Saints Report # 12 - Thursday, November 28, 2019

It was a typical ugly Thursday Night NFL game, but the Saints came away with a 26-18 win, to give New Orleans their third straight NFC South title, and maybe more importantly a redemptive win over the hated Atlanta Falcons, who embarrassed the Saints just a few weeks back.  

We will remember that we got the win, and we’ll try to forget the profanity filled 4^th quarter when the Falcons, seemingly dead at 26-9, recovered two onside kicks (the football version of make it, take it) and made a game of it.  In the end it was the relentless defensive line pressure, particularly by Cameron Jordan (4 sacks) that put the game away with less than a minute remaining.

While Wil Lutz was pounding home 4 field goals to bail out a rather anemic Saints offense, for the second straight week the Saints benefited from the short-range ineptitude of the opposing kicker who missed a short field goal and an extra point.  As far as I’m concerned if you line up to kick an extra point from a hashmark, you deserve to miss, and we’ve seen that in these last two games, a lot.

The Saints had jumped out to a big lead on the backs of Taysom Hill, who blocked a punt (a Saints vs. Falcons tradition), caught a shovel pass for a touchdown, and sprinted 30 yards for the Saints other touchdown. 

The Saints won the turnover battle, with a fumble recovery by Vonn Bell, and interceptions by rookies Shy Tuttle, and CJ Chauncey-Gardner who has shown a penchant for “Being There.”  It must be said that Cam Jordan also diminished an interception with another stupid penalty, this one a block in the back.  The Saints also continued to be heavily penalized, particularly on pass interference calls, and they dropped numerous passes.  Ted Ginn and Jared Cook missed end zone passes that could have put the game away, and even Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara had drops.  But having watched Matt Ryan for what seems like a century, his penchant for holding the ball too long makes him a feast or famine passer of the football.  The Saints re-found the pressure they lacked in the first meeting and held Ryan in check. 

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So, this game was sloppier than my Thanksgiving plate of food, and while the Saints didn’t look like a team ready to challenge for the Super Bowl, the 4^th quarter of the season starts now.  The Saints are 10-2 and have a big matchup on December 8th with the San Francisco 49’ers, whom any reputable Saints fan hates as much as the Falcons.  We’ve been tortured by Montana, by Rice, by Young, and even by Alex Smith.  The Saints do not at this moment look like a team worthy of first seed in the stacked NFC, but December tells the tale.  They get the 49ers, after a little longer rest, in the dome, although Sean Payton may take a day to just practice recovering on-side kicks.  Then, another extra day of rest before playing the Colts in the dome on a Monday night.  Win those two, and it's on to the trap games.  The last two games are at Tennessee and at Carolina. 

So the last 4 games are winnable but if we learned anything watching these Saints, they’re also lose able.  It’s the ground game that wins in December and so far the Saints running attack has the consistency of cranberry sauce.  It can lead to bouts of profanity.  

Saints Report # 8 - October 27, 2019

Much of the sports world was saying “come on baby what’s your hurry?”  

Sean Payton crooned “Nice and Breesy does it every time.” 

The first half of the season has been magical for the Saints, and after 5 games on the mend, Drew Brees stepped right back in to the lineup as if he had never been away, toasting the Cardinals 31 – 9.  All he did was complete more passes in a game than he had in 3 years, going 34 of 43 for 373 yards.  Michael Thomas caught his requisite 10 for 100, well actually 11 for 112, and Latavius Murray continued his strong play filling in for Kamara, going over 100 yards rushing for the second straight game.  Taysom Hill performed like an all-pro without a position, adding his 3^rd touchdown of the year. 

Meanwhile the defense was dominant, and didn’t relax at the end this time.  They had their second game of the year not giving up a touchdown.  They are a defense sorely in need of a nickname, and I would suggest “Smothered Gravy.”  They allowed 40 yards rushing, as they bottled up another running threat at quarterback in rookie Kyler Murray.  The suspension of PJ Williams has allowed CJ Gardner-Johnson to get on the field and play like he is possessed by demons.  CJGJ has the look of a star, joining the perpetual motion machine Cameron Jordan, lockdown Marshon Lattimore, demented Demario Davis, and on and on. 

About halfway through the game it dawned on me why the Saints were so hot to get Brees back for this game (besides his indomitable competitiveness.)  Perhaps it goes back to summer when Sean Payton expressed dismay at the Head Coach hiring process sweeping the NFL, with the focus on potential whiz kids.  He didn’t see how a Kliff Kingsbury could get a job after being fired from a college job, over some of Payton’s coaches like Dennis Allen, Pete Carmichael, and Dan Campbell.  He lamented the inexperience of the new coaches, and vowed to make them pay, saying “we play some of those teams.”  Teams are always looking for motivation, and Payton is a master at seizing on something like that.  He was out to prove a point.  Kingsberry may have proved it for him with a questionable decision to go for a 4^th down deep in his own territory in the 3^rd quarter.  The Saints smothered it like gravy and a game that was still close was broken open with a short Saints drive for a touchdown.  The Saints rolled from there.

I continue to be amazed by how the Saints have drafted so well to build this team.  This year they only had 5 picks, but 4 have stuck and join “stickers” from previous drafts:

2019:  Erik McCoy, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Saquan Hampton and Kaden Ellis.

2018: Marcus Davenport, Tre-quan Smith, and Wil Clapp

2017: Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Alex Anzalone, and Trey Hendrickson

2016: Sheldon Rankins, Michael Thomas, David Onyemata

2015:  Andrus Peat, and PJ Williams

2013:  Terron Armstead

2011:  Cameron Jordan

2009:  Thomas Morestead

The Saints are now 33 – 11 since their three straight 7 – 9 seasons.  That turnaround can be traced to great drafting, including 11 impact defensive players out of the draft. 

Let’s catch our breath.  Let’s take a week off.

Saints Report # 16 - December 31, 2017

Playoffs, we're talking about playoffs.

First the good news.  

The Saints finished the season with a remarkable 11 – 5 record, completing their regular season turn around from three straight 7 – 9 records.
They won the super tough NFC South which yielded both wild card teams in the NFC.
They get a home play-off game.

They have the probable defensive Rookie of the Year in Marshon Lattimore.
They have the probable offensive Rookie of the Year in Alvin Kamara.
Kamara and Mark Ingram became the first pair of running backs to each have 1500 yards from scrimmage.
Kamara ran back a kick for a touchdown Sunday, joining Gale Sayers as the only rookies to ever have at least 5 rushing, 5 receiving, and 1 return touchdown.  It also just happened to be the longest return in Saints history.
Drew Brees set an NFL record for completion percentage at 72%, and is now third on the all-time yardage list behind New Orleanian Peyton Manning, and Kilnian Brett Favre having gone over 70,000 yards.  About 40 miles I figure.  Pretty amazing.
Michael Thomas caught more passes in his first two seasons than any other pass receiver in history.
Cameron Jordan may be the Defensive player of the year.
Their draft, all of whom made the team, may be the best single draft of all time.

Best good news:  I’ll probably get out of the prognostication business. I was none too happy after the draft as I assumed the Saints had just had their worse draft ever, mainly because they hadn’t addressed their need of an edge rusher (a weakness I still think will cost them).  Let’s just say Mel Kiper won’t be making room for me on the panel anytime soon.
Then, there’s my Gruden rematch Super Bowl picks of Tampa Bay vs. Oakland who can now officially blame me for their awful seasons. 

Now the bad news.
The Saints needed help from their good friends the Atlanta Falcons Sunday to win the division.  Atlanta beat Carolina to ensure their own playoff spot.
While they were doing that, The Saints were giving up a final minute touchdown to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose a game they had in their back pocket.

After the game there was a not-to-classy exchange between Sean Payton and Bucs coach Dirk Diggler, or whatever his name is.  Not Sean’s best moment, but we will have to face the fact that he’s not the nicest guy in the world, which is fortunately not a football coach requirement. 

So what’s ahead for the Saints?  Well let’s hope a tidy little 4 game winning streak.
It will have to start with a 3^rd victory over Carolina, a difficult proposition.  It’s hard to beat any team 3 times in one year, but the Saints will have a Superdome crowd to help.  Then, they will likely have to win two on the road, where they haven’t set the world on fire this year.  If my “it takes a great quarterback to win” theory holds true (don’t make any wagers) wouldn’t conference finals of Brees vs. Matt Ryan (in the dome) and Brady vs. Roethlisberger be an enjoyable Sunday in January?

Maybe this cold weather is prepping us for a Minneapolis trip early in February?
Who's in?