We should know who we are
 

We've hit the halfway mark and we're sitting at 6-2. We looked bad in todays loss but we were a couple of screw ups away from winning. A couple of weeks ago we were one play away from beating the Pats. In other words we're a couple of plays from 8-0.

But let's not kid ourselves, we're not a dominant football team. We're not as bad as a lot of the knee jerk posters are saying we are either. Our offense is still potent but it's definitely bi-polar. We can't run!

I don't agree with the people who faulted Payton for abandoning the run today. He knows what this offense can and can't do and there was no point in wasting plays and possessions running our RBs into a brick wall. There will be games where running serves a purpose but this wasn't one of them. If either Colston or Sproles played today we win!

The only reason we're one of the best teams in the league is Sean Payton and Drew Brees. Lose either one of those two we're strictly average, if that.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Agree, it's not like we're getting dismantled in the losses. No need to panic right now, we lost a couple of close games for an assortment of reasons that many of which can be cleaned up; dropped passes, poor short yardage calls, and run D. Getting some players back is also going to help.

Re: We should know who we are
 

This thread warmed the cockles of my heart.

Re: We should know who we are
 

The thing that really upsets me is that it was to the Jets. We have much harder opponents coming up very shortly. And, we lost Sproles today. Bummer.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Most of us checked this one as an easy win.
That's what makes it so bad. The Jets!
I thought the Patriot's loss eliminated this kind for the rest of the season.
Saints have to actually play the game at a high level. Did NOT happen today.
We gave up 26 to the Jets.
Offense layed an egg today. Terrible on 3rd down.
The only thing helps for me is I'm glad I didn't see it.

Re: We should know who we are
 

The Jets can be a very good team when they're on. The O stinks but the D is top notch.

Re: We should know who we are
 

But at the same time, the Jets beat the Pats :jkool:

Re: We should know who we are
 

Any one who chalked this up as an easy win hasn't been paying attention.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Is this our yearly "lay an egg" game? I think so.

That being said, I'd give the playcalling to Carmichael, just to give it a shot as he had our offense rolling most of '11, and we still ranked #1 in offense (if not, near.) '12. So, why not?

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I hope they get it straight on the playcall. People can laugh at me, but I think we're just pass happy. People talk about how bad our run blocking is... but we ONLY run the ball 7 to 10 times a game and just keep throwing to Graham and Sproles.

So I'd like to see some playcall change myself. Work on that blocking scheme.
Honestly, the execution has been so poor that it doesn't really matter what plays are called - just overall poor offensive execution - PERIOD!

Re: We should know who we are
 

yeah just pisses me off. We a clearly better than that team. Jets offense is not good.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Payton has been and still is "Pass Happy".
He has been spoiled by his success with throwing the ball with Brees.
There hasn't been a real commitment to the run since Duece,
and even then running the ball was more of an after thought than basic design.
I just don't understand how they can't see the benefit to Brees if we CAN run the ball.
Especially when it comes to trying to help protect our investment and extend
Brees' career well into the next 3 years or so of his deal.
We can't even use the "behind, trying to catch up" excuse today.
I (we) love Payton, but we have to live with his unwillingness to run the ball.

Re: We should know who we are
 

This is thread is so much better than every other one that's active right now. I just want to thank y'all for having a level headed discussion

Re: We should know who we are
 

beg to differ on the OL the jets have a solid OL. but like the saints they are missing a few pieces or waiting for the unit to gel.

give some props to the DL here. once again they did a solid job. LB were so so as whole and we really missed our safeties.

thank god we face a rookie qb

Re: We should know who we are
 

3 of 11 on third down, time to give up the reigns SP

Let carmichael take over

Re: We should know who we are
 

Its just like payton has brain farts every other year though

2006 - great running game
2007 - deuce injured, pass happy and drew throws 19 picks
2008 - no running game at all, drew throws 17 picks
2009 - great running game - SB
2010 - Every RB injured, lose to the 7-9 seahawks in the playoffs
2011 - great running game all year long, had about 16 rushing yards vs SF in playoffs and gave up running after the first quarter
2012 - no running game at all until after week 8

Re: We should know who we are
 

Chris Ivory, had a great day. I guess he was pissed the Saints let him go.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Only thing I disagree with is your statement of Payton abandoning the run. You would first have to run the ball in the first quarter to say you abandon the run.

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Time for Pete to start calling plays again, that 3rd string TE end around on a 4th and one still has me puzzled, really?

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The most puzzling part was that it was to Josh Hill. Really? If you are going to call that play use a WR like Stills or Meach. Although, I don't like it in any scenario. Let Drew throw the ball if you aren't confident in your running game.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Serious question: does anybody KNOW for sure if Sean Payton still "scripts" the first 10 to 14 plays of the game, beforehand?? Because if he does, that was a pretty ridiculous, extremely pass-happy script. Pierre got 4 yards on one of them, but why abandon it?

I've often felt that the "pass happy" or "abandoning the run" thing comes from, Payton scripts those first dozen or so plays, and if he does not get the results he wants from the scripted runs, if it doesn't get huge chunks of yardage, he gets impatient, that "OCD" part of his personality kicks in and takes over, and he starts passing the ball all over the place. That's what I always felt from 2006-2009 when the whole "pass happy" thing was at its biggest argument.

The first quarter, you had Pierre for 4. Ingram for 2. Pierre for 0. And 20 passes. Sheez Louise.

Also wondering, if maybe Sproles being out, caused Payton to get out the Sharpie and scratch a bunch of planned running plays off the playsheet, that required Sproles to work, either as running back or decoy. It could have been some specific schemes and plays where "next man up" really didn't hold true because there was NO next man up, who could do the specific job of Sproles. I dunno.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Yeah, next man up is Cadet, but he hardly makes an appearance. Why scrap the game plan and go with full throttle passing? Even Sproles is more receiver than runningback. I'm with you on the confusion of the play-calls. I think SP is the final decision maker, but Carmichael also contributes. I just think they need to wake up - they've done it before.

Why the lack of confidence in Cadet? Why feel so low self esteem to run a reverse with the tight end? Not even Moore or.... blah. :confused:

Re: We should know who we are
 

I was screaming QB sneek comeonman you could roll on the ground for a couple of inches at least. Being out played is one thing but stupidity is another. I think Payton needs to step off a bit and let the OC do his job.

Re: We should know who we are
 

We also just barely won several games.

Re: We should know who we are
 

This game looks like 1 or 2 games we have every year. The home team
& crowd is all psyched up. They smother Drew & our offense. We get
ambushed by a St. Louis Rams. We have sucked at short yardage the entire
Payton era, since Deuce retired.

Nothings really changed, except our O-line looks a little worse, and we
'werent able to pull out the magic at the end.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Agreed Mike. And typically the next game we roll over someone. Here come dem Cowboys!

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And yet we are #6 in the league in point differential, #11 in points scored, and #4 in points allowed.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Where is Jim Mora's mouth, when we need it.


Anybody remember what happened the next 3 weeks after he
made this speech? (hint, they did something they had never done
3 weeks in a row in history)

Re: We should know who we are
 

If the TE reverse worked we would be praising Sean just like the onside kick. If it didn't work we'd be bashing him like it seems we are doing now. I honestly thing Sean was afraid of running against the jets didn't want to waste time and downs so he passed.

Would you guys be just as upset if he ran 20 times and wasnt effective?

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Man, we were the skin of the ball away. I'll tell you... I could see
taking a shot at the endzone. How bout a flea-flicker, a la the 1929 NFL Championship. It just seemed so obvious.

Re: We should know who we are
 

any team can beat any other team on any given sunday.

that is a constant fact in the NFL landscape.

i think the reason so many fans don't get that is because they've never played professional sports of any kind... or they just aren't a loyal fan.

years ago when the saints weren't good and got beat down often, they'd occasionally pull out an awesome win over a team they shouldn't have beat. sure is fun being a loyal fan and experiencing those ups and downs.


fair weather fans aren't my favorite thing in the world.

LSU fans in particular.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Yea but its not like we are dismantling teams we should either. All of our wins have came against teams with a losing record, except the Bears and all of them were one or two plays away from losing with the exception of the Cards game.
We should be dismantling teams like the Bills, Jets, Bucs etc. We got beat by two average teams at best. The Patriots were not looking so great without Gronk and the Jets had just been totally embarassed by the Bengals.

With Payton and Brees we will be in every game, that is a given, but we have to get better and play to our strengths if we are going to make a serious run.

Re: We should know who we are
 

we just dismantled somebody.

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You're on a roll today Skymike.

Re: We should know who we are
 

Coach Cliche', any comments. "We are who we think we are because it is what it is! "

Re: We should know who we are
 

"one play at a time, one play at a time." vanhugen.
and "lets continue improving."