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 post-season report # 17 - January 13, 2018

There’s no place like home.  When your team’s home is the Superdome and your team is the Saints it becomes the Bermuda Triangle.  Sunday for example, when I walked in I was 65 years old and I walked out 68.   

Yea, the Saints insist on taking years off your life.  They won their Divisional Round playoff game over the Eagles 20-14, but only after taking a standing 8 count.

Just for fun….Brees throws an interception on the Saints first play.  The Saints play the first quarter like they are still on their bye week.  With 4 minutes to go in the first quarter, the Eagles had scored 14 points, and the Saints had not gained a single yard yet.  I was aging rapidly.

With the Eagles driving again, pointing to a third score, Marshon Lattimore intercepted Nick Folse and the offense began to find their sea legs, but it took two gutsy 4^th down calls by Sean Payton to get them back in the game.  First there was a fake punt deep in his own territory.  Taysom Hill picked up the first down.  Then, the drive culminated with a 4^th down 2 yard pass from Brees to Kirkwood. 

It was about this time that the crowd took over.  The Eagles couldn’t know it, but they were not going to light the scoreboard again.  The deafening roar fired up the Saints defense and injected just enough uncertainty into the Eagles’ minds that their confidence diminished along with their execution.

The Saints added a field goal before the half after a nifty two minute drive and when the Saints went to the locker room at halftime down just 14-10 the color was beginning to return to the faces of the Saints faithful.  It could have been so much worse

The third quarter saw the Saints launch an epic 11 minute drive, the longest in post season history.  On the stat sheet it will say 92 yard drive, but with penalties, including a called back touchdown pass from Hill to Kamara, it covered at least 150 yards.  It was epic and it’s a drive that will live in Saints lore forever, no matter how the rest of the post-season goes.  It mostly featured All-Pro wide receiver Mike Thomas making clutch catch after clutch catch, including many long third down conversions and the finishing touchdown pass.

The Saints added another field goal to take a 20-14 lead.  The Saints drove down trying to desperately add a field goal to ice the game, but a great play by Michael Bennett of the Eagles tackling Kamara pushed the Saints back to where Lutz would miss a 52 yard field goal and set the Eagles up with a chance to win it with their last drive.  The Saints had dominated the second half, just like they had last year in Minnesota.  That last play disaster was inching into our minds.

But a Folse fastball went through Alshon Jeffries’ hands and right into the waiting arms of Lattimore, for his second interception of the game.  The Saints picked up a first down to put the game away.

There are a couple of key points.  It must be said that Sean Payton has the Eagles in his back pocket.  This was his third playoff win against them, starting with the 2009 season when the Saints beat the Eagles before losing to the Bears in their first trip to the NFC Championship.  His experience on the Giants and Cowboys coaching staffs meant he knew those old Eagles very well.  (I would also say the Payton struggles with the Cowboys and Rams since he came to New Orleans, not the most reassuring thing I could say going into next week.)

So what will happen next weekend when the Rams come to play in only the 2nd NFC Championship ever in New Orleans?  Two injuries are key.  The Rams have lost Cooper Kupp, a great receiver.  The Saints lost Sheldon Rankins in this game to an Achilles tear.  The Rams pounded the Cowboys with their running game, so I’ll be watching the middle of the Saints defense, to see if they can hold up.  It will be another barn burner, the kind that takes years off your life.

The Super Bowl teams will be determined next week.  Will it be the Young Gun Quarterbacks, or the Old Guard Quarterbacks, or some combination facing off in The Big Game?  All I know is I’m not getting any younger.