Drama. An NFL team’s
season is comprised of 16 individual dramas.
Each game is different and soon forgotten. What’s left is a win or a loss. Nobody cares how pretty it is and Monday
night’s 12-9 victory over Carolina (their 4th straight win over the
Panthers) was anything but pretty.
The game was a "suffering" marathon. Saints fans had to suffer through ESPN’s
announcers’ fixation on Luke Kuechly and Cam Newton. They had to suffer through the constant
drumbeat of “what’s wrong with the Saint’s Offense?” And they had to suffer through Booger McFarland’s
play calling from a crane. I like almost
every football announcer. I think they
are amazing. But for some reason Booger
grates on me like nails on a blackboard, and I really don’t care what he would
run in “that” situation.
Here’s what I saw: A
Saints Defense that is coming in to its own.
Instead of putting the blame on Carolina, let’s say this: Other than a trick play for a touchdown, and
a fancy play for a long run on which they fumbled, the Panthers never really
threatened. I never thought Carolina’s
offense could score. Cam Newton looked
like a running quarterback looks after 7 years of hits. He’s never been accurate and his big arm
looks like the punishment has taken its toll.
Take note Lamar Jackson. While Drew Brees was throwing into tight windows, Cam was trying to hit the barn wall.
The Saints offense threatened four times, and would have put
the game away if not for a-little-too-cute running play that Tommylee Lewis
fumbled into the end zone from the one yard line for a touchback under the 2
minute mark. It was the worst thing that
could happen. Look for TommyLee to be
written out of next week’s game plan. Call
me crazy, but don’t the Saints have two pretty good running backs that could
carry the ball in that situation? Had
the Saints scored, or even just kept the ball, the drama would have been
over. As it was, the Saints defense had
to stop Cam one more time, which they did.
So let’s summarize the 3 game road trip the Saints completed. They went 2-1 and gave up 14, 13, and 7
points. That’s a total of 34 points in 3
games, and if you’ve forgotten that first loss in the first game, they gave up
48 to Tampa, and that was in the Superdome.
Yep, the defense has come a long way.
So, what’s wrong with he Saints offense? Nothing that getting back home won’t
cure. Defensive Coordinators catch up to
offenses as the season goes on, and the scores get lower and the games that
were September track meets are December grinds.
Those big strike plays are being prevented, so the games are ball
control, clock management, and finding a way to just be ahead at the moment the
gun goes off. Doesn’t bother me at all,
although I wouldn’t submit to a blood pressure test during one of these dramas.
Now the Saints close their season with 2 tough home games,
Pittsburgh and Carolina again. The
scoring will go up a little, and so will the tension. The Saints are 12-2 and with two wins would
wrap up home field advantage and their best record ever. That would mean a path like 2009 to the
Super Bowl. Wouldn’t that be nice?
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