The Saints fell to the Dolphins 20-3 in the annual Attrition Bowl Monday Night. It wasn’t that close. It was never going to be that close.
The Saints had no choice but to trot out QB Ian Book, their 4th round draft choice, who by all accounts had never taken a practice snap with the first team. He looked as bad as you would expect, as he couldn’t even throw the ball away when headed out of bounds faced with a loss. It looked like he had never played the position before, at least at times.
Not his fault. He never expected to have to play this year, and I’m a little concerned at the lack of development here, but I guess the Saints have had other things on their mind, like fighting the war of attrition, which they are losing as surely as the world is losing the war on covid. And to ask him to play behind that make-shift offensive line with only two starters and three who should’ve been in street clothes was like putting a matador in the ring with a bull and blindfolding him. It was treacherous. Remember the replacement teams?
The Greed Football League expanded the schedule to 17 games this year in the year they should have dropped it to about 12, with teams getting 3 byes. Many teams have had to send out players that don’t belong in the NFL. It’s not the product we are used to. The Saints looked so inept on offense, by far their worst game in the Payton era, that’s it no wonder they reached out to Brees last week. Bobby Hebert was probably sitting by his phone. They coulda been killed. Glad Brees stayed the course on his retirement, on the course.
The Saints have fallen to 7-8 and I just don’t think they can get up. I’d just as soon they start Book the last 2 games and see if he improves any. Look, I read all the Saints chatterboxes doing the Hill/Winston argument and let me say this. The Saints don’t have any NFL Playoff Caliber Quarterback on their roster.
Winston has a good arm, but can’t read defenses quickly
enough, Hill will never make it through a season, Siemian is a known quantity,
and it’s average at best, and Book – well would any other team have drafted
him?
What’s sad is that this year, and I emphasize “this year,” the defense may be the best the Saints have ever had. The injuries have been excessive, and it is rather disconcerting that covid has swept through the team in the last couple of weeks. Doesn’t exactly make me want to browse Wal-Mart.
Other than last night’s embarrassment, and the weird propensity to beat great teams and lose to bad ones, I actually like the way the Saints have competed, given all the injuries. Sean Payton has kept them in the games. I have questioned his play calling at times, like we all do, but he has put together a great team which is lacking at one position, where he has saddled himself with some Ansel Elgot’s. If it can happen to Speilberg, it can happen to anyone. Casting your leading man is extremely important. The off-season will be interesting. In the NFL, there are about 10 Quarterbacks who can win a Super Bowl. If the goal is the Super Bowl, time to find an eleventh.
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