reality check
 

This3rd preseasom game has me tempering my enthusiasm. TheDefense is going g to be better. Ryan is playing with a team lacking. LB talent. Not a lot of time to tune it up for the opener

Re: reality check
 

I still thought they played well against a good offense, the starters allowed only one TD in the first half...

Re: reality check
 

I hope i get to see a replay of the game. I just listened on the radio.

Re: reality check
 

I would imagine there would be questions at LB when Butler,Wilson,Galette and Vilma are all out.If you took 4 of there 49ers top 6(on paper) LBs out they would struggle and they are the best group in the NFL.
There will be games when this D gets run all over and it will take time to adjust but there is no doubt that this group will be better.It might hold back the team from a really deep playoff run but it should get better as the season goes on.

They run D is looking much better.Yes they got run over a few times by Tate early in the game but the in game adjustments to stopping the run have been pretty good all preaseon. I doubt the Saints will play many better run teams this year,its what the Texans do and they do it well with or without Foster.141 yards given up on 27 attempts but one attempt was for 39 yards and Tates other numbers was 10 for 35.Keeping the Texans under the 4 yards a carry and the good goaline stand is good progress.Every team is going to get ripped up by the odd run but looking through all 3 preseason games so far 283 yards given up on 77 attempts(3.6YPC).Overall yards per game is 298.


I know its only preseason so plenty of time against players that wont be on the roster but either way the Defense has played pretty well all things considered.
Still plenty of work to be done but with Junior and Wilson back in the next few weeks and the Defense being able to show things they have been sitting on i think there will be some good progress.Once they team can get a second draft under its belt next year to fill in other holes in it,it will move up another notch.

Re: reality check
 

The first half of that game looked exactly like the times the Saints have played the Texans for real, it was a slug-fest back and forth, and a close, evenly-matched game. It's completely unrealistic to expect the Saints to run away with it, in the first half. Or to expect the defense to shut down the Texans completely.

That matchup was basically on the level of a Super Bowl. It could BE a Super Bowl. The Saints started out slow but were definitely pulling back into it and had the upper hand at halftime. It looks to my eye like the same type of Saints football as always, that relies on a combination of miracles and Herculean effort from Drew to score, then the other team comes back and scores effortlessly and we have to do it all over again, and again, and again, but we win in the end.

I think if this game had played out fully it would have ended up like a 34-24 type of game, with the Saints sitting on a lead for much of the second half, answering score for score, a shootout but still under control, kinda like the way it was last time these two teams played for real.

Re: reality check
 

QBREES, :-) replay is on Wed. night, 7:00PM CST on NFL Network.

Re: reality check
 

After closing pop-ups like a ninja the firstrowsports links are so-so. Better than plain radio for sure.

Re: reality check
 

The way I look at it is against there starters we gave up 13 pts the first half. If starters were in that is 26 pts for the game. We also gave up over 400 yds. Doesnt look to promising. On the other hand our second string offense was able to outscore their starters even though they left them in way after we took ours out. Bottom line is I really dont know what the hell to take away from this game.

Re: reality check
 

13-3 baby! :smile:

Re: reality check
 

Optimistic, some. But still trepiditious about what can or will happen. Losing Smith hurts. No matter what anyone says.