considered, I’ll take 3-2. 

Saints Report #3 - September 26, 2021

The Saints finished their 2021 Adversity Tour with a 2 – 1 record by going into Foxboro and surprising the New England Patriots 28 – 13. 

It shouldn’t have been that close.  The Saints rode their solid ground game to a 14 – 3 halftime lead.  P J Williams picked off rookie QB Mac Jones as they easily won the first half, even while missing 2 field goals.  Then in the first 20 seconds of the second half, Malcolm Jenkins grabbed a bobbled room service pass and pick-sixed it.  Saints were up 21 – 3 and I was more surprised than Patriot faithful.

Time to relax, right? 

No, as the Saints stopped moving the ball.  With QB Jameis Winston bouncing around the pocket like a pinball, the Saints slowly but surely left the door open for the steady Pats.  A touchdown and a field goal brought it to 21-13 late in the fourth quarter  Suddenly, it was a one possession game.

The Saints needed one of those time consuming, soul crushing drives, and that’s exactly what they got with the help of Taysom Hill.   A steady, dominant drive consumed much of the fourth quarter and the Saints scored the final touchdown to put it away and left no time for the Patriots.  Jones threw his 3^rd interception of the game and the year, and now averages one a game.  Welcome to the NFL.

Let’s face it, if the Saints can score 4 or 5 touchdowns a game, no matter how ugly, that will win most of their games.  The defense, led by Demario Davis, looks strong, when healthy. 

It is a testament to the Saints organization that they are 2 – 1 considering they’ve been on the road since Ida.  When the Saints had to play all the games on the road after Katrina it was way uglier.

A couple of grades of interest after 3 games:

Winston – B-  Not yet suitable for shootouts.  We are used to Drew Brees hitting his back foot and the ball coming out.  Jameis isn’t there yet.  The entire receiving corp is new, so patience is called for.  Sean Payton has crafted conservative game plans to ease Winston into the year.  In 6 weeks or so we'll know.  

Defense – A-  Great defense when they are all on the field

Paulson Adebo – B   looks like a 3^rd round steal

Alan Trautman – D-  looking more and more like a bust.

Marquez Callaway – B   with a great catch in the end zone, finally showed what the buzz was about.

Saints Report # 2 - September 19, 2021

The 2021 Adversity Tour of the New Orleans Saints made its second stop in Charlotte. 

It was a disaster, as the Saints collapsed to the Carolina Panthers 23-7. 

With a plethora of starters missing and eight coaches marooned in a hotel somewhere with Covid, the Saints had the most tepid offensive output of the Sean Payton era – 129 Yards.  They couldn’t run and they couldn’t pass.  Jameis Winston looked like the Quarterback the Saints befuddled all those years when he was in Tampa, throwing two interceptions.  But this wasn’t all his fault.  The Panthers completely controlled the line of scrimmage, beating the Saints supposedly great offensive line with blitzes all day.  There was no where for Winston to turn, so he turned into sacks.  There is simply no recipe for winning a game when you are constantly 2^nd and 18, 3^rd and 21.  For awhile it looked like the Saints would have negative yardage for the game. 

The defensive effort was a little better, but not by much.  The Panthers moved the ball consistently and had a good pass/mix run. 

But, here’s the real bad news that came out of this game.  The Panthers look to be patsies no more. 

Coach Matt Ruhl has completely rebuilt the roster with competent players.  The hardest pill to swallow was watching Joe Brady, late of LSU, and the Saints calling plays in the booth.  The Panthers were getting rich off of insider trading as he put together a perfect plan.

Best advice – hope this was an aberration and move on.  It’s back to Dallas to practice, then off to New England, where Bill Belichick is sure to notice what happened today.  That should bring an end to the adversity tour brought on by Hurricane Ida.  And Covid. And Pass Rushers.

You know that you are in trouble when the most entertaining part of the game is the Fox graphics package nod to Ted Lasso, highlighting the Saints being down to 4 offensive coaches. 

Saints Report #1 - September 12, 2021

The Saints opened their season with a football nation-stunning 38-3 victory over the highly regarded Green Bay Packers.  Leave it to the Saints to provide a shot of adrenaline to the hurricane-beleagured who-dat nation.

Who could have seen this coming?  Well I did, because when your supremely talented but aging MVP Quarterback spends the offseason trying to beat out Blossom to host a game show, while courting his latest movie star girlfriend and complaining about his rapport with his bosses, that’s a recipe called “too much on your plate that doesn’t included training.”  As amazing as Aaron Rodgers is, he’s 37, and he looked it today, mostly because of the Saints smothering defense.

Dennis Allen is in his 7^th year as defensive coordinator and is it is a luxury to have someone this good for so long.  Usually they get hired away, but the maturity, schemes, and disguises he employs allows him to overcome the occasional shortage of personnel.  Saints fans have been worried all year about the cornerback position, but 3^rd round pick Paulson Adebo picked off Aaron Rodgers In his first NFL start.  Someday he’ll be telling his grandchildren about that play as a career highlight, or the first of many interceptions.  Next week the Saints will be joined by another top flight cornerback they just traded for, Bradley Roby.  Don’t look now, but the Saints looked like the best defense in the NFL on opening weekend.

On offense, they were just as good.  Hopefully all year, the Saints will execute the run-first, time chewing, ball control offense they used this day.  Limited possessions, keeping high powered offensive superstars watching from the bench with growing impatience, as they methodically worked the ball down the field.  It’s a great formula.  Early in the game when Jameis Winston was unexpectedly running for first downs, and the Saints running back tandem was grinding away, I knew Sean Payton had landed on one of his formidable game plans.  He did it each time Brees was sidelined the last 2 years.  He did it to Tampa Bay twice last year.  The Coach can flat out put a game plan together.

So, how will you know if things are going the Saints’ way?  If the Quarterback is perfectly set up for success the way Jameis Winston was today.  Five Touchdown passes with only 148 yards passing is simply unheard of.  The statistical edge the Saints had in all areas was amazing today, and I could recite them, but will just let them speak for themselves.  The Saints theme for the year should be "no shootouts."  It will put every opponent in Jeopardy.

When a Hurricane like Ida just ravages its way through the land you love, leaving varying degrees of devastation in its wake it is a helpless feeling, like there’s nothing you can do up against a superior force. 

The Green Bay Packers just got a taste of that feeling.