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 # 8 - November 8, 2020

No one could figure out why the Saints were even bothering to travel to Tampa.  The Buccaneers were favored to throttle the Saints.  Every single pundit that I saw over the weekend picked the Bucs and predicted a recreation of Little Big Horn.  The Bucs had the GOAT Tom Brady, and the Saints had the Goatee, Drew Brees.  (Wouldn’t it be cool if he grew one?  No, his picture is in the dictionary under “clean cut.”)

Here’s what I knew:
Bruce Arians’ teams are often undisciplined.  (3 offsides at least).
The Saints were getting 3 of their top 4 receivers back, and the Saints had been winning without them.
And, Sean Payton just seems to have some team’s number.
I liked our chances.

What I could not have foreseen was the Saints playing a near perfect game, putting the Bucs to bed, 38-3.  Brees distributed the ball all night like Magic Johnson on a fast break.  The only player without a reception was someone who hasn’t been drafted yet.  Brady had his worst game as a pro and the Saints had scored 3 touchdowns.plus fumbled another one away, before the Bucs got a first down.  The Bucs only ran the ball 5 times all night, an NFL record.  Welcome to a real division Tommy.  Tommy, can you hear me?

Now don’t get carried away with me.  There’s no way to know if the Saints were as good as they looked on this night, nor the Bucs this bad.  I do know that the Saints offense that just got by previously, is a handful with everyone healthy.  If the team stays healthy, they can go a long way. But you know the old saying,  "He who laughs after the Super Bowl, laughs best."

But at the halfway point of a strange NFL season, know this:  That was a near-perfect vanquishing. 
It was so much fun to watch.

It was more fun than getting tickled by Olivia Newton-John
It was more fun than eating Trix and not being a kid.
It was more fun than dinner with Tina Fey.
It was more fun than turning it up to 11.
It was more fun than a printer that actually prints.
It was more fun than the electric slide.
It was more fun than taking the cannoli.
It was more fun than lip syncing “Eve of Destruction.”
It was more fun than licking you fingers during a roast beef po-boy.
It was more fun than Dan Aykroyd as Julia Child.
It was more fun than a barrel of The Monkees.
It was more fun than a yo-yo.
It was more fun than Kurt Russell slapping Billy Bob Thorton.
It was more fun than a Hanson’s Sno-ball.
It was more fun than Abraxus.
It was more fun than Kelly Clarkson covering your favorite song.
It was more fun than “Bringing Up Baby.”
It was more fun than getting Final Jeopardy.
                During the Tournament of Champions.
                When everyone misses it.
                And you just knew that Alex knew you’d gotten it.

 

Saints Report # 1 - September 13, 2020

The new look Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to the former Louisiana Superdome, soon to be former Mercedes Benz Superdome, soon to be the Dominos’ Superdome, hoping to surprise the Saints without their customary loud home field advantage. It wasn’t to be. The steady but unspectacular Saints held off the not quite ready Bucs, 34-23. 

Don’t let the score fool you. Both defenses played pretty well, and both offenses sputtered most of the day. There were a couple of big plays that made the difference There were two aging veteran quarterbacks on the field and to be honest they looked it most of the time. Brady threw two interceptions, one a pick 6 by Janorius Jenkins that was a big difference as the second half began, and Brees’ 48 yard completion to Jared Cook early in the 4th quarter was the big play the Saints needed to regain momentum after a dismal third quarter. Brees couldn’t get the ball to Michael Thomas at his usual steady rate but Emmanual Sanders contributed a couple of plays, including a touchdown grab and the Saints lead was insurmountable. 

The Saints repeatedly had wide runs blown up for losses and depended on special teams for help, as they blocked a field goal and recovered a short kick off that was fumbled by the Bucs. The Bucs were sloppy and out of sync in their first game with Brady at the helm, and the Saints were slightly better. Let’s just say it goes as a W and the faithful can be happy with that. 

The victory brought a sigh of relief to apprehensive Saints fans, as they are not used to fast starts to the season. Last year’s victory over the Texans broke an inexplicable 5 game losing streak in season openers. Up to that point they had been 1-7 in the last 8. The Saints are now 147-93 since the 2006 arrival of Payton and Brees but only 7-8 in the 15 games that have opened the season. 

Here’s the New Orleans Saints record in season openers in the Payton/Brees era. 

2006 beat Cleveland 19-14, finished 10-6
2007 lost 41-10 to Indianapolis, finished 7-9
2008 beat Tampa Bay 24-20, finished 8-8
2009 beat Detroit 45-27, finished 13-3, Super Bowl Champs
2010 beat Minnesota 14-9, finished 11-5
2011 lost 42-34 to Green Bay, finished 13-3
2012 lost 40-32 to Washington, finished 7-9 Payton suspended for year
2013 beat Atlanta 23-17, finished 11-5
2014 lost 37-34 to Atlanta, finished 7-9
2015 lost 31-19 to Arizona, finished 7-9
2016 lost 35-34 to Oakland, finished 7-9
2017 lost 29-19 to Minnesota, finished 11-5
2018 lost 48-40 to Tampa Bay , finished 13-3
2019 beat Houston Texans 30-28, finished 13-3
2020 beat Tampa Bay 34-23, finished ????

So in the last few days I’ve developed a theory as to why this record of frustration. Maybe it’s a compliment to the Saints coaching staff. They are good at studying game film and putting together a game plan, but in the first game of the season, that is a tall order. The Saints get better as the season goes on. The Bucs will be doing the same. You can bet Brady can’t wait for the rematch.

The Saints lead the division as both Carolina and Atlanta fell. It’s like that old joke, what do you call 3 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.

Saints Report #10 - November 17, 2019

Hurricane Sean worked its way through Louisiana Sunday.  The wind was Saints fans letting out a cumulative sigh of relief as the Saints returned to form with a double up victory over their divisional rivals the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 34-17.  In truth, the Tampa rivalry has been rather one-sided during the Payton/Brees era, as it has been less compelling than the Hallmark vs. Lifetime rivalry for Christmas Movie supremacy. 

This time of year, it’s about depth, just as December turns to the ground game to see which team can run the ball in the bad weather.  The depth for the Saints paid dividends Sunday as Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill filled in capably in the return game for an injured Deonte Harris (hamstring).  Veteran free agent Nick Eason, whom has been MIA all year, suddenly materialized and filled in for Andrus Peat (out 6 weeks with a broken arm) at left guard.  Fullback Zach Line, whose absence was felt last week in pass protection, reappeared and had a solid game.  The secondary shuffled around in the absence of Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) and picked off strong armed Jameis Winston 4 times, including a Marcus Williams (he of the Minnesota incident) pick 6 that was the final score of the game.  The Saints defense joined the offense in the “return to form” category, with Demario Davis leading the emotional charge.  I hope these Saints show up for the rest of the year.  It will make for a nice playoff seeding, as it would appear the Saints will take the NFC South for the 3^rd straight year.  The Saints are now 8-2, with the Panthers falling to 5-5, and the Falcons and Bucs at 3-7. 

The Saints drove the ball all day behind the offensive tandem of Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, who continued his assault on the record books.  I have a recurring nightmare these days, and its this.  The Saints make it to the Super Bowl only to play the New England Patriots.  Bill Belichick, as he always does, constructs a defensive game plan to take away Kamara and Thomas, triple teaming them to take them out of the game and saying to the Saints, “go ahead, if you can beat us with Ted Ginn and Jared Cook, feel free.”  Cook and Ginn had good games, each catching a touchdown pass, but the rest of the receiving corps was AWOL.  Almost makes me miss Brandon Coleman.  Almost.  But, it certainly makes me miss the days of Lance Moore, Marques Colston, and Devery Henderson.  Still a weakness, but Saints fans are breathing easier today, and the men can now return to the task at hand, regaining control of the remote so we can watch real Christmas movies. Like Die Hard.