New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - From the Times Picayune,must read...

I'm posting the whole story because I think everyone needs to read the last grade on coaching..

GRADES
Monday, November 08, 2004
OFFENSE

RUNNING GAME: The big early deficit rendered Deuce McAllister largely ineffective. By the time the third quarter had ended, the Saints had completely abandoned the run as they played catch-up. McAllister's final numbers were decent (63 yards, 16 carries) but inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. ONE FLEUR

PASSING GAME: Aaron Brooks got off to a miserable start and never recovered. He looked flustered and uncomfortable for most of the afternoon. His errant fumble on the first series set the tone. His interception on the second series pretty much did in the Saints. Forced to play from behind, Brooks' protection broke down badly. Tackles Wayne Gandy and Victor Riley struggled to keep Steve Foley out of the backfield. ONE FLEUR

DEFENSE

VS. THE RUN: The Saints held LaDainian Tomlinson to 36 yards on 17 carries, his lowest output of the season, and still surrendered 152 rushing yards. The numbers were inflated by Tim Dwight's 48-yard reverse and Jesse Chatman's 22-yard scamper on a fake punt. Otherwise, the Saints held their ground well enough in this area to be successful. TWO FLEURS.

VS. THE PASS: One of the reasons the Chargers didn't run the ball very well was because they didn't have to. The Saints had no answer for tight end Antonio Gates. He beat cornerbacks Mike McKenzie and Fakhir Brown and safety Mel Mitchell for a career-high three touchdown receptions. The pass rush was non-existent. McKenzie was a bright spot, but he failed to make an interception that could have given the Saints early momentum. ZERO FLEURS

SPECIAL TEAMS

RETURN TEAMS: The Chargers exploited a hole in the Saints' defense for a fake punt that resulted in a 22-yard gain and set the tone on the opening possession. Michael Lewis was able to break a couple of nice returns on kickoffs but the sporadic offense was never able to do anything with the good field position. Once again, Lewis didn't get much action as a punt returner. He was forced to fair catch his lone attempt. ONE FLEUR

COVERAGE TEAMS: Coverage units were solid, but in a rout like this they didn't matter much. Tim Dwight is a dangerous kick returner and the Saints, led by Steve Gleason, Mel Mitchell, Roger Knight and Fred McAfee, did a good job of keeping him bottled up. THREE FLEURS

COACHING: It's obvious the players have lost confidence in the coaching staff. After the game, several players privately questioned the game plans that were employed on both sides of the ball. Whether it was the game plan or the execution, the Saints were ill-prepared to play Sunday. And the staff wasn't able to find any answers. ONE FLEUR

Now this is a fact!

[Edited on 9/11/2004 by JOESAM2002]