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-   -   NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it? (https://blackandgold.com/saints/3706-nakia-hogan-did-saints-blow.html)

Danno 01-27-2004 07:51 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
No, New Orleans made the right call going with Brooks
Nakia Hogan / The Times
Posted on January 27, 2004
NEW ORLEANS - Congratulations to Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme. He's enjoyed a storybook year in helping the Panthers reach Super Bowl XXXVIII to face the New England Patriots on Sunday in Houston.

The pride of Breaux Bridge is worth cheering for. He's the underdog who made it. He's the guy who gives all the little people hope.

But let's not kid ourselves here. While Delhomme is a serviceable quarterback, he is by no means the key component behind the Panthers' Super Bowl run or by no stretch of some Cajun's imagination a better quarterback than the Saints' Aaron Brooks, the man whose job some delusional observers would have loved to see Delhomme have.

Fact is, though, had Delhomme, whom the Saints wanted to keep, stuck around and not decided to go to Carolina for a chance to become a starter, he'd have been toting Brooks' clipboard.

"I have no animosity toward New Orleans," Delhomme said during the regular season. "I didn't play for them. It's not like I am Stephen Davis playing the Redskins. ... I was just a guy on the bottom tier of the roster. I am a backup quarterback. I was a third string quarterback for a while. It's not like they didn't think I was any good and let me go. They have a very good starting quarterback in Aaron Brooks and he was their guy. I would have been a backup there."

If Delhomme knows it, what's with all the persistence from gung-ho fans that he would have somehow led the Saints into the playoffs, that somehow the Saints' defense wouldn't have been so porous, the wide receivers so banged up, the record not so mediocre?

If you are one of those folks who believe Delhomme would have been the answer to the Saints' problems, ask yourself why? Does Delhomme have a stronger arm than Brooks? No. Can Delhomme escape onrushing defensive linemen better than Brooks? No. Is Delhomme more adept at making plays than Brooks? No.

If you are upset that Delhomme is playing for the Panthers, not the Saints, in the championship, you are probably upset the way a person is when they see their former boyfriend or girlfriend from next door move on and find a new mate, one that is a better fit for their needs. It's not that Delhomme left, it's that the Panthers are a better team than the Saints and all you Brooks naysayers need something to find fault in the Saints' quarterback.

But this isn't it.

Brooks is coming off a stellar season, one in which he passed for 3,546 yards 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. His 88.8 passer rating was a career-high, ranking seventh best in the league this season.

Meanwhile during the regular season, Delhomme threw for 3,219 yards, 19 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. His passer rating of 80.6 was 13th in the league.

Consider this: The Saints and their West Coast offense are more dependent on the skills of their signal caller, asking him to make plays with his arm, passing the ball downfield and firing throws with pinpoint precision. These are skills Delhomme, even in his championship run with the Panthers, has yet to showcase, and in all likelihood, doesn't possess.

In Carolina, the Panthers have a team built around their defense. All coach John Fox asks of Delhomme is not to lose the game, putting his signal caller in a system where the weight of the offense rests on the legs of running back Stephen Davis.

"What you have in Carolina is what the Baltimore Ravens had when they won the Super Bowl," said Sean Salisbury, an ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback. "A nasty defense, a big, physical back, good special teams and a quarterback who usually will not get you beat. "Jake Delhomme is a guy who will continue to progress, and maybe there will come a time when he can carry a team. But right now the big-play guy resides in New Orleans, and the don't-get-me-beat guy resides in Carolina." Unfortunately, the Saints are not a "don't-get-me-beat" team. And because of this, there will always be talk. But the better quarterback definitely plays for the Saints.

BillyC 01-27-2004 07:59 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
The man speaks the truth. The truth I say!!

saintfan 01-27-2004 10:06 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
Why is this so hard for a handful of people to understand?

I think this pretty much sums it up. It\'s called hurt feelings...and lets remember it has very little to do with Football.

Quote:

If you are upset that Delhomme is playing for the Panthers, not the Saints, in the championship, you are probably upset the way a person is when they see their former boyfriend or girlfriend from next door move on and find a new mate, one that is a better fit for their needs. It\'s not that Delhomme left, it\'s that the Panthers are a better team than the Saints and all you Brooks naysayers need something to find fault in the Saints\' quarterback

Danno 01-27-2004 10:09 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
So their boyfriend found someone else?
LMAO!!!

SFinAustin 01-27-2004 10:49 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
Great article.

Brooks haters have to find something else to blame him about!

WhoDat 01-27-2004 01:46 PM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
Quote:

If you are one of those folks who believe Delhomme would have been the answer to the Saints\' problems, ask yourself why? Does Delhomme have a stronger arm than Brooks? No. Can Delhomme escape onrushing defensive linemen better than Brooks? No. Is Delhomme more adept at making plays than Brooks? No.
All true, but he is a better leader, more consistent, and do you think an extra, say 32 million dollars, might help us get the players we need on defense? That\'s the problem with the Saints right? The defense. Well think about how many players the Saints could sign with $32 million more dollars.

saintfan 01-27-2004 03:31 PM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
Ahhh, there you go again Whodat. Brooks contract, by your own admission, isn\'t the reason the Saints didn\'t sign players \"X\" and \"Y\". If you can prove it ok. If you can\'t then its just another attempt to put blame where it doesn\'t belong.

How much do you think Jake will cost the Panthers next year?

How much do you thank Jake should cost the Panthers next year?


ScottyRo 01-27-2004 04:54 PM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
Quote:

(D)o you think an extra, say 32 million dollars, might help us get the players we need on defense? That\'s the problem with the Saints right? The defense. Well think about how many players the Saints could sign with $32 million more dollars.
Well, last year the Saints had plenty of room under the cap and they didn\'t please you with their offseason signings, WhoDat. They have even more room this year. So, I don\'t think Brooks\' contract is hindering this team at all in the FA market. The issue of signing FA\'s is enitrely a management problem.

saintfan 01-27-2004 04:58 PM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
Neither does he ScottyRo...he\'s just arguing that cause there\'s not much else to argue.

codename47 01-27-2004 05:48 PM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
.. same put downs from a jim Rome wannabe (and how sad is that in on itself) that I\'ve heard over and over and over.. \"toting the clipboard\"...
too bad for this guy/woman just over a week ago Jake was toting the NFC Championship trophy, and next Sunday has a chance to tote the Lombardy.

yeah, yeah, I know, I know... he\'s no one in that offense, he just hands the ball to Stephens, etc.. etc..etc..

The Saints didn\'t blow it by leting Jake go... The Saints blew it by the way this coaching staff handles personnel.. the way the coaches play favorites, the way the coaching staff puts on all those charades and keeps blaming player after player for the collapses, the way the nucleous of the offense thinks they are superstars...

... I can go on and on...but what\'s the use..

BillyC 01-28-2004 08:34 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
Over the past few years I believed Jim Haslett was going to be a very good coach. This past year I sort of changed my mind. I believe Haslett is a good coach when it comes to game planning, but I do not believe he is a good \"game time\" coach. He doesn\'t seem to adjust well and make the neccessary changes during the game, in order to give his team the best chance to win.

However, I do not believe Haslett puts individual players ahead of the team. The Brooks critics like to point to Haslett playing an injuried Brooks over a healty Delhomme. But, I never hear of any other player on the Saints that Haslett plays favorites with.

I\'ve seen Haslett play an injuried Le Charles Bentley, Deuce McAllister, and several other players. Yet, I hear no one criticize Haslett for this. The only time I hear any fan call Haslett out is when it involves Aaron Brooks. It\'s no secret that some folks don\'t like Brooks, and it isn\'t surprising that these are the only folks that are complaining about it.

It\'s no secret that Brooks isn\'t perfect. It\'s also no secret that Brooks teammates are not perfect. I wish it was as simple as replacing Brooks and all the problems would be solved. But, it isn\'t Brooks that is holding the Saints back. It\'s the Saints that are holding Brooks back.

Until we get a better defense and better playing calling, Joe Montana isn\'t going to take us where we need to go, much less Jake Delhomme.

FrenzyFan 01-28-2004 09:00 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
I respectfully disagree with that whole argument. In the case of LeCharles Bentley and Deuce McAllister, both of them have been routinely replaces and spelled when injured to the point where their game was affected. It happened with Bentley. It happened with Deuce. It did NOT happen with Brooks though the playoffs were on the line in three successive games.

This is not to support any theories about Haslett playing favorites, merely to refute the argument that he plays players hurt. We all watched the few times Jake got to play last year. In every case, he looked good to me. In particular, I remember him coming in for a third and long (think it was 8 or 9) and while still being completely cold (it was the first snap) nail a perfect pass to make the first down. Though he may have been a lesser talent than AB, he was still a serviceable backup (a la Montrae Holland, Ki Jana Carter for the two mentioned above).

If Haslett can play the backups for Bentley (the best lineman we have) and Deuce (the best RB in the NFL) when it is necessary and their game is not tops because of injury; why could be not do it with Brooks?

BillyC 01-28-2004 09:15 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
FrenzyFan -- My point is that Haslett is accused of playing favorites. But, the ONLY name I hear is Aaron Brooks when it comes to playing favorites. It\'s a fact that Haslett played Brooks when he was hurt and refused to play Delhomme. The REAL question is why.

You either believe:

a.) Haslett has a love fest with Brooks and puts him ahead of the team.
b.) He had more cofidence in Brooks than Delhomme.

Now, there are some fans that believe Haslett played Brooks because he plays favorites. But, those fans that are saying that are also the ones that don\'t like Brooks and will say anything to create controversy.

The Saints fan base has become one that has drawn a line in the sand and they are either pro-Brooks or anit-Brooks. The anit-Brooks crowd dominates Saints message boards and creates conspiracy after conspiracy and will bring up ANYTHING to make Aaron Brooks look bad. Which makes fans that want to see Brooks do well defend him over and over and over. Don\'t believe me? Just look at how many threads have been started that are pro-Brooks vs. anti-Brooks threads. It\'s overwhelmingly anti-Brooks.

I realize that mistakes have been made by everyone on the Saints. I also realize when the anti-Brooks crowd is trying to further their agenda. And if anyone says there is no agenda, then they ain\'t reading this board.

SFinAustin 01-28-2004 09:27 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
Quote:

I respectfully disagree with that whole argument. In the case of LeCharles Bentley and Deuce McAllister, both of them have been routinely replaces and spelled when injured to the point where their game was affected. It happened with Bentley. It happened with Deuce. It did NOT happen with Brooks though the playoffs were on the line in three successive games.

This is not to support any theories about Haslett playing favorites, merely to refute the argument that he plays players hurt. We all watched the few times Jake got to play last year. In every case, he looked good to me. In particular, I remember him coming in for a third and long (think it was 8 or 9) and while still being completely cold (it was the first snap) nail a perfect pass to make the first down. Though he may have been a lesser talent than AB, he was still a serviceable backup (a la Montrae Holland, Ki Jana Carter for the two mentioned above).

If Haslett can play the backups for Bentley (the best lineman we have) and Deuce (the best RB in the NFL) when it is necessary and their game is not tops because of injury; why could be not do it with Brooks?
Maybe, he didn\'t think Brooks was hurt. Maybe, Brooks said that he wasn\'t hurt. Maybe, if the guy who got you there says that he\'s okay, you stick with him because he got you there. Just maybe.

FrenzyFan 01-28-2004 11:50 AM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
Valid points all. For the first, I am not so sure that the anti-Brooks sentiment is confined to message boards. He has been booed pretty roundly at most of the home games. In fact he was also booed when he attended a Hornets game recently. I suspect (of course no proof) that the anti-Brooks sentiment is pretty widespread. Haslett has even mentioned it in press conferences about how he can\'t \"understand the boo\'s\". I do understand the feeling of wanting to support your guy no matter what and it driving one to respond when your guy is bashed. Loyalty is a good trait. However, it is also one that IMHO Haslett has too much of.

For the second, it is also a good idea to \"dance with the one who brung ya\" as it were, except when it hurts the team. There were several games that seriously showed that AB was hurt at the end of last year. If Haslett could have slammed on the breaks and at least tried something different in the face of the terrible throws AB was making, I suspect AB would be a more popular guy in NO and on the boards. Many people want to hang the self-destruction of last season on Brooks but Haslett is the one who made the decision to stick with it until the bitter (and it was oh so bitter) end.

By contrast, Andy Reid watched Donovan McNabb\'s performance degrade terribly after the injury to his ribs in the NFC Championship game. Though McNabb was obviously the better player and he could have continued (while performing terribly), Reid makes the decision to go with Detmer - the whole season on the line. This was the correct decision IMO though they lost, and Reid earns praise for coaching and making the tough call (at least from this viewer).

Haslett earns a rasberry and a great deal of suspicion at least on my part that he is either:

A) A sorry coach,
B) Has no \"eye\" for his players\' performance, attributing success and failure to \"luck\", or
C) Plays favorites

BillyC 01-28-2004 12:13 PM

NAKIA HOGAN: Did the Saints blow it?
 
FrenzyFan --

Good points as well. I\'ve never had any problems with those that blame Haslett for not putting Delhomme in when Brooks was hurt. I do not understand why someone would be mad at Brooks though. We all know the great players believe they can play and win when they are injuried and to suggest that Brooks was being selfish is unfounded and unfair. Another thing, it wasn\'t Brooks play that cost the Saints a chance at going to the playoffs. Even though he was hurt, he played WELL enough for us to win.

I don\'t know what the ratio of Brooks bashers to Brooks supporters is, but I know what it is on this board. I also know there are a lot of Saints fans that would love to see Brooks fail. They won\'t admit it, but it\'s true never-the-less. All you have to do is see how much of a genuine dislike some have for Brooks. Maybe it\'s because they don\'t like black QB\'s. Maybe it\'s because they have a love for Delhomme. Maybe it\'s because of several reasons. Who Knows?

One thing I do know is that Aaron Brooks deserves more from the fans of the Saints. This guy goes out on the field every Sunday and tries to win for the Saints and our great fans boo him. They are a real class act.

No offense to the great fans of the Saints!!





[Edited on 28/1/2004 by BillyC]


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