Saints Report # 12 - December 6, 2015

One of the arguments for gun control is that there are an excessive number of accidental shootings.  Anyone who has watched the Saints shoot themselves in the foot time after time this year already knows that.  Principal shooters are usually Brandon Browner and men in striped shirts. 

The Saints fell to 4-8 Sunday with their 41- 38 loss to the undefeated Carolina Panthers.  Given the Saints roster failures, can there be a scarier development than the Saints playing so poorly that they will have a high draft choice? 

Sunday the Saints started with the momentum they were going to need if they wanted to pull an upset.  They had an early 7 – 0 lead after a nice drive.  Rookie Delvin Breaux swiped a pass, and Rookie Stephon Anthony swiped a ball and ran it in, and they were up 14-0. 

The Saints however were up to the foot-shooting challenge, as Kenny Vaccaro was cocky enough to taunt the Panthers after another great Breaux play.  Carolina got their momentum back, aided by a long 4^th down run by Newton, which the Saints oddly never saw coming, as they offered no containment, a concept that has been foreign to the young Saints.

With three first half take-aways the Saints were primed to take a big lead, but the offense stalled.  Then in the second half, the offense rolled, but the defense couldn’t tackle or cover.  It’s conceivable that no defense has ever played worse than this team's. 

A pass rush can conceal a variety of ills. 

There’s no pass rush, so there’s no way around it.

The Saints secondary is a mess.

Keenan Lewis’s season is over after hip surgery.  He was the best defensive back.

Delvin Breaux exited the game with a leg injury after making several good plays.

Damian Swann, who has shown great promise, can’t get back on the field after 2 concussions.

Jabari Greer is retired.

Malcolm Jenkins is running back interceptions for the Eagles.

Johnny Poe is long gone

Tommy Myers is not interested.

Dave Waymer is deceased.

Jason David is banished.

Which leaves the Saints with Brandon Browner, who fires more shots than any other, and Jarius Byrd who disappears.

The Saints play a man to man defense with a single safety.  It’s an odd choice for a team that can’t cover anyone one on one.  The Panthers, not known for their receivers, embarrassed the coverage.

It was so obvious as the game developed.  Brees is throwing into tight coverage, often double.  After attending the game, I watched it again at home just to be sure about this – but the Panthers threw 8 passes to receivers who were wide open – no one even close.  Fortunately, Newton missed some of them, or the score would have been in the 60’s. 

Meanwhile the Saints execution failed at key times.  I counted 3 drops, but none more important than Brandon Coleman’s on the next to last play of the game, which could have gotten the Saints in position for a long field goal attempt to tie.  It wasn’t a perfect pass, but catchable.  Unless you’re afflicting more wounds.

So, the Saints would now have to win out just to finish at .500, and that’s not going to happen.

When’s the draft?

The Saints have to face their many organizational deficiencies and roster mistakes that have put them in a salary cap hole that is going to take more than this year to dig out of. 

Here’s reality:

Carolina has won the division 3 years in a row, a feat that seemed impossible just a few years ago, and Cam is there for 10 more years.

Tampa Bay is 6 – 6 and has Jameis Winston whom we will be looking at probably for the next 15 years.

Atlanta is 6 – 6 and Matt Ryan will be around for 6 more years.

Meanwhile Drew Brees has probably 2 years left and is taking a beating, as he nears 37.

I’m scared that they will trade him to a team that seems to be only a QB away, like the Rams.  If the Rams are looking to make a big splash with a move to LA, it would be a perfect fit.  

Watch for them to make an offer. 

It’s the Ralph Kiner principle.  In the mid 50’s the Pittsburgh Pirates were awful.  They had one star, home run hitter Ralph Kiner, who they famously dispatched in a hugely unpopular trade, telling him, “We finished in last place with you, we can finish in last place without you.

It was years before the Pirates recovered.

I’m holding my breath, listening for a last gunshot. 

At the Cinema - November 2015

Spectre – 8

James Bond has become a measure of time, and I’ve been married for 11 installments.  We’ve seen them all.  You can usually count on some good stunts, a ridiculous story, a couple of Bond girls, at least one martini, and an ending whereby the world has been saved again, all in a movie that goes on about a half hour too long. 

One other thing you can count on with the current Bond, Daniel Craig.  He is the most clean shaven dude in the history of cinema.  A que ball would be jealous.  He looks like he has had every facial hair surgically removed.  A five o’clock shadow must be a matter of national security.  I found myself saying throughout the movie, “man, did he shave again?”  Of course, when I go to a George Clooney movie I enjoy watching his stubble change from scene to scene.  So, there’s that.

Spectre delivers on the tried and true 24 picture formula.  After the heaviness of Skyfall, which I did not terribly enjoy, I was not expecting much from 2^nd time director Sam Mendes.  In fact my thinking was that with the additional seriousness of Skyfall, there was nowhere to go, from a story telling standpoint.  Bond’s past had been revealed, dissected, and resolved, so now what?

Well, spoiler alert – what’s love got to do with it?  Yes it had appeared that Bond had done some serious relationship time in the past, but leave it to Mendes and Craig to surprise me.

The villain here is played by Quentin Tarantino go-to baddie Christoph Waltz who is as convincing as he is conniving.  The Bond Girl here is played by Lea Seydoux and she brings something extra to the role, and I’m not the only one that noticed – Bond notices too, and when the damsel is in distress, Bond ramps up his intensity.  Maybe that’s why he keeps shaving.  So, in a plot that is almost identical to Mission Impossible 5, it’s soon them against the espionage world, and the world doesn’t stand any more of a chance than stubble would.

Truth – 8

This is an often fascinating portrait of CBS 60 minutes producer Mary Mapes and anchor Dan Rather, the team that tried to tell the story of George Bush’s alledged AWOL from the Texas Air National Guard.  Mapes was fresh off breaking the atrocities of Abu Ghrabi, so she was a hot journalist looking for her next Pulitzer.

There’s a 2 part allegation here.  The first is that Bush got preferential treatment in being allowed to enroll in the Texas Air National Guard rather than be subject to the draft and a Vietnam tour. 

The second is much worse.  It alleged he went AWOL for a long period.   The second part falls apart under scrutiny after Rather breaks it on the evening news.  The shaky nature of the research eventually costs Mapes her job, and Rather is soon ousted from CBS after a long and distinguished career. 

The movie tries to be a great journalism expose like All the President’s Men, but it falls well short of that masterpiece.  The movie leaves you with the impression that Bush probably did something wrong, but we didn’t really know what.  It’s an interesting part of American history that doesn’t get solved here, probably because only one man knows the truth, and he’s not about to talk about it.

On a personal note, I was never a Dan Rather fan until about a month ago, when I discovered his show on AXS (Mark Cuban’s channel – 340 on Directv.)  It’s called The Big Interview, and he does 1 hour sessions with a wide variety of famous people like Carlos Santana and Aaron Sorkin.  He asks the questions I would ask, so naturally I like it.  Certainly a better way to go into the sunset than his expulsion from CBS.

The Hunger Games – Mockingjay part 2 - 3

Finally, it’s over.  In a finale that is as excruciating as having your wisdom teeth put back in, just so you can have them pulled again, the 9 lives of Katniss Everdeen comes to a merciful end.  I will, and I suggest you do as well, equate the 8 hours or so that you may have invested in the Hunger Game series as just a day at the office, one that went from bad to worse, and by the end of the day you were ready for several of James Bond’s martinis.  Just one of those horrible work days that will fade from memory, after it sits in the pit of your stomach for a few days.

The series, which was mildly interesting at first, jumped the moat when the money grubbers decided to split the finale into 2 parts, effectively stretching one movie into two so that they could dip into the wallets, well mostly purses, of the gullible public just one extra time and enhance the stock price of whatever studio funded this repetitive repetition.

Even Jennifer Lawrence, who became a star over the course of the series, looks bored by the elongated end.  She should get not an Oscar for this, but some kind of lifetime achievement medal of honor, for giving so much time and effort.  And poor Phillip Seymour Hoffman.  He’s still appears in this blotation device, even though he’s been dead for years. 

So, what’s so bad about this installment?  First, the ending of the movie is obvious in the first five minutes.  If you don’t see the ending arrow coming a mile away, well you don’t get out much.  Secondly, halfway through the movie, a new species (I think – it all kind of runs together) is revealed, turning it into a horror movie.  It’s like we were suddenly transported into a different movie, Night of the Living Halloween Evil Dead.  I wanted to run for my life, into another movie, any movie.  The only thing like it I’ve ever seen was when the Ark of the Covenant was opened in Raiders of the Lost Ark and it suddenly became a supernatural movie.  Not that I’m comparing this to Raiders, oh no.

Now I was assured by a woman of the female persuasion that the book was great, and I’m sure it was.  But I’ve never cared a whit about how a book compares to a movie, and all I can say is I’m glad it’s all over.  Hats off to a terrific cast that performed diligently as the script(s) unraveled.  Now let’s go to the dentist for some real fun.

Brooklyn – 9

Movies are best when they do just a few things well.  Transport you to a different time and place, tell a simple story well, and stay on the appropriate pace.  Check, check, and check on this beautifully crafted story of an Irish immigrant in the 1950’s who has a job waiting in Brooklyn.

In a time when immigration is a most volatile word, we sometimes forget the simple reason our great nation was built with immigrants.  They wanted to leave where they were and come to America for a better life.  That was the goal.  Just a better life.

Eilis Lacey, played impeccably by Saoirse Ronan, (and the whole cast is perfect) is a young girl who will find love as she comes out of her shy, homesick shell while she adjusts to her new home.  The conflict will be when she has to return home for family reasons.  Does she commit to her new life in America, or retreat to the comforts of home?  This is a gentle movie, a real movie that bears no resemblance to the video game clones in the other stalls of the Cineplex.  My suggestion would be to go see this on throw-back Thursday.  That would be perfect.  It will return you to a simpler time, when immigrants believed the inscription on the Statue of Liberty was sincere, and movie makers believed you could tell a good story without computer assistance.  

Saints Report # 11 - November 29, 2015

The New Orleans Saints came off their much needed bye week with their batteries recharged, their legs rested and their psyche refocused.  So, they zipped over to Houston and promptly delivered a performance even more lackluster than their last.  The Houston Texans spanked them 24-6, a punishment that was fully deserved.  It moved the Saints into a “lost season” mode that they haven’t experienced in November in a very long time.  Can you say wasted December?

If you had told me that after 12 weeks the Saints would have more wins than only 6 teams I never would have believed you.  I’ve listed the things the Saints can’t do.  Now let’s list the things that they CAN do.  …………………………

In this disastrous loss, the Saints failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 155 games, ending the second longest streak in NFL history.  Drew Brees also had his streak of 45 games with a touchdown pass snapped.  At this point the Saints are inept.

So, while there are many problems with the Saints, here’s one more that I will mention before I retire to watch some real football.

Saints depth chart at wide receiver:

1.

2.

3.  Brandin Cooks

4.  Willie Snead

When a tight end, Ben Watson, is your most reliable threat, it’s time to go after some wide receivers.  Of course they have needs just about everywhere on both sides of the ball.  They are like the guy that walked up to the airline counter and said, “Give me a ticket.”  The desk agent said “to where?”  He replied, “Doesn’t matter, I’ve got business everywhere.”  Which is exactly where the Saints have problems.  

Saints Report # 10 - November 15, 2015

The 2015 version of the New Orleans Saints travelled to the nation’s capital Sunday and got humiliated 100-14.  It was as if Louisiana hadn’t been purchased yet.  They fell to 4 - 6 in their worst loss of the era, and comparable to their bygone era.  The real score was 47 - 14.  

I’m not sure when the Brees/Payton era officially ended. 

Maybe it was when the Saints traded Darren Sproles. 

Maybe it was when they signed Jimmy Graham to a contract that they could not possibly live with.  Maybe it was when they established the defensive coordinator position as a rotating door. 

Maybe it was when they blew several drafts in a row.

Maybe it was bountygate.

Maybe it was when they decided to not bail out Darren Sharper.

Maybe it was when they thought the Buffalo Bills would be a great source of free agents.

Or maybe it was in the fourth quarter when Drew Brees officially took over the decision making from the coaching staff.  I don’t know if this will be a big story or not.  The press corps that covers the Saints appear to be somewhat intimidated by Coach Payton, and nobody asked him about it in the press conference.  But, they sure asked Drew Brees, who had apparently noticed that the Saints were down 30 and punting would be kind of pointless.  So, he waved the punting team back to the bench, to attack a 4th and 4 backed up to their own end zone.  I wonder how much discussion there will be on Brees’ action.  It didn’t appear that Payton was too happy, but he wasn’t so unhappy that he called a timeout to force the punt.  Brees apparently failed to inform Mark Ingram to run a route beyond the 1^st down marker, and his pass fell incomplete.  The Redskins took over inside the Saints thirty, and the Saints held them to a field goal.  I’m with Brees on his decision.  There is really no reason to punt for the rest of the year.  This time it wasn’t a nail in the coffin.  It was just salt on the open wound that the announcers kept liberally referring to as a “defense.” 

There’s not much more that can be said about the Saints defense.

They can’t cover.

They can’t tackle.

They can’t stop the run.

They can’t pressure the quarterback.

They can’t play off blocks.  Their defenders are the most easily blocked players in NFL history.  What stood out Sunday is that the evasiveness of the Saints could be rated zero. 

When the opposing offense is in the film room studying, well, watching the Saints defense, Pavlov’s dog would take a back seat to the salivating that must go on.

They know that every play they will run will go exactly the way it is drawn up, as if it were a video game.

They know that if the Saints make a big play on defense, it will immediately be wiped out by a yellow flag.

They know that their quarterback will sit back in the pocket and survey his field of dreams.

They know their offensive records may fall.

They know the only defensive player that can hurt them is a new one they have never heard of.  Sunday, some dude named Obum Gwacham got the Saints only sack, and I immediately commissioned an investigation.  Questions abound. 

Who is he? 

Where did he come from? 

How did Rob Ryan let him in the game? 

How much longer will Rob Ryan keep his job? 

Outside of those girls in The Shining, has there ever been a more disappointing set of twins than Rob and Rex Ryan?  

Could Rob Ryan himself be a set of twins?

What's he hiding under that sweatshirt?

His resume, I hope?

For a long time Saints fan, keeping perspective is difficult.

For most of the Saints history the Saints have been a well below average team.  Those of us who endured that era, do not take the Saints last 10 years for granted, because for much of that time, the Saints have been above average.  Right now they have fallen back to below average and sinking. 

Recent fans who have been spoiled by the Brees/Payton run of success may as well learn the new reality.  1) The party is winding down.  2) we all need a week off.

Saints Report # 9 - November 8, 2015

I give up.

I can’t figure them out.

The Saints are like a girlfriend you’ve been having a great time with for a few weeks, and she walks in and announces that she’d like to see other people.

In a game that should have had a degree of difficulty of about 0, the Saints managed to cough up a game to the single-win Titans 34-28, in overtime.  Overtime was a mercy rule for the Saints, as Tennessee would have kept right on rolling to a 56 – 28 win if allowed to continue.

Oh, the Saints picked up where they’d left off last week, as they scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, and Brees was having his way.  It was then that the Titans made a fateful decision.  They decided Brees could not throw from the ground.  The Saints protection began to collapse and the Titans took control.

This was the kind of defensive adjustment that evades the Saints, right up there with tackling and coverage.  Quarterback Marcus Mariotta was given a ticket to ride all day long, as the Saints front four never laid a hand on him.  He stood back in the pocket, and said, “wait, is this the NFL?  Where’s that Cameron Jordan I’ve been hearing so much about?”  Maybe Marcus is a future star.  As usual, the Saints did their part to accelerate the young quarterback’s progress.  It’s a fleur de lis tradition.

The Saints secondary, which was showing so much progress just a few weeks ago, was in complete disarray as Jarius Byrd doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of “safety” and Brandon Browner can only grasp.  Of course, they get no help from a pass rush, and there is one sure way to win in the NFL, and it’s with a pass rush,

You will find here a list of players who effectively rushed the passer:  ……………………….

Then there’s the list of players who can consistently run the ball: ………………………

That’s right.  The Saints still can’t rush the passer and can’t rush the football. 

Good thing they're not a fraternity dependent on rush.  They'd be extinct.

Yes, there was some luck involved.  What should have been a routine interception was bounced up and turned into a long touchdown pass for the Titans.   The Saints had a potential game-winning field goal blocked.  Marcus Murphy fumbled his 2^nd punt in his last 3 returns early in the game.   On paper, this should have been a blowout with the Saints doing the blowing.  Instead, they got blown, in a bad way.

So the Saints, after battling so hard to get back to .500 have sputtered back to 4-5.  They have eliminated any room for error they might have had to make the playoffs. 

They may be headed for an ugly breakup.  Just when we were thinking about a promising future together.

Saints Report # 8 - November 1, 2015

In recent news:

October 21^st – ESPN lays off 300 people

October 29^th – ESPN says a trade of Drew Brees to the New York Jets for a 3^rd round draft choice is a “trade they’d like to see.”

October 30^th – ESPN shuts down their prestigious web site Grantland.

November 1^st – Drew Brees goes 40 for 50 for 511 yards and an NFL record-tying 7 touchdowns.

A credibility deficiency for the World Wide Leader?

It was an all day, all Saints Day party as the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants played a classic in the Superdome.  You don’t see many 52 – 49 games that don’t include Baylor, but if you were lucky enough to be in the dome Sunday, you saw it, and you won’t forget it.  It was more exciting than the final score would indicate, if that's possible.

It was like 7 on 7 drills as Brees and Eli Manning (6 touchdowns) put on a passing display that may never be matched.  Their 13 combined passing touchdowns set an NFL record.  Back and forth the teams went up and down the field.  It was an amazing show of offensive firepower. 

Non – quarterback Key players – Willie Snead, who went from hero to goat to hero.  He caught Brees’ first touchdown pass on a flea flicker in the first quarter.  His fumble after a vicious hit was returned for a touchdown that temporarily put the Giants ahead 49 – 42 in the 4^th quarter.  Then on the final punt of the game he saved the day by grabbing Marcus Murphy’s potentially disastrous fumble.  The punter grabbed his facemask for a 15 yard add-on to set up…..

Kai Forbeth, the kicker who was perfect on 7 extra points (no mean feat in today’s NFL) and the 50 yard game winner as the clock ran out.

Marques Colston who scored his first touchdown of the year, his record 69th for the Saints.  He had 8 catches for 114 yards,

Brandin Cooks, who looked for the very first time like the receiver the Saints say he is with 6 catches for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Benjamin Watson.  9 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown.  Jimmy who?

It was a less than spectacular performance by the defenses as Brees and Manning were under little duress and both secondaries got toasted like stale bread throughout the game.  The game winning field goal was an abrupt end to a game that seemed to be headed for overtime.

The Saints move to 4-4 with the victory and back into the playoff conversation. 

Remember early in the year, when the pundits were saying Brees was through?

Well, he’s hot now and the receivers are improving. 

The Saints have reestablished their dome field advantage.

They’re rolling.

Now, as long as they don’t listen to ESPN. 

At the Cinema - October 2015

The Martian – 10
Rarely are big budget movies as well constructed and crowd pleasing as The Martian.  Screenwriter Drew Goddard has crafted a film that blends humor and urgency.  He won’t win an Oscar for Adapted Screenplay, but I’ll be rooting for him.

Matt Damon plays Mark Watney, an astronaut left for dead on Mars after a storm cuts a mission short.  His crew is on its way back to earth, and NASA gets busy trying to mount a rescue.  With supporting stars like Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, and Kate Mara, this resembles a sports movie.  You end up rooting for the home team to come back and win the game by rescuing Rudy, I mean Matt.

The attention to detail that has been employed is terrific, and seems plausible and within reach of the audience’s grasp.  That’s an impressive achievement.  It may be the most fun you’ll have at the movies this year.

The master stroke of this movie is in getting the whole world involved in the rescue.  The world-wide interest in bringing Matt home is displayed in huge crowd scenes that look like New Year’s Eve.  It’s cool as hell, and if you’re not swallowed up and engaged, something’s wrong.  Go and have some pure escapist fun.

Bridge of Spies – 10

Non-Fiction movies are just the best.  Like last year’s The Imitation Game, Bridge of Spies opens up a history book to an audience that has no clue.  I certainly didn’t.  I vaguely remember the story of Gary Powers, but I had never heard of James Donovan, just like I had never heard of Alan Turing in Imitation Game.  Donovan, played with great resolve here by Tom Hanks, as it turns out, is a great American hero. 

He was an insurance lawyer recruited by the FBI to put on a showy but ultimately impossible defense of accused Russian Spy Rudolph Abel.  Later he is called upon to negotiate a prisoner swap with captured US pilot Francis Gary Powers.

Director Steven Spielberg does his best work in years, as he avoids the heart-tugging and loud flourishes.  They aren’t needed.  The story stands on its own and needs no embellishment, although I don’t know how true to the facts it is.  There is a very odd disclaimer as the movie opens – “This story is based on true events.”  Isn’t it usually “actual events?”  I hate to split hairs, but what exactly is a “true event?”

Like all great historical movies, it made me want to start researching and learn more.  But, the movie serves an even grander purpose.  Young people today don’t remember the cold war, and it may be laughable to them, but the portrayals here of the smallest details, from classroom preparations for an atomic bomb, to the Berlin Wall’s erection are amazing.

I love a movie that perfectly captures a different time and place, even different values and judgements. This will be an Oscar contender, but will also go down as a beloved movie that will not only be watched forever, but will be sending viewers to history books, or at the very least Wikipedia to learn more.

Black Mass – 9

I really didn’t have any interest in seeing the story of Whitey Bulger, the notorious Boston mobster who was captured in 2012 after 12 years on the run.  Then I heard it compared to The Departed.  Then I found out he was the mobster that Martin Scorcese based The Departed on.  Had to see it.  In a movie like this you either totally buy it, or you don’t, and I felt like I was watching a violent sociopath in Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Bulger.  It’s the first Depp role in years that is more than a caricature.  He’s terrific.

The best part of the movie was actually in the portrayals of Bulger’s henchmen.  They are featured in interviews telling the story, and their deadpan reaction to unspeakable crimes is what will make me see this movie again. Joel Edgerton plays the boyhood friend turned FBI agent who uses and gets used by Bulger.  Expect some Supporting Oscar buzz for Edgerton, who has had a very good summer.  (He was the director of The Gift.)  But, it is Rory Cochrane as a Bulger hitman who I would like to see get some recognition.  He is riveting in several chilling scenes as a spectator and an active participant.  Yep, the supporting players elevate this movie to a must-see, and only a true story could be this far-fetched.  Let’s just say Efram Zimbalist Jr. is rolling over in his grave over what the FBI was doing.

Steve Jobs – 7

So far the most action-packed movie of the year has been Mad Max:  Fury Road.  Steve Jobs is second, and the far less credible of the two.  Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin takes a huge risk by trying to encapsulate a biography into virtually three scenes – 3 product launches.  Steve Jobs excelled at getting on stage and firing up an audience, even about sub-par products, and we don’t get to see the actual presentations, but we assume they were great.    

Sorkin and Director Danny Boyle attempt to bring every other piece of Jobs’ life drama into the 30 minutes before each launch.  That contrivance, involving walking and talking, and a whole lot of confrontation is unconvincing versus doing just a standard biopic.  Are there some great confrontations?  Yes.  Is the dialogue often brilliant? Of course, although there’s no “You can’t handle the truth.”  Is the acting great?  Yes, Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslett, and company are terrific.  There’s much to like, but the structure is more irritating than Jobs himself.   

Here’s what I suspect.  Maybe the movie will improve upon each viewing, much like Sorkin’s other movies have.  Maybe, it really is “an American Classic” as is quoted on the advertising.  Maybe upon repeated viewings the layers will be revealed and the movie’s complexity will be more easily appreciated.  That’s a whole lot of “maybe’s.”

Sicario – 6

Well done, but so dark it is depressing, this movie continues the star-making of Emily Blunt, but does little else but portray the U.S./Mexican border as a horrible place that I wouldn’t want to visit, and wish I hadn’t made a virtual visit.

Blunt plays an FBI agent in over her head in the dark world inhabited by Benecio Del Toro and Josh Brolin.  To say they bend the rules of law enforcement in trying to slow the drug trade would be the understatement of the year.  If this is Donald Trump’s reference point for his assessment of immigration, it’s easy to see why he wants to build a wall, although the movie makes clear that there’s little to stop the drugs that flow in to the US.  You might stop the immigrants.  You’ll never stop the drugs.

Crimson Peak – 5

Lovely to look at, unable to hold,

Guillermo Del Toro is one of the most imaginative directors working today.  His Pan’s Labyrinth will go down as a classic, and The Orphanage is not far behind.  He can paint a picture with the great artist.   In Crimson Peak the sets and atmosphere are incredible as he takes us into a truly chilling haunted house.  Unfortunately, the plot can’t keep up.  It is a predictable and obvious story that may have been shocking 30 years ago, but falls flat in 2015.   Mildly engaging, no cigar.

SCANNING THE SATELLITE

Compared to What – The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank – 9

This is a terrific documentary available on Showtime.  Don’t get me wrong.  It’s full of controversy as it describes the 40 year political and personal experience of a US Representative that had a huge impact on governmental policy.  The best thing is it explains how we’ve gotten to where we are today in the gridlock of Congress.  Fascinating and disturbing, in different ways for different peoples

Fargo – After three episodes of the second season, this FX series continues its rise to the top of the television heap.  Great stuff.

Saints Report #7 - October 25, 2015

A tale of two halves.  It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times.

The Saints went to Indianapolis for a rematch with their lone Super Bowl opponent and held on for a 27-20 victory.

They completely dominated the first half and even ambushed the Colts with a fake field goal.

A McCown to Watson pass put the Saints in business close to the goal, and Khiry Robinson jammed it in for the first of his two touchdowns.  Mark Ingram had a career first half as he ran wild.  The only down side in the first half was a missed extra point and a faux goal line stand when the Saints got down close after a long Ingram run.  From the two yard line, although they’d been dominant in the running game the Saints decided to pass.  An offensive pass interference, followed by a Brees' interception can only be explained by the possibility that Sean Payton believes passing touchdowns count for more than running ones.  They could have led by 4 touchdowns at the half.

But the Saints led 20 – 0 at the half and pushed it to 27-0 in the third quarter before the offense went into hibernation.

Some teams can’t stand prosperity.  The Saints despise it. 

Heralded cornerback Delvin Breaux fell down twice on long touchdown passes to Ty Hilton.  The Colts closed to within 27-20, but a clutch onside kick recovery by Marcus Murphy allowed the Saints a last possession.  With the game on the line Brees went to the most interesting receiver in the world for his only catch of the day.  Marques Colston doesn’t catch many these days, but when he does, they’re important.  His catch insured that the Saints would run out the clock

The bottom line.  The Saints played spectacularly well and got their first road win since Donald Trump had a haircut.

The defense continues to improve and Cam Jordan is leading the youngsters.  It’s not surprising that the game tightened up because that’s the way the NFL is built.  The onside kick is the only make-it-take-it rule in sports, and it almost was a “paybacks are hell” incident for the Saints.

The Saints improved to 3-4 and if they win the next three, Giants and Titans in the Dome, then the Redskins on the road, they could be 6-4 at the bye.  The way the season started, that would be an unexpected and relative prosperity. 

Saints Report #6 - October 15, 2015

In a strange turn of events the New Orleans Saints offense, defense, special teams, and boisterous crowd all showed up on a Thursday night and stunned the previously undefeated Atlanta Falcons in the Superdome.  The result was a decisive and surprising 31-21 victory by the much maligned, but perhaps prematurely buried Saints.

I’ve had a few favorite all-time Saints players.  They were typically massive over-achievers who willed their way into my fandom. 

From 1969 to 1971 it was a wide receiver/kick returner named Al Dodd.  What about Al?  Tom Dempsey is not a legend without Al Dodd, because in the two plays preceding Dempsey’s 63 yard field goal, Dodd sets it up with a 30 yard kick-off return and a spectacular stop-clocking catch. 

From 1977 to 1983 it was a similar player named Rich Mauti.  He fought for every yard after his catches and punt returns.

And of course there’s Pierre Thomas who typified the early guts of the Payton/Brees era.

Memories of Dodd and Mauti returned this pre-season when the Saints traded with the Vikings for Rich’s son Michael, a Mandeville, LA native who was supposed to be a special team demon.  I took notice, largely because I was thinking, geez I’ve been following the Saints for a long time.  Before the game I wondered aloud, because I was standing there without a program, if Michael was on the team.

Before the first quarter was over Mauti would answer by electrifying an already well-lubricated crowd with a punt block and touchdown to give the Saints a 14-0 lead.  With Steve Gleason in attendance it was much like that night in 2006.  The Saints were off and running and the momentum carried them to victory.  

Here’s what I took away from this surprising game:

The Saints apparently figured out that the Falcons can’t cover the tight end and deployed Ben Watson to a career game – 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, dare I say Graham-like numbers. And it could have been even better if a late first half pass from Brees hadn’t been a little high – it looked like it would have gone for a touchdown too.

The Saints signed Brandon Browner because they desperately needed a corner to play opposite Keenan Lewis.  They got one, but it isn’t Browner.  His name is Delvin Breaux and he’s improving every game.  He spent much of the game shadowing all-world Julio Jones and fared about as well as a corner can against Jones. 

The Falcons are a superior ground team.  They stopped the Saints and ran easily on them.  The Falcons plowed huge holes, and the Saints had none.  However, three fumbles by the Falcons effectively wiped out that advantage.

To Payton’s credit he stuck with the ground attack to shorten the game, keep the clock moving, and rest the defense. 

Reports of Brees’ demise have been greatly exaggerated.  The offense had great tempo, and Brees played a near-perfect game, to the point of making some phenomenal throws.  Yea, let’s run him out of town.

Brandon Coleman, the highly touted wide receiver playing opposite Brandin Cooks has been a complete no-show for the season:  6 games, 9 catches, 113 yards - about what a starter should have in one game.  

Rob Ryan said before the game the Saints defense was on the verge of a breakthrough.  He got it, at least in the red zone, as while the defense gave up some yardage they stiffened in the red zone.

I doubt there will be a game with more quarterback roll outs all year.  Brees, and to a lesser extent Matt Ryan, were running around like they had visited the fountain of youth.

Finally, the Saints pass rush showed up.  While getting gashed on the ground and leaving those tackles to Daneel Ellerbe (13 unassisted tackles – he was all over the field making the Kenny Stills trade look palatable) and Stephon Anthony, they put pressure on Matt Ryan on most of his drop backs, and Cameron Jordan sacked Ryan 3 times in the 4^th quarter.

It was exciting.  Sean Payton was aggressive all night.  The only time that hurt the Saints was when they tried 2 long field goals.  That is something that Zach Hocker does not appear to have in his repertoire.

If this team shows up, let’s say 8 more times this year, it could be a respectable year after all.  Hopefully all those suggesting we “move on” from Payton and Brees will keep that to themselves for a few weeks.  

Saints Report # 5 - October 11, 2015

Is your team a disappointment, stuck on the cusp of irrelevance?

The Saints have the tonic.

Been unable to get your up-tempo offense un-tracked?  We will offer little resistance.

All your dreams will come true.

Got an expensive running back who hasn’t been able to get rolling?  We will clear the lanes for him.

Is his confidence lagging?  We will supply the arm tackles that can build his confidence.

We offer a 100 yard guarantee.  Additional yards are extra.

Trouble protecting your fragile quarterback?  We will look at your offensive backfield as a wildlife preserve and not penetrate it.  Your ragtag offensive line's confidence will grow with each play.

Is your quarterback having accuracy problems?  Not a concern – we promise receivers so open a Russell Cunningham could come out of retirement and hit them.

Need to build a little character?  We may even pick off a few passes in the first half, but trust me, by the end of the game we’ll be running around more confused than Ben Carson. 

If you choose our “easy pickings” package we can put you over the 500 yard mark.

And that’s just what we offer your offense.

Defense need takeaways?  We will offer up 3 to 4 – guaranteed.

Trouble tackling?  Our running backs will run directly to your player for easy takedown. 

The lack of elusiveness and speed will turn even your average defensive players in to tackling machines.

Just to be sure, we will hold out our “quick” back until the game is almost over.

Defense having trouble against the run?  Our virtual offensive line will come to the rescue to help you stuff all lanes.

Defensive backfield slow to cover?  We’ll wait.  Will a few dropped passes help?  We won’t make any big plays to demoralize your backs.  Our receivers will stick with your backs.  We will also supply you with enough easy-to-read 1 yard passes to give you plenty of opportunities for “negative yardage” morale-builders.

Defensive line not rushing the passer like you’d like?  By the end of the day we’ll offer up enough sack opportunities to turn your defensive ends into Pro-Bowlers.  We may even give you the chance to kill the best player in our history.

Final result?  Your Eagles will win by a substantial score, something like 39-17 on your home field. 

We’ll get your fan base off your back and buy you some time, with no regard for the fact that our own clock is ticking, and it will be our most embarrassing loss in years.

We offer a turnover-back guarantee, and just enough resistance that your team won’t look at us as a laydown. 

Save your season – play the Saints.