Saints Report #6 - October 16, 2011

The Saints travelled to Tampa without their usual mojo and magic and surrendered control of the division to Tampa in a lackluster 26-20 loss. When Sean Payton got Paterno’d early in the game it was a sign of things to come. Payton suffered a broken kneecap and torn MCL and never came out for the 2nd half.

Last year the Saints blow-out victory in Tampa was highlighted by Chris Ivory’s breakout game as he ran wild. This time the Saints running game was nowhere to be found. The Saints couldn’t run the ball at all, and when this quarterback is the most effective rusher, that’s a really bad sign. The passing game lacked the precision of games past as balls were dropped and Drew Brees threw 3 interceptions, including a 4th down end zone pick late in the 4th quarter. A touchdown would have put the Saints ahead, but if they had pulled it out, it would have gone down in the “won one we didn’t deserve” column. That the Saints were even in position to go ahead after 4 turnovers is a tribute to their resilience.

Two years ago, the Saints defense was a turnover-creating machine. That’s the biggest absence in Gregg Williams’ defense. Like every other defense in the NFL they get riddled by the passing game. Unlike the others, they just can’t seem to ever get a turnover. There’s no room for offensive error the way the defense is playing, and there were too many offensive errors Sunday. Their last two opponents have featured often inaccurate quarterbacks hitting wide-open receivers. The lack of a pass rush is still a problem for the Saints. This was an old-fashioned ball game, won in the trenches and the Bucs offensive line played better than the Saints offensive line.

Suddenly the Saints are in a tough position. Their Head Coach is scheduled for knee surgery Monday and that leaves a lot of questions. Fortunately the winless, Manningless Colts come to the dome and the Saints early tough schedule is in the books. If the Saints take care of business with the Colts and Rams, it sets up a pivotal rematch with the Bucs on November 6th. Let’s hope that both Payton and his Saints are on their feet.