Saints Report # 18 - January 17, 2021

The Saints hit their January iceberg in the playoffs, as they have often done over the last 10 years.  They lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-20 in the Superdome, their third crushing playoff lose at home in the last 4 years.  This time the dome was hollowed out by a virus, making the end an eerie one.

First – the game.  While the Saints defense played well, they couldn’t overcome the field position gifts the Saints offense was coughing up.  Three Drew Brees interceptions were all critical, but it was a Jared Cook fumble in the midst of a catch and run late in the 3^rd quarter that was the turning point.  The Saints had a 20-13 lead and were driving toward a two-score lead.   The Bucs converted and tied the score at 20 as the fourth quarter began.  The Saints would not score again.  The Saints receivers were blanketed all day, and 21 of the Bucs’ 30 points came on short scoring drives following 3 of the turnovers.  Michael Thomas didn’t catch a pass.  Deonte Harris, who had two stunning first quarter punt returns, hurt his neck and missed the second half. 

Those punt returns resulted in two field goals to start the game and the Saints took a dreaded 6-0 lead, the one that can be easily overcome with a touchdown.  Imagine if they had converted both for a 14-0 lead instead.  But, the Bucs defense was much better today than it had been in the two regular season contests.  Two touchdown catches by Tre’Quan Smith, one on a trick play from Jameis Winston, (Ironically the longest completion of the day) kept it close, but the turnovers were backbreakers.  It was a most unexpected end for the most talented team the Saints have ever had.  It was just two months ago that the Saints clobbered the Bucs 38-3.  The Bucs defense was helpless that night.  That night the Saints offense was unstoppable.  This night they stopped themselves repeatedly.  It was an ugly game and another ugly end to a season.

History is strange.  It appears the Brees era is over, and it’s been thrilling, but with this unsatiated appetite, like we should have eaten more, we should have feasted more, the desserts weren’t good enough.  We shoulda, coulda, woulda had more than one Super Bowl title.

Our disappointment is not without precedent in sports.  The Brooklyn Dodgers, stacked with Hall of Famers like Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, and Duke Snider lost 5 times to the New York Yankees in the World Series before “next year” finally came in 1955 and they won their only World Series before moving west. 

Then there was Jake LaMotta who lost 5 times to Sugar Ray Robinson, beating him only once. 

Yes, History is strange.  With our area ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Saints had to play all their games on the road, a disaster for Coach Jim Haslett.  It was much like the figurative disaster that took place in Cleveland when Art Modell announced he was going to move the Browns to Baltimore in 1995.  The til-then ascendent Browns collapsed, and head coach Bill Belichick and Defensive Coordinator Nick Saban were out of a job.  We know where they landed, and how they wrote a new history.

With owner Tom Benson contemplating moving the team to San Antonio, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (the one who liked us) steps in and fast tracks the Superdome repairs.  Into the Saints facility walks Drew Brees, having been cut loose by San Diego after a devastating arm injury, to join Sean Payton. 

Imagine how things could have gone if free agent Brees had passed the physical in Miami and chosen to play there with Nick Saban.  Imagine Brees and Saban in sympatico, challenging Brady and Belchick all those years that the Patriots got free passes through the weak division.  Imagine Saban not going to Alabama.  Imagine how different it all could have been.  We got lucky.  We got competitive.

In the wake of Katrina, I started writing this blog and I have chronicled each and every game since.  I haven’t hesitated to be critical at times, but I always kept in mind that there was an opponent on the field, trying as hard as they could.  Only one team wins their last game in the new year each season, and the Saints did that once, and the 2009 team provided unrivaled elation for the long-suffering Saints fans. 

I won’t suggest that those of us who have been Saints fans since John Gilliam caught the first kickoff are the only suffering fan base.  But in 54 seasons, the Saints have only been to the playoffs 14 times.  Nine of those times have been in the 14 years of the Payton/Brees collaboration.  Eight have been unhappy endings.

In 2007, the Saints made their first trip to an NFC Championship Game but they weren’t competitive in a loss to Brian Urlacher and the Bears, a 35-14 slip-sliding affair on the loose Soldier Field turf.  The Bears would lose to Peyton Manning and the Colts in the Super Bowl.

In 2011, it was Marshawn Lynch and his 67 yard beast mode run, as the 7-9 Seahawks upset the defending champion Saints.  We will have to watch that run for the rest of our lives.  The Seahawks lost to the Bears in the next round.

In 2012, it was Alex Smith and Vernon Davis that overshadowed an incredible Brees led comeback utilizing Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham.  To me, the 49’er’s 36-32 victory, is still the toughest loss of this era.  The 49’ers lost to the Giants in the NFC Championship game.

In 2013, it was Seattle again, in a 23-15 loss when the Saints were held scoreless for 3 quarters, then mounted a furious comeback that fell short.  Seattle went on to trounce Denver in the Super Bowl.

In 2017, the Saints were down 17-0 at the half when Brees piloted an incredible second half comeback to take the lead.  Then it was Stefon Diggs who pulled off the Minnesota Miracle to break our hearts on the last play of the game.  The Vikings got stiff-armed by the Eagles, who would go on to win the Super Bowl.

In 2018, the Saints bad luck in the dome began when the no-call against the Rams happened in the Saints third NFC Championship Game appearance.  The Saints lost in overtime, and the whole world was outraged.  The Rams were stifled by the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

In 2019, the Vikings came to the dome and Kirk Cousins beat the Saints in overtime, making it three straight losses on the last play of the game.  The Vikings got dispatched by the 49’ers who would go on to lose the Super Bowl to the Chiefs.

Just my opinion, but this year, and the last 3, as well as 2011 and 2012, the Saints had excellent teams that could’ve won the Super Bowl.  I’m not saying they would have, but they were talented enough.

This game, with Tom Brady as the latest to overshadow, will be hard to swallow and hard to forget, but Saints fans have lived with a sense of doom for so long, it's just another "coulda." 

My hope is that this year the Saints draft a classic dropback quarterback, as I’m still not sold on the running quarterback.  Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson ended their playoff games in concussion protocol.  Cam Newton is a shell of his former self.  The Saints missed Taysom Hill today, out with an injury.  It’s tempting to run around like a jackrabbit, but when a 330 pound defender is closing in, sliding is the way to go. 

The Saints now slide into an uncertain future, salary cap problems, and the probable loss of the two amazing architects of the extremely successful recent drafts and acquisitions, Jeff Ireland and Terry Fontenot, as well as some of the assistants. 

My prediction of Chiefs over the Bucs in the Super Bowl is still in play, but I think I’d rather just spend the next few weeks appreciating the competitor Drew Brees, the fire in his eyes, and even the disappointment on his face as he sat on the bench in the waning minutes of his last game, if he calls it a career.  It was a great career, and we were the beneficiaries of his command, his work ethic, his game-saving drives and his community involvement.  I bet his next chapter is as productive, and I hope I get to make the trip to Canton to see him inducted into the Hall of Fame..  

 

Saints Report # 1 - September 13, 2020

The new look Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to the former Louisiana Superdome, soon to be former Mercedes Benz Superdome, soon to be the Dominos’ Superdome, hoping to surprise the Saints without their customary loud home field advantage. It wasn’t to be. The steady but unspectacular Saints held off the not quite ready Bucs, 34-23. 

Don’t let the score fool you. Both defenses played pretty well, and both offenses sputtered most of the day. There were a couple of big plays that made the difference There were two aging veteran quarterbacks on the field and to be honest they looked it most of the time. Brady threw two interceptions, one a pick 6 by Janorius Jenkins that was a big difference as the second half began, and Brees’ 48 yard completion to Jared Cook early in the 4th quarter was the big play the Saints needed to regain momentum after a dismal third quarter. Brees couldn’t get the ball to Michael Thomas at his usual steady rate but Emmanual Sanders contributed a couple of plays, including a touchdown grab and the Saints lead was insurmountable. 

The Saints repeatedly had wide runs blown up for losses and depended on special teams for help, as they blocked a field goal and recovered a short kick off that was fumbled by the Bucs. The Bucs were sloppy and out of sync in their first game with Brady at the helm, and the Saints were slightly better. Let’s just say it goes as a W and the faithful can be happy with that. 

The victory brought a sigh of relief to apprehensive Saints fans, as they are not used to fast starts to the season. Last year’s victory over the Texans broke an inexplicable 5 game losing streak in season openers. Up to that point they had been 1-7 in the last 8. The Saints are now 147-93 since the 2006 arrival of Payton and Brees but only 7-8 in the 15 games that have opened the season. 

Here’s the New Orleans Saints record in season openers in the Payton/Brees era. 

2006 beat Cleveland 19-14, finished 10-6
2007 lost 41-10 to Indianapolis, finished 7-9
2008 beat Tampa Bay 24-20, finished 8-8
2009 beat Detroit 45-27, finished 13-3, Super Bowl Champs
2010 beat Minnesota 14-9, finished 11-5
2011 lost 42-34 to Green Bay, finished 13-3
2012 lost 40-32 to Washington, finished 7-9 Payton suspended for year
2013 beat Atlanta 23-17, finished 11-5
2014 lost 37-34 to Atlanta, finished 7-9
2015 lost 31-19 to Arizona, finished 7-9
2016 lost 35-34 to Oakland, finished 7-9
2017 lost 29-19 to Minnesota, finished 11-5
2018 lost 48-40 to Tampa Bay , finished 13-3
2019 beat Houston Texans 30-28, finished 13-3
2020 beat Tampa Bay 34-23, finished ????

So in the last few days I’ve developed a theory as to why this record of frustration. Maybe it’s a compliment to the Saints coaching staff. They are good at studying game film and putting together a game plan, but in the first game of the season, that is a tall order. The Saints get better as the season goes on. The Bucs will be doing the same. You can bet Brady can’t wait for the rematch.

The Saints lead the division as both Carolina and Atlanta fell. It’s like that old joke, what do you call 3 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.

NFL Preview 2018

February 3, 2019.  The day the obnoxious Miami Dolphin geezers had to put away the champagne, when the two great geezer Quarterbacks, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, met before both announcing their retirements..

The New Orleans Saints did it.  They completed the first undefeated 19 – 0 season by rolling over their last opponent, The New England Patriots, by a 43 -14 score in the Super Bowl.  The irony was thick.  They defeated the only team to previously get close, the Patriots who had their bid for immortality stymied back in 2008 by the New York Giants, and it happened in the Falcon’s home stadium.  The Falcons seemed on the verge of beating the Patriots in Super Bowl 51 when they blew a 28 – 3 lead.

The Saints would not blow their lead today.  Drew Brees was a perfect 30-30 for 300 yards passing, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram had over 150 yards from scrimmage each, and the Saints defense, which allowed less than 7 points per game was equally impressive.  The Saints were simply the most dominating team in NFL history.

That's the way the Saints season will go.

Or they could go 8-8 and be a major disappointment.

Who knows? The Saints appear loaded. They have a dominant offensive line, a hall of fame quarterback, a running back tandem that can dominate, and a continually improving defense.  Their kicking games is sound, and they appear healthy.  They have a receiver who has caught more passes in his first two years than anyone ever has.  They have built through the draft and are young and talented.

Here’s the problem.  Just getting out of the division will be a task.  The Falcons and Panthers aren’t going away. The biggest problem with going 16 – 0 is that would mean you have to go 6 – 0 in the division, and probably still face a divisional team somewhere in the playoffs.  The Panthers, Falcons and Saints all made the playoffs last year, and the Saints beat the Panthers three times, accounting for half of the Panthers 6 losses.  Think the Panthers have been watching film all summer?  Then there are the two unknowns – injuries and zebras. 

So, we have a couple days left to dream.  Then, we’ll see how long before the limb I just went out on breaks. When in doubt, dream.

Saints Report - NFL Preview edition

February 1, 2015 – The Shootout to end all shootouts.

After the 2 star quarterbacks were done throwing darts, it was a kicker who decided the highest scoring, and only overtime Super Bowl in history, as the Saints beat the Patriots 48 – 45.

Sean Payton had no choice but to send out Shayne Graham to try the game winner from 48 yards, despite misses from 42 and 35 earlier in the game.  “One of the reasons we went with a veteran kicker this year, was we knew he could rebound from adversity, and he certainly had to do that tonight,” said Payton of the veteran Graham who drilled the game winner as the French Quarter went crazier than usual. 

Through all the offensive fireworks that Tom Brady and Drew Brees provided, how could a defensive player be named Super Bowl MVP?  Well, pick off a Brady pass to set up the game-winner, along with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery – that was the formula used by NFL Defensive Player of the Year Kenny Vaccaro, who was all over the field making plays and had to be helped off at the end like a Kellen Winslow.

It was Vaccaro who provided the latest heartbreak for Brady, who up until the overtime had been flawless, going 40 for 45 for 407 yards, records unlikely to ever be broken, unless of course the NFL tightens the defensive rules again in the future.  Brady’s 6 touchdown passes, 3 to Rob Gronkowski, were almost matched by Drew Brees, who was 32 for 40 for 353 yards, which may be even more amazing when you consider that Bill Belichick’s defensive game plan was so effective in taking away the Saints main weapons.  Darrelle Revis blanketed NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Brandin Cooks and held him to only 3 catches for 25 yards.  Jimmy Graham’s regular season record setting performance (1412 yards) was but a memory, as the Patriots held him to 45 yards on 4 catches.  But, in the end the Saints had too many weapons, and Marques Colston (12 catches for 145 yards) was the one who took most advantage as he and Pierre Thomas (8 grabs) and Kenny Stills (6) kept the chains moving.

The Patriots heartbreak followed their own breaking of hearts in the AFC Championship when they again went into Indianapolis and ended the Colts season, as Brady outdueled NFL MVP Andrew Luck in another overtime thriller 38-32.

The Saints were not well received in Phoenix, as they had broken the hearts of Arizona Cardinals’ fans in the NFC Championship game in the Superdome.  Arizona’s dream of playing a home game in their Super Bowl was ended when Brees’ final minute touchdown pass to Graham snatched victory from their grasp 24 – 21.  As his Saint’s teammates hilariously tackled Graham before he could dunk, New Orleans began to party as only it can.

It all begs the question.  How good are they really?  Brees and Payton?  Brady and Belichick?  Joined at the hip like no other coach/quarterback tandems, how good would the 4 have done without each other?

One of the four will have to retire before we get an inkling..

THAT’s how the upcoming NFL season will end.  How will we get there?

Well for the Saint’s it won’t be easy.                                                                                                                                      

There are 3 basic obstacles. 

First, there are injuries.  If the Saints can stay healthy, to put it simply, they are loaded.  They have assembled a cast of complimentary talent that rivals their 2009 club.  New playmakers like Cooks on offense and Julius Byrd on defense, and the continued emergence of Vaccaro bode well for the Saints. 

Second, there is the West Coast.  The Saints have lost in the playoffs 3 of the last 4 years on the West Coast, and home field advantage for their high powered offense is essential.

Which brings us to the brutal schedule. 

Two games on the road to start the season is almost not fair.

It starts with a critical in-division matchup with an Atlanta Falcons team that will undoubtedly be surly and ready to show that they never want to star in “Hard-Knocks” again.  The Falcons have added Devin Hester (putting all the heat on punter/kick off man Thomas Morestead) and Osi Umenyiora and with their two star wide outs healthy, the usual home and home rivalry split is a probability.

Next it will be 2 games potentially against rookie quarterbacks, which the Saints have a history of making stars out of.  First up a trip to Cleveland.  Will Johnny Football be the starter by week 2?  Let’s hope not.

Will Teddy Bridgewater be the Vikings starter by game 3 for the Saints’ home opener?  Let’s hope not.  Young mobile quarterbacks (remember RGIII?) scare me.

So we’ll have a pretty good idea of how things look after the first 3 weeks.

The second scary part of the schedule comes in October when the Saints must play the Packers on a Sunday night, come back on Thursday night against the Panthers, followed by the 49’ers the next Sunday.  That’s a tough 2 weeks.  November is equally difficult with an AFC North sprint with the Bengals, Ravens, and Steelers back to back to back.

It’s brutal, and the NFL ices the cake (and probably the field) with their annual dispatching of the Saints to Soldier Field.

So, once again it will be just like Ringo says.  The Saints won’t go undefeated, but they now realize that outright clunkers like last year’s games against the Rams and Jets are extremely costly in terms of home field advantage in the Playoffs.

Other Predictions:

The Seahawks will look dominate until about midway through the season.  That’s how long teams are usually super – about a year and a half.

The Broncos will start slow, but end up in the playoffs until Manning has his usual season ending clunker.

Green Bay, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Arizona (surprise) will be division winners, with the 49’ers and Seahawks as the wild cards.

Denver, New England, Baltimore and Indianapolis will be division winners, with Miami and Pittsburgh as the wild cards.

What has distinguished the last 2 Super Bowl winners has been the breakthrough of til-then non-elite quarterbacks Flaco and Wilson.  Luck is the most likely to take the next step, but his team isn’t quite strong enough despite being in a cakewalk division.  Super Bowl XLIVXIC or whatever it is should see a return to a top 5 QB winner.

There, now you can take a vacation in South America since you already know how it will end.