Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Man...

it seemed many years ago when we had the dominant defense led by the Dome Patrol that even the 49ers wanted no part of us as we HIT like no other team in the league...

...despite this defense, our offense was so CONSERVATIVE under Mora that we found ways to PREVENT winning big games as teams like the 49ers always had a Ronnie Lott an equalizer or minimizer...

...now we have the saavy offense with no complement on defense, we have nothing to counter...

...and thought the defensive performance has improved each week, we don't have the personnel, the guys to run up and smack the p*ss out of other teams....

...it just seems we're getting physicially beaten up in these games...

...are we too soft?

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Yep

The 9ers were too physical for our team last year and they were tonight, our players don't make any of the hits they do

That being said, against SF brees forces way too much, all the time, and SF defensive backs make him pay

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

I would agree that the people calling the plays are soft. The mentality runs down hill. Carmichael was calling plays scared and it had an effect. I also think having 4 RB's active is eff'n up the chemistry. We are to worried about sharing the touch's.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Carmichael loss. Brees loss. Colston loss.

Defense played the game as to win.

Alaska

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

We couldn't get the 9ners down the always got past the first tackler... look at the 9ners they wrap up n take u down... and have about 4 other players helping... We just need sum help on D plain n simple... Greer was getting his ankles broke every time they went after him and u cant expect Lofton to cover Walker.... R linebackers R jus slow no speed to them... The season isn't over there is still a chance N im not gunna give up on them... screw the people who said we should lose out n get a better pick n the draft... our players r still gunna fight ! WHO DAT ! ! ! !

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Sadly, we have reverted again to a finesse team.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Our CB's LB's, WR's and OT's look soft to me.

Cam Jordan looked great today. He looks like our best DL.

We could use a few more tough players. Finesse does come to mind when I watch us play.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Call it the Sean Payton Effect!

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Guess we need a few more Bama players ... Wait.. We already have Ingram.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

WTF does that mean?

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

I'm just FRUSTRATED. Extremely frustrated.

This sux. Really bad.

In our house.

Really?

Alaska

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

There are certain teams that I really hate to lose and the 49ers top the list...

But getting b*tched slapped two years in a row in the nationally featured game of the week...this is stirring up ghosts...

These are the losses when I want to try hard not to have knee-jerk reactions, but some heads must roll/changes made...

And the personnel people who have given us crap in the first round the past ten-twelve years should be brought to bear on the accountability question...

We really looked like we were counter-punching with Ivory, banging away at that vaunted defense and we stopped...

That's on the OC...

But the overall 'softness' of this team, if there is such a thing, is on the makeup, the personnel, chemistry of this team...

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

I never figure out how we lose to the 49ers but the Giants can seem to whoop on them, where as we can seem to completely **** up the Giants every meeting.

I dont see the equation in that.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Disagree about the WR's being soft - they got up and came back in the game; compared to the rest of the league, I like our guys over the wuss-divas the other kids have...

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Even though our defense put us in a a postin to win yesterday they don't exactly strike fear into people.
The defense needs to get hardcore IMO

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Could it be that this is the 'Goodell Effect' and the players, instead of pushing to the edge, are laying back and not punishing the opposing offenses?

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

I could not agree more. A few more players to get though!! Spags, might be just the man to give us this but next season. Our D looked good with the line-up we had, Spags still don't have what he needs yet,but when he does we may put fear on other teams, Bunkely and Lofton were excellent pick ups build around them. Hicks has great upside. Draft could= fear on D.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Saying the Saints looked "soft" against the 49ers is kinda like saying they looked "slow" against Hussein Bolt or that the levees looked "thin" against Katrina.... The 49ers are the most physical and violent team in the league right now, perhaps even among the top "most physical defenses" of all time; they're like a throwback to 30-40 years ago.... Last year they injured six running backs in a row in their first six games, they took out Pierre Thomas in ours and I believe they knocked out two starting QB's for other teams during the season last year, as well.

Having said that, there is a reason for "bring the wood" and the bats and the slogans....the Saints DO tend to get "punched in the mouth" by that kind of physical play -- the Browns game was a good example of them being knocked on their ass -- and it doesn't help that our quarterback is 4'10" and he tends to get skittish and inaccurate when he has big ugly guys picking him up and slamming his body into the turf on top of his surgically reconstructed shoulder all the time. Or that our dreadlocked running back fumbles and gets injured half the time he's in the game, or Colston gets laid out on the clothesline to get his head banged like a gong two or three times a game, Graham with his back spasms, the year they had 5 or 6 Saints running backs on injured reserve, etc etc.

The Dome Patrol was 25 years ago folks. I'm sorry, but I would take the current total team model that we have now (Super Bowl, 2x NFC Championship Game appearances, 5-3 in playoffs overall) over ANY 7-9. 9-7 record Dome Patrol era team. If you want the Saints to have a big physically dominating defense, then you are probably going to be waiting a long time -- until Brees, Payton, Benson, Evans, Graham, Colston etc are gone...2020 maybe?

You want your team to look like the 49ers or Texans defense? Then remember that those teams sucked along at 4-12, 8-8. 7-9 type seasons, for many many MANY years to stockpile those high draft picks and build that talent they have on D now. They didn't build that awesome defense by being the most winningest team in the NFC with the most regular season wins over the last 7 years. They just didn't....You want to be the Ravens or Niners defense, then meet Joe Flacco or Alex Smith, your new QB.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

49ers Defense makes more than 75% of the leagues Defense look soft.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Another factor is the Saints will still feel the niners defense hits this Thursday.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Soft, fat and slow.

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

That's the truth, I know Marques and Lance woke up sore today.

How is it that Donte Whitner can constantly hit opposing players in the head, knock them out on the field, and not get fined? Its just my opinion, but we got jobbed on PT's hit last year (and I don't want to hear "football move" or "non-defenseless receiver", a hit to the head with the crown of the helmet is exactly that), and on Lance's hit yesterday. Whitner should be the poster boy for the league's crackdown on helmet-to-helmet hits. IMO

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?
 

Two remedies to reverse this sickening impression that we look (are) soft...

First, don't let up on that running game; so what if we get 2-3 yards a carry; keep battering the 49ers and other tough defenses with Ivory and Ingram - they will get tired and they will get to share the bruises; it was starting to happen and then I guess Pete, Drew, or Joe got bored...

Second, start fines AND cardio-vascular reinforcement for missed-tackles and missed remember-me-hits; we can't pay them to make plays or hits, but we can take away a little for not making those plays and hits...

Damn, we've got to give as good as we get becauses losses like Sunday, at home, can't not be tolerated if we want to be a contender and not just a spoiler...