Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Today's loss to SF is harder to take because of the events of the day, all falling in the Saints favor. Tampa Bay loss, Viking loss and Seattle loss. Everything we needed to make a move up in the standings and get closer to a playoff birth. Looks like the Saints, again were reading their press clippings and got all swell headed and came out and laid another egg. A rotten egg at that.

WHAT'S FRUSTRATING:

1. The hardheadedness of this coaching staff. Ivory has proven to be our best back. Exactly the kind of back we needed for this game. Admittedly he didn't set the world on fire this week, but it's hard to do that when you get 4 carries a game. Still, he out performed Ingram and when we ran him and kept balance we did well and scored a TD. Then we just kept running Mark the 2yd wonder Ingram and can't make a first down on 3rd or 4th and 1. Should have run Ivory in that circumstance but no this coaching staff, hardheadedly continues to run the back that isn't getting it done and it didn't get done. Then, at the end of the first half, we're down in SF territory and should have run the ball, but pass it and get an INT. Wow, what a brilliant play call.

2. The continued inability of this defense to do something so rudimentary, so fundamental to the game. You guessed it folks. Tackle. This team for some reason disdains to tackle. All they want to do is dive at the opponent's feet, or just hit them, allowing them to make ridiculous amounts of additional yardage. It's pathetic. It really is. I am now doubting the intelligence of the entire defense.

3. The continued confusion shown by the Lb corps. This unit however is the only unit that actually makes a play every now and then, but still cannot seem to avoid being picked up when blitzing, the inability to even get a hand on most QB's or RB's. It's uncanny to see such ineptitude week after week after week with nothing done to correct it.

4. Here is where I question the intelligence of these db's that cannot seem to find the ball in the air, to find the person they are supposed to cover and shockingly to actually cover that person, and then there's the tackling again.

This team has not learned Jack this year. Not the coaches and certainly not the players. This coaching staff needs to get their heads out their arses and see, no, really see who is playing well and who is not. They need to STOP being so predictable. They need to STOP getting the "Throw the Football All the Time" disease and keep hammering away with the run game and use the correct runner for the correct type running play and team you are facing. 6 years and this coaching staff has not shown the ability to do that one thing and every time they get pass happy, we lose. This coaching staff without Payton has not been able to keep these players from getting all swell headed after a few wins, and that my friends includes Drew Brees. I almost can't remember when was the last time I saw Drew hit a receiver in stride instead of throwing the ball way over their heads or behind them making the catch much more difficult and I credit our WR's with making Drew the QB he is, more so than Drew making these WR's who they are.

Is the season over? Certainly not. Do we still have a shot to get to the playoffs? Certainly we do. But that is going to take doing the things that this coaching staff and these players have shown that they either cannot do, or do not want to do. I did not see a sense of urgency today in the play of the players nor the play calling of the coaching staff. One thing that we can take comfort in is that if we do in fact make it to the playoffs, we may face SF again and may know better how to beat them there. Had we won this game, SF would have had a better idea of how to beat us again in the playoffs. Problem is, I just don't see this defense making the effort to correct the biggest problem they have which is tackling.:bng:

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

This one really stings. Seattle, Minnesota and Tampa served one right up for us on a silver platter, and we blew it...at home.

That right there sums up our entire season this year. Frustrating.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

I'm SO F'N :YAWNING:

But you're SPOT on, Marlboro Man.

BLAH BLAH BLAH if we can't win this game, we can't beat Packers or '9ers anytime in the near future.

Alaska

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Marlboro, #'s 2 and 4 are especially true.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Actually, I don't think the defense played bad. The two pic 6's were the game. Bottom line. Should have gone into half with a 14-7 lead. Then the first drive after we get the ball back in the second half...pic 6. Thats a game changer.

I'm pissed, but the defense looked better than the offense IMO.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Oh yeah...and watching Drew get manhandled by the 9er's was sickening. He was so afraid in the final quarter, you could actually see his lack of composure....Like "Oh my god! Here they come!!!!! AAGGGGHHH!!"

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Can you imagine how much better this defense, would be if they would just tackle? It would make up for a lot of their other mistakes.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

I think so too, with one exception. The one drive SF had in the second half. 15 plus plays, ton of time, seven points. That one sealed the deal. Our D could not get off the field, we have to do better there.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

2. The continued inability of this defense to do something so rudimentary, so fundamental to the game. You guessed it folks. Tackle. This team for some reason disdains to tackle. All they want to do is dive at the opponent's feet, or just hit them, allowing them to make ridiculous amounts of additional yardage. It's pathetic. It really is. I am now doubting the intelligence of the entire defense.

Since Goodell's vision is of a non-contact NFL, you sarcasm directed to the Saints players and coaches is mis-directed.

The Saints should be lauded and praised for leading the way in this endeavor! Think how LONG it will take the teams that have a history of tackling to figure out what the Saints have already perfected!!

Once this no-contact policy is implemented, the Saints will appear annually in the Super Bowl!

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

They made plays, we didn't. They won, we lost. No playoffs for us this year. We might finish with a winning season but thats poor consolation.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

I can't put this one on the defense, sorry. 2 pick-6's.... nuff said. I think only 1 team has ever come back from 2 pick-6's in a game and actually won.

TURNOVERS.

Oline did a great job until it crumbled. We are SUPER hurt on o-line, and Craigslist won't help.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Done.

Tragedy.

Done.

We can only watch and cheer for the '9ers or Packers from here on out.

This WAS the playoffs for us.

Alaska

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

You should be a coach! Can you play OL too?

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Considering all the punishment that was levied before being proven, IMO, a winning season is an excellent accomplishment.

I guarantee you that there isnt another team in the NFL that would do as well as the Saints if they had to play an entire season under the same conditions as the Saints!

I doubt that 10-6 will get the Saints in the post-season without some other teams losing.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

I doubt we go 10-6 at this point

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

it was a disappointing loss. That said,two pick sixes almost in a row is a little too much for anybody to bear. That's almost kind of crazy, where you just have to throw the playcalling sheet down to the turf and stomp on it and tell people to freestyle. The next thing you get after that with no running game is a Smith Sandwich. Some of you people need to take 2 aspirin and just go to bed. Just wasn't our night.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Our night?

Week 12 we learn it's not our SEASON.

Knew that, but had HOPE.

There's that word again.

Alaska

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

I thought the defense played well enough to win. Drew did not. Simple, it really is. You don't throw a pick, let alone a pick six with 38 seconds left in the half. Of course the defense will get the blame, not our coveted 100 million savior, who by the way almost got Marques paralyzed or even worse by throwing one high over the middle. I wet my pants watching that one

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Drew better plan on taking some of that 100 mil and putting it towards life long health care for Marques!!

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

The Pick 6 before half and then letting them drive down and score at the beginning of the third was the game.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

what ever happened to our no miss screens to PT and sproles when a defense went all bull rush on us, did 'nt even try 1. our wide outs can't shake a cold much less a db. whats going on.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Had we tackled we would not have had such long drives.

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

While I agree with you that the pick 6 at the end of the first half was just stupid, was that all on Brees or did he just run Carmichael's stupid play call?:confused:

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

Glad you see my point. If we could only make 1 measly correction on this defense that would make a huge difference and reduce our injuries to boot, it would simply be tackling.:rolleyes:

Re: Well, we let another one slip out of our grasp.
 

That is a GREAT question, Man. Too bad we have such lame negative nelly sports media reporters like Jeff Duncan and Pete Finney -- someone should have really asked Joe Vitt that question from the podium, "whose play call was that, anyway?"

Seconds before it happened there was a huge debate among the fans in my row of seats, over whether we should run the ball and clock, or go for the jugular....