Saints Report #17 - January 9, 2022

"You’ve got to be kidding me.  This is what we get with a 17 game season.  The Saints?  So, let me get this straight, if we had stuck to the 16 game schedule, the 49’ers would be in already? "

"Roger, let’s not panic yet.  There’s still a half to play and although they’re down 17-3, we know the Rams aren’t a second half team and they’ll probably choke.  As for the Saints, we thought for sure after that Hurricane, down to their 4^th Quarterback, and all that covid, they were goners.  You gotta give them credit."

"No, no credit.  But I’ll say this.  You guys sure did a good job getting the National Media to ignore them until now.  If the 49’ers do lose, I want that blackout of Saints info to continue." 

"Roger, we’ve got Colin, Stephan, and Mike in our back pocket.  They haven’t mentioned the Saints all year.  The only one we can’t get to shut up is Kay Adams, and she’s on our own network." 

"Can we bring someone else in?" 

"Roger, she’s so popular it would be suspicious."

 "Ok, it's halftime.  Let's get to work.  Mary Ann, contact the replay booth and tell them which way to lean.  Also, reach out to the clock operator and tell him what to do." 

"If the Saints make the playoffs despite our efforts, put together a “preserve-our-ratings” task force.  First, start with sending Fauci down to personally sit with the opposing quarterback, I guess Matthew Stafford, for the week so he doesn’t get sick.  Isolate him.  Keep him away from his kids."

"Second, I want that Officiating Crew from LA that we sent to the Superdome to keep the Saints out of the Super Bowl, I want that same crew doing the Saints playoff game."

"Third, I want a deep dive into the Saints observation of protocols.  Surely, we can suspend someone.  Maybe Tom Benson?"

"Roger, Tom died years ago."

"Oops.  If the Saints don’t make the playoffs, let’s get the “Coach of the Year” criteria changed to “must go to a coach of a playoff team,” just to be sure Payton can’t win.  And why are the Saints allowed so many quarterbacks?"

"Roger, good news.  The Rams choked and it’s going to overtime." 

"Ok, make sure the Niners win the toss.  I want that crew on high alert for pass interference."

Ultimately, the Saints season of adversity ended with a Matthew Stafford interception in overtime, and the 49’ers got the playoff spot.  Stafford has the footwork of Stephen Adams (Slowfoot) who played for the Pelicans last year.  Should they meet again in the playoffs, the 49’ers will grind them into the ground with their running game.

The Saints finale was mostly satisfying.  Their 30-20 win over Matt “Turnover” Ryan and the hapless Falcons was good until the last drop, and then the shoe dropped when the Rams spit the bit.

Taysom Hill was nearly perfect until he got hurt.  If he really has a lisfranc foot fracture, he’ll be under the knife tomorrow. 

Trevor Siemian took over and was safe and flawless, helped substantially by the defensive takeaways.  The announcers were even impressed by the fact that the Falcons had three one play drives.  It wasn’t just Roger Goodell who didn’t want the Saints in the playoffs.  That defense and the Saints ability to play field position is enough to frighten every team.  Let’s hope that somehow the defense can stay together for next year.  They’ll be some salary wrangling to do.

I watched with admiration this year as Sean Payton unveiled his game plan for each game.  He took a team with a couple of quarterbacks who had no mobility, and one that had too much, and a rookie, and basically manipulated this team to competitiveness.  Yes, there were games that slipped away. (Giants, Titans, Falcons).  Kicking problems were embarrassing at times.  But, for obstacles overcome, adversity dealt with, and juggling of personnel, hats off to Sean Payton.  A 9-8 record is nothing to covid sneeze at.

Saints Report #16 - January 2, 2022

The Payton 57

And then there was one.  Just weekend number 18 left, and still in the hunt.

I made my first trip to section 116 of the Superdome in 2 years and I found two differences since my last visit:  The Who Dat Chant was missing (I learned later an oversight), and the men’s bathroom had shrunk in half (not an oversight.)  I got to view the newest incarnation of the Dome Patrol up close, and they are a sight to behold.  The Saints stifled the Carolina Panthers 18 – 10 to keep their playoff hopes alive.  Now the Saints must beat the Falcons next week, and if the Rams beat the 49’ers, the Saints will displace the 49’ers as the 7^th seed.

The Panthers jumped out to a 10 -3 lead in the first half, but got shut down and shut out the rest of the way.  The Saints chipped away with chip shots.  They managed 4 field goals to take a 12-10 lead.  They finished the scoring with a swing pass to Kamara that he took 12 yards for the Saints first touchdown in 11 quarters. 

It’s a different kind of football the Saints are playing, but it can be winning football. 

Make no mistake, this Is not the high-flying days of Drew Brees, Marques Colston, and Devery Henderson.  This is ground and pound and dominate.  Don’t turn the ball over, and control field position and the clock.   The offense was missing 4 starters on the offensive line, so the battle in the trenches was ugly.  The Saints kept trying to run the ball, even though they were getting nowhere.  Where did this dedication to the running game come from?  The Saints got exactly one run of consequence from Kamara, and a few late ones from Taysom Hill, who really tried to stay in the pocket for most of the game. 

Meanwhile, the undrafted Marquez Callaway is the only receiver who hasn’t disappeared, although Deonte Harris had some impact  They beat the Bucs scoring no touchdowns, and the Panthers by scoring one.  How far can they go scoring just one touchdown a game?   

The defense allowed a total of 178 yards, 90 passing, 88 rushing.  They sacked Sam Darnold 7 times, half of them attributed to Cam Jordan, who came back from his covid break 3 weeks ago like a man from the Marvel universe.  For the season Jordan has 11 ½ sacks, but 7 1/2 of them have come in the last 3 games.  His covid game was the first game he has missed as a Saint, and he looks rejuvenated.

It was revealed that the Saints have started 57 different players this year.  With the adversity they have faced, hurricanes, injuries, and covid, including 4 different quarterbacks, you have to marvel that they have stayed competitive.  I guess it could have been worse.  We could have signed Antonio Brown.  We could have traded for “teammate of the year” Kirk Cousins, who refused to get vaccinated, then was sidelined with covid before their biggest game of the year. Goodbye playoffs.  Game after game Payton has pieced things together, while adapting his offensive attack to the weapons that were available.  To be 8-8 and still in contention is pretty amazing.  

If the Saints can close this out with a little 6 game winning streak, Mrs. Benson would have to buy a record number of rings.

It’s unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

Saints Report #13 - September 12, 2021

Give me your tired, your poor, your losing teams.  Come to New York and face our team, the J-E-T-S, the worst the NFL has to offer.  If you can’t beat this team, you’re really in trouble.

The Saints traveled to New York, well actually New Hoffa, to feast on the Jets, and feast they did, 30-9.  The Jets looked awful, a reminder to the Saints fans what an awful team really looks like.  The game left the Saints as one of many teams at 6-7 and squarely in the playoff hunt, although it almost certainly won’t be by division title.  The Saints have some quarterback uncertainty over the next few years, but not like the Jets.  The green team invested the 2^nd pick in Zach Wilson, who looks like a great NFL quarterback maneuvering around the pocket, until he actually has to let go of the ball.  At that point anything could happen, but it usually involves bouncing.  Bouncing off a shoulder pad, a helmet, or the turf.  I have said all along that I don’t think the Saints have an NFL quarterback on the roster, but after watching Wilson I could make the argument that the Saints have 4, 5 if you count Kamara.  If Wilson makes it as an NFL quarterback, I will be shocked. 

Yes, Alvin Kamara was back from his fall break, and did he look fresh!  He is clearly the NFL MVP as the Saints are 6-3 with him, and 0-4 without him.  He was spectacular, accounting for 145 yards running and catching and just bothering the Jets.  Taysom Hill also had a good game, doing what he does.  But the defense was stout, allowing only 3 harmless field goals, threatened only at the end of the game.    They didn’t miss Cameron Jordan, who missed his first game ever as a Saint, and with their biggest game of the season on tap next Sunday Night against TB, now is the time to make a challenge for a a playoff spot. 

How will it go?  Well, you can bet they will concentrate on Kamara, so someone else will need to step up.

 

Saints Reports # 11 and 12 December 2, 2021

A Tale of Two Thursdays.

It was the worst of times, then it got worser.

For some reason, the NFL decided to put the Saints on back to back Thursday night games, from the Superdome.  It couldn’t have gone worse.  Try to imagine the elation the home crowd would have felt in the Drew Brees era with two straight Thursday night games.  This is not those times.

I do have a theory.  The NFL wanted to roll out their latest versions of “the worst call ever” on National TV.  How long is this going to go on?  I hate the length of the games, but I’m with Bill Belichick on this one.  Every call should be reviewable.  Just like real life. The Saints win the twitter conversation every week.  It doesn't make me feel any better.

My Thanksgiving day was a family pleasure.  We didn’t cook, we traveled.  We just showed up, and it was great.  Our hosts experienced the same overproduction problems we have when we cook, unless you think 8 pies for 9 people is normal, but it was probably our first ever break from the heavy lifting.  After a great meal, we retired to our son’s basement to watch a scintillating Saints performance in a contest with the Buffalo Bills. Afterwards, I felt like I was the one that had been scintillated.  Keep in mind the Bills may be the best team in the NFL, and I predicted they will win the Super Bowl, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when the Saints got carved up 31-6.   The streak was at 4.

If the Trevor Siemian era is to be remembered, all 4 games of it (to this point) it will be remembered for Payton’s most cautious play calling of his tenure.  The Saints rarely threw the ball on first down, presumably to reduce the sacks of the immobile QB. Almost every promising situation was punctured by a sack, and once the announcer version Drew Brees noted that Siemian doesn’t step up into the pocket, it got repeated by every commentor on the web.  Why isn’t Taysom in there?  Wait, we’ve got another 4^th down pass by the punter up our sleeve. 

The Saints defense performed fairly well, in both games, but you can only ask so much. They are the best run stopping bunch in the NFL, and the secondary is way better than I thought they would be, but they wear down and the law of averages catches up with them.  Then, it’s not pretty.

On the second Thursday, it was Taysom Hill’s turn finally, after signing a mega contract that will pay him handsomely if he can actually play quarterback, and well if he can’t.  Payton is clearly enamored of the Hill skill set, enough to put Mrs. Benson’s money where his mouth is.

So, how did it go?  It went 4 interceptions, one a pick-six.  Yes, he injured his finger early, and his running was exciting at times, but the Saints were overmatched again.  The Saints scored late on a nifty run after catch by Deonte Harris to pull it close 27-17, but this just highlighted that Harris may be the only receiving threat the Saints have, he’s just missing about 8 inches of height.  He’s also appealing a 3- game suspension which would cripple the Saints, when he has to serve it.  The gamble of not drafting a wide receiver is officially a bumble.  Look, I know few teams that could lose 3 offensive linemen, and be down to their third quarterback and still be competitive, but the lack of wide receiver talent is glaring given that there have been great receivers go in the first round the last few years.  The streak is at 5.

So, after more than half of the greediest season in NFL history, 17 games with no roster expansion, there is one thing I’m sure of.  A running QB makes no sense.  He will get hurt.

Saquon Barkley, an immensely talented running back, has played 36 games in 4 years.  Injured
Christian McCafferty is out for the season, again
Alvin Kamara has just missed his 5^th straight game.  The Saints are 5-2 with him, and 0-5 without him.
Dalvin Cook is out.  Cam Akers is out.

And these are just the running backs.  They can’t stay on the field.  The game is too violent.  Check out the Tom Brady documentary on ESPN 3.  You can’t help but notice the violent hits from 20 years ago that just wouldn’t fly today. 

Meanwhile, Let’s look at the QB’s:

Jameis Winston got injured scrambling.
Russell Wilson missed several games, and doesn’t look good since he came back
Taysom Hill apparently has the same injury now. 
Cam Newton and Big Ben can’t throw.
Kyler Murray is on the shelf.
Lamar Jackson may be the most exciting player in the NFL. He gets hurt too much.

Now, just for fun, let’s look at Alabama Quarterbacks in the NFL.

The jury is still out on Jalen Hurts.  He can run the ball very well, and hasn’t gotten hurt yet, but hasn’t proven he can throw it at the NFL level.

Tua Tagovailloa is not what everyone thought he would be, and the injury he suffered to his hip late in his college career, while scrambling, may be why.

Then there is Mac Jones, who yes, landed on a good team, but is a statue in the pocket, reading defenses and distributing the ball.  I still think this is the prototype. 
So, who do I want?  Bama’s Bryce Young.  Can we draft him early like the Celtics did Larry Byrd?

Saints Report #10 - November 21, 2021

The Saints traveled to Philadelphia, and they wish they hadn’t as the Eagles dropped the Liberty Bell on them to the tune of 40-22, and the Saints had to rally to get it to that point.  The game featured a dismal performance by the defense, and a dreary performance by the offense.  The special teams didn’t contribute, other than it is becoming apparent that the Saints best player is their punter.

Any hope that the Saints had evaporated before halftime.  Jalen Hurst scored two touchdowns to power the Eagles to a 14-0 lead.  The Eagles ran the ball on the Saints easily for most of the game.  The Eagles fumbled deep in their own territory, the Saints who had been unable to move the ball, accepted the gift and were down 14 – 7.  The Eagles kept driving, but added two field goals.  Then they tried to give the Saints another gift, by fumbling deep in their own territory again.  This time the referees called it dead, saying forward progress had been stopped.  It certainly looked worth a challenge as the two minute warning approached and Payton had plenty of time to challenge, but he didn’t.  We wouldn’t know for another minute or so, but the game was essentially over. 

Then, Trevor Siemian gave a gift of his own, a pick-six to Darius Slay and the Saint were submerged at the half 27-7.

The Saints then waited until the 4^th quarter to begin their normal too-little-too-late comeback.  Siemian picked things up late, but it was his worst game of the year, and there were plenty of players simulating his performance.  It was a drab, dull, desultory effort, but let’s face it, it was by a bunch of guys who would not normally be playing.  Neither of the offensive tackles started, and it showed.  Payton doesn’t like to make excuses about injuries, but this has gotten ridiculous.  Meanwhile the receivers seem to be on a one-play quota per game. 

Three straight losses and that dreamy 5-2 start has transformed into a 5-5 nightmare.  They face two strong teams on successive Thursday nights, and expectations have to be low at this point.  There’s still time to have a good year, but the personnel doesn’t appear to be present.  I’m getting flashbacks to those three straight 7-9 seasons.  Ugh.  

I've been watching a lot of college football to try to spot the Saints QB of the future, as I don't think he's on the roster.  The task is extremely difficult because of a) the idiotic targeting enforcement, and b) I don't see any superstars.  This weekend I was kind of impressed with a lefty, Brennan Armstrong of Virginia.  But, deep down, I'm just not sure Sean Payton relishes starting fresh with a rookie.  I'm not sure the fan base does either.  

Saints Report # 9 - November 14, 2021

John Steinbeck’s last novel, published in 1961, was the “Winter of Our Discontent” and the only reason it wasn’t about the New Orleans Saints was because they didn’t exist yet.  If he were writing today about Saints Fandom, it would undoubtedly be titled "Autumn of Our Frustration."

The Saints lost another winnable game 23-21 to the AFC’s best team, the Tennessee Titans, in Nashville.  Probably 75% of NFL Games are close ones that could go either way, and that way is usually decided by just a few points.  In this game it was:

• 2 missed extra points by the 4^th placekicker of the year, soon to be an ex.  Sometimes they don’t matter, but in this game they greatly affected strategy.  The Saints lost by 2, you notice.
• More dropped passes, although not as many as last week.
• A wiped-out Tannehill end zone interception by Marcus Williams.  Kaden Ellis was flagged for illegally playing football when he pressured Tannehill.  It was a terrible call, and it wasn’t just Saints fans who thought so.
• Two critical back to back sacks of Trevor Siemian at the end of the first half.  The Saints were driving in the final minute when he tried to dance out of pressure.  He had time, and should have thrown the ball away.  Siemian shows some promise, but his feet are reminiscent of Drew Bledsoe.  Movement in the pocket is not a strong suit.      
• A Devonte Harris fumble of the second half kickoff that tee’d up an easy TD.  Payton almost always defers when the Saints win the toss, because he wants that first possession of the second half.  In this game, that possession lasted 7 seconds.  His strategy is to score late in the first half, then hopefully back to back to start the 2^nd.  That’s pretty much what happened here, but for the Titans.  They scored a touchdown with 1:38 left in the first half, then 3:00 into the 2^nd half.  The Titans scored their two touchdowns in this 4 minute span.   They kicked 2 field goals before, and one after this sequence, as the Saints defense again played well.
• The Saints got down to the 3 yard line with 8:44 left in the game.  At 5:35 after several miscues by both teams, they settled for a field goal to bring them within 8, and it took way too long.
• Adam Trautman pulled a Brad Edelman and got called for illegal procedure on the two point conversion try late in the game.  A successful conversion would have tied the game.  Instead the Saints got moved back to the 7 and their try fell incomplete.  Game over.

Any of these incidents could have changed the game.  It’s the way things are going for the Saints right now. The wrong way.

The tar on the cake is the same as last week.  A win would’ve moved the Saints ahead of the faltering TB Bucs to lead the division. The Bucs are floundering and the Saints can’t take advantage.  A fifth straight division title is available, as the puzzling Saints remain 1 game back.

Think back.  Going into the season, the typical Saints fan had a preference on who would be the heir to Drew Brees, Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill.  Who would’ve thought Trevor Siemian would be in his third game, and performing quite well?  Who would’ve thought the Saints would be playing well against good teams, and poorly against bad teams?  Who would've thought Mark Ingram would be back starting games for the Saints, and even doing a good job?

The good news, is that the rest of the league is as inconsistent as the Saints. At 5-4 the Saints are still in the playoff hunt, but the injuries continue to cripple them, the late comebacks are falling short, and the Autumn winds don’t blow.  They suck.

Saints Report #8 - November 7, 2021

Any Saints loss to the Atlanta Falcons is heart-breaking, end of the world sorrowful, but this one was a throwback to the 70’s, with a last minute dagger that felled the Saints 27-25. 

The Saints played a pretty lackluster first 3 quarters, allowing Matt Ryan to chop up their vaunted defense with mostly short passes, with an occasional embarrassing long one thrown in.  The Falcons led 24-6 with 8 minutes left, and it all seemed a formality.  The Saints were going to squander their chance to take the division lead.

There are a lot of tried and true ways to lose in the NFL.  Here are a few:

• Sleep walk through 3 quarters and let the other team jump out to a big lead
• Drop about 7 passes
• Fail miserably on a couple of critical two point conversions
• Lose a fumble in the pocket in the middle of the comeback.
• Waste a stirring comeback by leaving the veteran opposing quarterback too much time to mount a comeback of his own.
• Put a rookie man to man on the best receiver with the game on the line.

Consider all those boxes checked.

The Saints trailed by 18 with 8 minutes left and mounted a thrilling comeback, as Siemian and Taysom Hill began to sling the ball all over the field.  It was the most remarkable comeback since the Brees-led one over the then-Skins of Red back in 2017.  When Kenny Stills caught a touchdown pass with 1 minute left, Saints fans were ecstatic, but also knew that was a lot of time for Matt Ryan.  He needed about 10 seconds of it.  His 64 yard pass to Cordarrelle Patterson over rookie Paulson Adebo took the wind out of the Superdome faster than a bomb cyclone, whatever that is. The Falcons won it on a short field goal.

The Saints are a puzzling lot.  They’ve lost to three teams, the Giants, Falcons, and Panthers that now have worse records than the Saints.  They beat the two teams, the Bucs and Packers that are the favorites to play in the NFC Championship. 

They broke their improbable 3 game winning streak.  Instead of a remarkable 6-2 record, they stumble to 5-3, making their playoff odds significantly longer.  Three of their next 4 opponents, Tennessee, Dallas, and Buffalo lead their divisions, and the one that doesn’t, Philly, is in 2^nd place.  Cakewalk it ain’t.  These 3 losses to teams they should have beaten would have provided a margin for error they don’t have now.  Going into December at or under .500 is a very real possibility.  Meanwhile, their home field advantage seems to have evaporated and escaped through that fire on the roof a few months back.

They’ve hidden their major deficiency – wide receiver, until today.  Against the Falcons, drops were plentiful, and separation was not in evidence until late in the game.  My personal opinion is that OBJ is a head case, but he’d easily be the #1 receiver on this team.  Not that I’m advocating.

Tight End Adam Trautman contributed a couple of critical drops, but came alive in the 4^th quarter.  They say he’s a good blocker.  Whatever.

Mark ingram looked good in the first quarter, then he disappeared, into the “minimal use” bucket.

Atlanta receivers, on the other glove, were wide open all day.  If this is evidence of game-planning by their first-year coach, Arthur Smith, the Saints recent superiority may be in jeopardy.  While Atlanta upped their series lead to 54-51, the Saints are 21-10 since Payton arrived, including 6 out of the last 7 until today.  It would be nice for recent momentum to continue.

Taysom Hill embarrassed the Birds last year, and zinged two completions right before Siemian’s game-changing fumble.  Payton may not have been convinced Hill was ready after his concussion, and Siemian played pretty well, but I’m thinking the decision will be tougher next week.  The loss was certainly not Trevor’s fault, but could he win a Super Bowl?  I don’t know.  Could Nick Foles?  Brad Johnson?  Jeff Hostetler?  Trent Dilfer?  How much has the game changed?  I just don’t know.  No one is talking about his big arm, that’s for sure.

Today reminded me of the Minneapolis Miracle.  The Vikings jumped out to a big lead.  Brees piloted a brilliant comeback, one that should have made it a signature win.  It all went out the window on an improbable bomb to Stefon Diggs, whose part was played today by Patterson.  After what the Saints did to Brady last week with under a minute left, this outcome was particularly surprising.  The defense was a step slow all day, and Patterson one-on-one with any rookie is a full load, although they did contain rookie phenom tight end Kyle Pitts.

So, a puzzling day in the NFL all around.  In future opponents, Jacksonville embarrassed Buffalo, and Denver surprised Dallas, so they’ll be more focused.  Let’s hope the Saints are. 

Saints Report #7 - October 31, 2021

Sean Payton loves us.  He loves us not.

His stellar game plan led to a 36 – 27 Saints victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But his clock management put a game in jeopardy, for the second time this year.  Fortunately, it was Halloween in New Orleans, so a repeat of the Giants debacle was not going to happen. 

The Bucs took a 27-26 lead with 5:44 minutes left.  Jameis Winston had exited the game in the first half with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.  The Saints were counting on backup Trevor Siemian for a game winning drive.  With two minutes remaining, the Bucs were down to one timeout and the Saints had a first down within the 10 yard line.  Good clock management would dictate 3 runs and kick a field goal, leaving Brady about 40 seconds and no timeouts.  So, of course, Payton, in a strategy reminiscent of the Saints playoff loss to the Rams a few years ago, called 3 pass plays that had no chance.  The Saints kicked the field goal to lead 29 – 27, and Brady would get the ball back with 1:41 plus a timeout.  It looked like a layup for the GOAT.

But Dennis Allen’s defense bailed Payton out.  PJ Williams intercepted Brady and ran it in to the end zone, and a shell-shocked Brady only had two sacks ahead of him.   Brady had a three turnover day.  I enjoy them when I’m hungry, but not great for a quarterback.

The Saints deserved to win.  They had dominated early, scoring 23 straight points to lead 23 – 7. Then Brady orchestrated his comeback, although the failure on a 2 point conversion was key.  Winston got hurt when he scrambled out of the pocket and was tackled by the shoulder pad in a tackle that illustrated why horse collar tackles are illegal.  At this point Winston had continued to surprise defenses with his running ability, having run for several first downs.  Unfortunately, the scrambling did him in.

The Saints stubbornly, and admirably, stuck to running the ball.  There wasn’t much yardage there, but their commitment to the run helped the unexpected passer – Siemian.  Here’s a scouting report – I always liked him when he was with the Broncos.  He doesn’t have a big arm, but he’s smart and accurate, and is close to Brees in tools.  Looks like he’s about to get another shot at an NFL starting job.

He ended this game 16-27 for 159 yards.

So the Saints beat the Bucs for the 6^th straight time in the regular season.  Of course an argument could be made, and Bruce Arians would probably make it, that the Bucs beat themselves with one crucial penalty after another, often extending Saints drives.  Sometimes they were even petty.  But, the Saints often play the bully roll, and pay for it.  In the end, the last Saints drive of the day gave the Saints a lead Brady couldn’t touch. 

So the surprising Saints are 5-2 and yet have only played two home games.  With 4 of the next 5 at home just imagine if the Saints flex that dome field advantage.  It could be like Halloween every night.  

Saints Report #6 - October 25, 2021

 

The Saints went into normally rainy Seattle and put the clamps on the Seahawks to the tune of 13-10 in a part time storm on Monday Night.  Another ugly win to move to 4-2.

The game resembled a fight scene in the rain in The Matrix, minus the grace and stylishness, unless you watched Alvin Kamara who put forth a fantasy dream night.  Suddenly the Saints have rediscovered his effectiveness when the ball is tossed to him, and without that it would have been a gloomy night, where we would have said “Why don’t we just get in the running car?”

The two teams pushed inefficiently against each other except for one touchdown drive a piece.  A lot could be made of the sluggish offenses, or the good defenses, but the truth of the matter is that this game was won by the kickers.  The Saints continuously flipped the field position behind the leg of punter Blake Gillikin, and they got two field goals from their 4^th placekicker of the year, Brian Johnson, while the Seattle kicker was going 1 for 3,  Where did Brian come from?  Sean Payton met him last Monday and his heart stood still, when it appeared Johnson could actually put the ball between the uprights.  This was to become even more important the next day, when kicker #1 Will Lutz was declared out for the season after a setback in his recovery.  Hang on Brian, Brian hang on.

The Saints continue to fly under the radar, rating rarely a mention in the national media.  No one believes in the Saints yet but the next week’s opponent, Tampa Bay will lead the Saints into the heart of their schedule, including Dallas and Buffalo.  I truly believe it takes a strong franchise quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and each season starts with about 10 – 12 of those.  I regret to say that this will probably not be the case for the Saints this year.  I’m not a Winston hater.  I think he’s doing fine, workmanlike stuff.  But he’s not going to carry this team, and the days of a dominant defensive team, which the Saints are, racing through the playoffs is over.  The rules favor the offenses, and there are too many stars out there.  Would love to be wrong, but instead, I’m going to appreciate this team for what it is – a hardnosed defense minded team, and I look forward to next Sunday’s showdown with Brady.  I think he’s in for a dogfight.

Meanwhile, some other comments about sports:  The Pelicans are back, minus Van Gundy, “airball” and “slowfoot,” my two least favorite players from last year.  I won’t say their names.  Unfortunately Zion is hurt and reportedly way overweight.  New Orleans teams don’t seem to “stay in touch.”  See Michael Thomas. 

I’m enjoying baseball.  I remember Lolich and Gibson, Koufax and Ford, and those great pitching duels.  It’s now a parade of relievers and the strongest bullpen wins.  I’m ok with that.

Here are some important lessons from sports of today:

• Replay has gotten out of hand.  I didn’t think it possible to make the last 2 minutes of an NBA game last longer, but I was wrong.  We beat everything to death.  
• Yelling at the top of your lungs is important at the end of every big play.  I plan on applying this to my life.  Wait until the next time I successfully parallel park.
• Someone should be designated to bring water to every celebration, especially at home plate, to douse the pile with.  It’s kind of funny to see. 

Saints at the Bye

This is the Saints bye week report.  Sorry, I did not write about the last 2 games until now, as I was on the disabled list getting a new knee.  Unfortunately, I was joining Michael Thomas, Wil Lutz, Erik McCoy, Terron Armstead, Deonte Harris, Taysom Hill, Tony Jones Jr, Marcus Davenport, Chase Hanson, Kwon Alexander, Ken Crawley, Nick Vannett, Tre’Quan Smith, and others on the sideline. 

Put them together with those from last year who aren’t here:  Drew Brees, Latavius Murray, Thomas Morestead, JT Gray, Trey Hendrickson, Sheldon Rankins, Malcolm Brown, Josh Hill, Jared Cook, Alex Anzalone, Emmanuel Sanders, Michael Burton, and Janoris Jenkins totals 26 absent.  All but Brees are contributing on other teams. 

And the Saints are 3-2 at the bye. 

Imagine if it was your company and you experienced that kind of turnover and absenteeism.You’d take 3-2 all day long.  And you’re just a bad quarter away from being 4-1.

Yes, the Saints last 2 games were experiments in what to do with 11-point fourth quarter leads. In the first, they just blew it to the Giants. 

If you’ve ever been a manager, you’ve had a bad day at the office.  You went against your instincts and hired the wrong person.  You chewed someone out for something that wasn’t their fault.  You made the wrong choice and it backfired.  You just made a stupid decision and it was costly.

Sean Payton simply had a bad day at the office against the Giants, something we’re not used to (except in the playoffs.)  Except for a three straight touchdown stretch in the second and third quarter, the Saints bungled decision after decision. They held a 21-10 lead with 8 minutes left, and then the Giants did to us what we are used to seeing the Saints do to teams over the last 15 years.

Squandered a time-out and a challenge with one of the most meaningless challenges of a spot I can ever remember seeing. 

Having a kicker that is obviously mediocre try a 58 yarder but not a 43 yarder.

Having only one running play that Taysom Hill can run.  His previous 2 spectacular runs were kind of a tip for the Giants to move the Titanic into that particular hole.

Having Taysom Hill throw a bomb which he didn’t have the arm for, thus an interception.

Not Throwing one pass to Alvin Kamara, who carried a career high 26 times.

Defense was no better

The annual Joe Montana create-a-star award goes to Daniel Jones who racked up over 400 yards passing and looked all world.  For one week.

Paulson Adebo, who appears to have the physical tools, got picked on all day, and the Saints lost in overtime 27-21.

Almost all those strategic errors got rectified the next week when the Saints when to DC and beat the nameless team 33-22.  As good as Ron Rivera appears to be as a coach, he rarely can handle Payton.  Blake Gillikin had the best game I’ve ever seen a punter have, as he seems to be on a mission to revive the coffin corner.  He deposited three punts of 53 yards or more inside the 5-yard line, completely changing the game.  Likewise, Marshon Lattimore seemed to take every ball in the air as a personal insult.

There are 3 things that I think are the most difficult in sports:  1) hit a round baseball moving very fast with a round bat, 2) hit a golf ball where you want it to go, and 3) cover a wide receiver.  I looked at the Saints secondary as their weakest link, but Lattimore may be the best in the game right now, Adebo has improved and looks like the steal of the draft, and if he’s not, linebacker Pete Werner is.

Being 3-2 at this point is a testament to organizational stability.  The first three draft choices are contributing.  Other than the place kicker, the Saints have been able to reload, restock, reboot, and stay competitive. 

Then there’s Jameis Winston, who has held his own.  While throwing to an all-new receiving corps, he has cut down his mistakes, but not eliminated them.  He’s thrown some good, bad, and ugly passes.  But, it ain’t a beauty contest and the reality of it is that the Saints are a middle tier team right now.  The question is, when some starters come back, can they make the jump?   

At the bye, all things considered, I’ll take 3-2. 

Saints Report #1 - September 12, 2021

The Saints opened their season with a football nation-stunning 38-3 victory over the highly regarded Green Bay Packers.  Leave it to the Saints to provide a shot of adrenaline to the hurricane-beleagured who-dat nation.

Who could have seen this coming?  Well I did, because when your supremely talented but aging MVP Quarterback spends the offseason trying to beat out Blossom to host a game show, while courting his latest movie star girlfriend and complaining about his rapport with his bosses, that’s a recipe called “too much on your plate that doesn’t included training.”  As amazing as Aaron Rodgers is, he’s 37, and he looked it today, mostly because of the Saints smothering defense.

Dennis Allen is in his 7^th year as defensive coordinator and is it is a luxury to have someone this good for so long.  Usually they get hired away, but the maturity, schemes, and disguises he employs allows him to overcome the occasional shortage of personnel.  Saints fans have been worried all year about the cornerback position, but 3^rd round pick Paulson Adebo picked off Aaron Rodgers In his first NFL start.  Someday he’ll be telling his grandchildren about that play as a career highlight, or the first of many interceptions.  Next week the Saints will be joined by another top flight cornerback they just traded for, Bradley Roby.  Don’t look now, but the Saints looked like the best defense in the NFL on opening weekend.

On offense, they were just as good.  Hopefully all year, the Saints will execute the run-first, time chewing, ball control offense they used this day.  Limited possessions, keeping high powered offensive superstars watching from the bench with growing impatience, as they methodically worked the ball down the field.  It’s a great formula.  Early in the game when Jameis Winston was unexpectedly running for first downs, and the Saints running back tandem was grinding away, I knew Sean Payton had landed on one of his formidable game plans.  He did it each time Brees was sidelined the last 2 years.  He did it to Tampa Bay twice last year.  The Coach can flat out put a game plan together.

So, how will you know if things are going the Saints’ way?  If the Quarterback is perfectly set up for success the way Jameis Winston was today.  Five Touchdown passes with only 148 yards passing is simply unheard of.  The statistical edge the Saints had in all areas was amazing today, and I could recite them, but will just let them speak for themselves.  The Saints theme for the year should be "no shootouts."  It will put every opponent in Jeopardy.

When a Hurricane like Ida just ravages its way through the land you love, leaving varying degrees of devastation in its wake it is a helpless feeling, like there’s nothing you can do up against a superior force. 

The Green Bay Packers just got a taste of that feeling.

 

Drew

The rain doesn’t fall in New Orleans.  It materializes out of the summer humidity.  It is one of the most humid places in the world, so much so that when someone has lived it the heaviness never leaves them.  We just laugh when visiting a northern city and we hear the declaration that “it’s humid today” at 40%. We would kill for 40%.

How many cities in the world sit below sea level?  Well, there’s Atlantis.  And there’s New Orleans, a city where the levees rise in the hopes that they can hold the surrounding waters at bay while the antiquated pumping stations struggle to expel.  Yearly there’s a massive rain event that gets memorialized.  The May 3^rd flood.  The April 13^th flood.  Betsy.  Katrina.  According to reports, there have been 42 flood events in the last 20 years, turning New Orleans into Venice.  The Cajun Navy deploys to rescue people who should have known better by now.  When you average 62 inches of rain a year and you are below sea level, you will have to deal with it.

New Orleans has given us great music and food and corruption.  Bourbon Street is a singular tourist destination that just got the street dug up and paved properly so that a well lubricated tourist can now walk it without fear of breaking an ankle.  It only took 300 years.  The well-worn phrase “let the good times roll” is only the beginning.  The populace takes Mardi Gras and Lent seriously, with a lot of confessions in between. 

Then there’s this 54 year old professional football team that New Orleans has.  The New Orleans Saints were often associated with ineptitude and irrelevance.  But that’s not really fair.  The first 20 years were indeed terrible.  Then around 1986 Jim Mora and Rickey Jackson came to town and they were competitive for 10 years, as they were later for the 5 Jim Haslett years (although they were divided by a disastrous Ditka interim.)  Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, and they had to play out of a moving van for a year while their scarred home, the Superdome, underwent repairs.  And it was one ugly, disheartening year that ended the Haslett era.  Saints management took a chance on a very young coach Sean Payton, and he took a chance on an injured quarterback named Drew Brees.  We had no way to know how things were about to change as rebuilding took center stage.

With their arrival began a 15-year run of upper-echelon football.  The Saints had always been important to the region, but their consistency ushered in an era of ever-increasing enthusiasm for the team.  Many cities are bitterly divided.  New Orleans is not.  Yes crime is an issue, but the love for their football team is so universal that the greatest defusal phrase in the world may just be “who dat.”

All this can be traced to Drew Brees.  He came to play.  His moving van was packed with heart, dedication, work ethic, smarts, talent, and a willingness to get involved in the suffering community.   

It wasn’t just that he wanted to win.  He hated to lose.  I have an enduring image of him.  It was the glare.  When he threw an interception he would come to the sidelines.  He would stand there, often keeping his helmet on, not talking to anyone, making no excuses, like he had just committed an unpardonable sin.  He lead so many clutch drives in the fourth quarter, that we were spoiled.  I remember in particular one game where the Saints were down to the Redskins 31-16 with 4 minutes to play.  Redskins fans were whooping and hollering all around us, and I just had this feeling.  You don’t know Drew Brees.  The Saints had been flat all day, but suddenly it was like Brees was Zeus and lightening went through the team.  They tied it and won in overtime. 

That was the thing.  We were in every game.  We always had a chance.  Brees walked up to the line of scrimmage and began directing traffic as only a great student could, less flamboyantly than Peyton Manning, but just as effectively.  I have a theory that the great ones like Brees, Brady, and Manning win pre-snap by reading the defenses, which only comes with hours of preparation.  It was fun to watch.  Every time we walked from our car to the dome, we knew we were going to get our money’s worth.

I know that Brees will now go on to be successful in his business ventures and his broadcasting career, but I had always hoped he would run for public office in Louisiana and apply that same preparation and decision-making skills to running a city or a state.  That too would be fun to watch.

I’ve had a few favorite athletes in my life.  First there was Bill Mazeroski, a magician at 2^nd base.  Then Roberto Clemente.  You can watch his highlights but here’s what you probably won’t see.  He hit in each of the 14 World Series games he played in, and yet there was a key play in each series where he beat out balls he hit back to the pitcher.  He ran hard on every play.

Drew Brees was like that.  He never took a play or a game off.  He had two serious injuries in his last two years, and he almost certainly came back too early from them.  But he couldn’t stand to watch any more than he could stand to lose.  You can’t win them all.  Not when there’s another team on the field, not to mention officiaIs, weather, and momentum to contend with.  I know of only one athlete that retired undefeated and that’s Rocky Marciano, but he wasn’t playing a team sport.  Team sports are different.  They are more rewarding, and more devastating. The Saints losses in recent years were way more devastating than the days that the crowd wore bags over their heads and the conclusion was forgone.

Drew Brees came to New Orleans about the time that I was able to utilize the season tickets my family has had since 1982. I saw him play in person close to 100 times.  I started writing this game-by-game blog on every single game for the last 15 years.  I gave an often uninformed but emotional reaction to every game.  Now I’m hoping I can print each page out and somehow bind it and get it into his hands.  If he ever chooses to read it, he will get a reactionary Who Dat view of each game.  I grew up wanting to be a sportswriter, changed course in my career, but reverted to it as a hobby in this blog.  I really don’t know if I will be as committed going forward. 

So not only did Drew Brees bring out the sports fan in me, he reinvigorated my writing, albeit it just-for-fun, and for a miniscule audience.  Anyone who watched him for the last 15 years has to admire those traits in him that he brought to New Orleans.  He will probably move away now, but he will be leaving with a bigger family, as well as a slew of former teammates that revere him, and a fan base that considers him a legend.

In coming centuries there may come a time when New Orleans joins Atlantis.  It seems inevitable. But, the story of Drew Brees will be passed down from generation to generation.  A statue will go up, and a pilgrimage will be made to Canton in 5 years.  I hope I get to go.  Look, sports is just entertainment.  It generates huge revenues and as a result athletes are paid a lot of money.  The Drew Brees effect on New Orleans transcended sports and money.  They say luck is where preparation meets opportunity.  True, but Drew Brees is where preparation met opportunity and thrived when a region needed it most. 

We needed a Drew Brees and we got him.  We will never let him go.