Saints Report #13 - December 13, 2020

If you are a Saints fan there are a couple of things you know that were reaffirmed in the 24-21 loss to the Eagles:

1. The Saints have a history of making a first-time quarterback look like the 2^nd coming of Joe Montana.  That’s a tradition that dates back to, well, Joe Montana, who came off the bench and rallied the 49’ers over the Saints, beginning his storied career.
2. The Saints throw in a clunker ever year.  Every NFL team does.  It’s why no NFL team has gone unbeaten since 19Mercury Morris.  (72).
3. Sometimes Drew Brees pulls out a game that the Saints don’t deserve to win.  The Saints played poorly enough to lose Sunday to the Eagles and they did.  Drew Brees was not the quarterback Sunday.
4. Taysom Hill fumbles once a game.
5. There’s one sure way to pull a major upset.  That is to run the ball effectively and control the clock.  The Eagles had 246 yards rushing and two players over 100 yards for the game.  That breaks a long streak of over 50 games without anyone having over 100 yards rushing.  It was evident on the Saints first play from scrimmage, when they dropped back to pass, that their priorities were wrong. 
6. Kickers slumping in December is not a good sign.  Wil Lutz is in a slump.
7. Losing the sack race 5-0 is another bad sign. 
8. And finally just a weird sign.  With the Saints needing to recover a desperation on-side kick at the end of the game, why was it Thomas Morestead on the ground fighting for the ball in a scrum?  That’s just weird.

The Saints lacked any semblance of luster in their trip to Philadelphia.  There were a lot of flashy plays that will make the highlights, but the truth of the matter is that the Saints lost this game on the line of scrimmage, right where most games are won or lost.  Joe Montana-to-be Jalen Hurts was not contained in the pocket as the Saints defensive ends constantly crashed down on the line, only to see Hurts sprinting around the end.  The highly praised defensive line got pushed around all day. 

The offensive line fared no better, as the Saints dominant running game hibernated.  Taysom Hill struggled much of the day, looking like Rick Ankiel at times on his throws.  

The nail in the coffin came with 10 minutes left in the 4^th.  The Saints had pulled to within 17-14.  Their next drive was stalled at the Eagles 42 and it was 4^th and 2.  They needed a 1^st desperately and it would seem that confidence in the running game would dictate one of Hill’s option runs.  But to the Saints, 2 yards to go is a passing down. 

Hill rolled out, was sacked and fumbled, which didn’t really matter.  It looked liked Hill was going deep rather than focusing on the 2 yards he needed to sustain the drive.  The Eagles capitalized with a final td drive.  Hill made some good throws, but he takes too many sacks and still has a grip problem.  In other words he looks like the rookie quarterback he really is. 

So, just like that the Saints went from a first round bye, to having to play a dangerous first round playoff game.  The chances of them beating Kansas City next week are two, and you know which two.  Whether or not its Brees or Hill is of little import.  The road to the Super Bowl now almost certainly goes through Green Bay and the Saints are not a team built for the frozen tundra.  My original prediction for the Saints was 11-5 and suddenly that seems like a possibility. 

With a clunk, expectations have fallen and things have gotten more challenging.  Saints fans know it.  They’re used to it.