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Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

Quote:

Originally Posted by K Major (Post 1001268)

I know Fuaga was playing somewhat hurt today but the man already looks above average at the LT position. A large man that plays lights out.

Serve me up a large bowl of crow on TREVOR PENNING. Heck, add some tabasco hot sauce on it. He’s impressed the hell out of me last 3 weeks.

I think Dougie Marrone was holding him back.

Current Saints coaching staff playing to players strengths.

I don't think that coaching can fully explain it. Something clicked for Penning or this system really suits him. But it can't just be Marrone holding him back, because everyone else looked better than Penning in Marrone's system. Journeymen and undrafted free agents looked better. If Marrone was holding him back, we have to question if Danny Wuerffel, Jason David, Jonathan Sullivan, Stephone Anthony, etc were great all pro level players only held back by their position coaches at the time. I dont know that most of them had great position coaches.

I hope Penning continues to produce. He has focus and he needs to stay focused now if he wants to get paid.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

The bad news about Trevor Pennings success is that is means Bryce Young could be one of the best QBs in the league next year even if he is benched after 6 games this year and doesnt see the field even after Dalton goes down and the Panthers turn to street free agents. Thats how amazing Pennings turnaround is so far.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

Their best receiver, CeeDee Lamb. Let's do a deeper dive, shall we?

7 Targets/ 4 Receptions/ 90 Yards/ 1 TD. Pretty good stats huh?

Hold on there Bobba-Luis! (I'm dating myself with my Quick Draw McGraw reference. But I digress.)

If you take away the ONE play of 60 yards for the TD (where I got queasy reliving the whiffed tackling of the Minneapolis Miracle all over again), not only does Lamb have a sorry 6 TGT/ 3 REC/ 30 YD stat line, but the Cowboys score ZERO TDs and only 4 FGs!!!

The cherry on top is that Lattimore was out resting his hammy!

This Defense is one of the best we've seen since the Dome Patrol! (Yes. I said it!) :bng:

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

We have a football team again!

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

-Everyone has bought in.
-Bringing Kubiak in was a literal game changer.
-Shaheed's speed, acceleration, and ability to track the ball is amazing.
-Kamara is an all-around dynamic player. NFL MVP dynamic.
-Carr is loving the system and is straight ballin.
-Fuaga, Patrick and Penning have answered all the uncertainty at the position. Looking like All-Pros.
-Hill didn't show up much on the stat sheet yesterday, but he's so valuable to the team. All the little things.
-Johnson made a couple nice blocks in the run game yesterday.
-Smith is still kicking butt at MLB to go along with his great leadership.
-Jordan made a couple nice plays yesterday. A PBU and an arm tackle that saved a bigger gain.
-The Saints have the best secondary in the game.
-After a whiff on a tackle, TM made a great hit and interception.
-Kool-Aid plays with fire and anger. Love it. Not to mention his lockdown ability. He was a draft steal. The Saints have the best secondary in the NFL.
-The Cowboys are not good. Dak and Lamb are. Parsons and Diggs are. But they have no running game or run defense.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

The one thing that I heard, read, and shared repeatedly ever since we signed Klint Kubiak was that the Shanahan/Kubiak scheme he was bringing to the Saints was 1.) offensive line friendly, 2.) made for Derek Carr's strengths, and 3.) was the perfect fit for Kamara's style of play. Those people that shared this knew exactly what they were talking about.

Carmichael spent two years trying to force square pegs into Sean Payton's abandoned round hole. I have to give Gayle and Loomis credit for finally letting Dennis Allen jettison the last of the Payton holdovers and bring in what is now entirely his own staff on offense, defense, and special teams.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

It's still super early but if the Saints keep lighting it up like this offensively, will Klint Kubiak be on a one-year rental in NOLA?

The man could be in high demand as someone's next HC for 2025.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

Quote:

Originally Posted by K Major (Post 1001299)

I can see an elevation to assistant HC/OC coupled with a sizable pay increase.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

Quote:

Originally Posted by AsylumGuido (Post 1001307)

https://twitter.com/ByLukeJohnson/st...40106914386029

https://twitter.com/ByLukeJohnson/st...56623835996362

At the risk of onlookers telling you and I to “get a room”, and with no regard to your insistence on being a personal ***** to me, I will say, what is happening with Derek Carr and the Saints in general so far this season, is MIND BOGGLING. AMAZING. INSPIRING. SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLY GREAT.

And who knew? Admittedly… YOU.😉

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

The offense is fun to watch. I love seeing Shaheed in motion because they have to respect the end around and it gets him a full head of steam on routes. Love when they put him at RB too. The Strong and Weak Pistol are my favorite formations I’ve seen thus far.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

I'm wondering how much tape will be needed before Defensive Coordinators catch on to Kubiak's Offense?

I'm guessing by Week 4 we may see some defensive wrinkles. It's still fun to watch tho.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

If this is a team that can win it all, our best chance is to do it this year, because unlike other teams that have found the formula following a rebuild etc, we may have found the formula while already having more spending on the credit card than any team in the league. In the long term, our financial situation is not a positive and we should be realistic about it. We are not going to be able to keep everyone and we will have to be careful with money and good with draft picks.

People often talk about how the 49ers are doing great now but soon they won't be able to keep all those great players together. But the 49ers are $57 million under the 2024 salary cap while the Saints are $4 million under. For 2025 the 49ers project $56 million under and the Saints $81 million over. So in the next 2 years the 49ers have $190 million more to keep their players. The Saints will be able to restructure lots of contracts and get under the cap, but we do have to be careful with money and I don't think we can give Olave, Shaheed, and Kamara all Deebo, Aiyuk, and CMC contracts and pay Chase Young, Lattimore, Adebo, Taylor, etc. It may be smart next year to try to trade someone for a pick rather than extending them, and that will not be Lattimore who will not get us a pick with his age and injury. But its possible we can't keep Olave, Shaheed, Adebo, and Taylor all, and maybe we need to trade one for a pick and hit on that pick to sustain success under financial constraints.

Our salary cap situation may limit our ability to use the franchise tag to keep players. With all the big contracts players are getting, franchise tags could be $40 million for QB and $30 million for several other positions, and if you apply that tag you cant just 'restructure' it to get under the cap until the player agrees to a long term deal, you have to carry that money under the cap. If a lot of our young players start needing long term deals, we may not have access to that tool that teams like the 49ers have used.

At the same time, if we restructured EVERYONE we might be able to free up $40 million cap space. But its not smart to restructure EVERYONE and then spend that cash because then you have no possible cap space and you can't use the franchise tag and you can't cut anyone or let contracts expire for fear of dead cap hits. You dont want a situation where extending the players who haven't been productive such as Ram and Cam is the only way to get under the cap and you let Adebo walk for nothing because the franchise tag on CB hits $25 million and you don't have $25 million. You need a strategic reserve.

I hope we can win now and continue to draft well. Drafting well will be key. We can't afford to be making big trades up in the first round like our mistakes of the past, as we will need lots of young talent.

I see Ram and Lattimore as our post-June-1 cuts next offseason. Ram's comeback was always an extreme longshot. Now that we have two starting tackles already there is no way we could afford the luxury of a backup who we have no idea if he could stay healthy and he probably couldnt, who is due to make like $20 million. Also, with the long term need to pay Olave, Shaheed, Adebo, and Taylor, it doesn't make sense to keep Lattimore when he is missing 50% of games the last 3 years, unless he volunteers for a major real total compensation pay cut.

It is good that we have most of our draft picks. I could see us taking a receiver or guard in the late 1st round. I dont trust our front office on dline right now. I think we need depth at TE too but its better to draft that position in the mid rounds.

It could make sense to consider some cheap mid season trades this year. If we could get a capable backup guard and WR3 with minimal cap impact it could be worth some late picks to win now. Maybe even a RB2.

It will be hard to keep Kubiak unless he is apprehensive about head coaching. Few people will pass up on a contract that will guarantee them at least $40 million of life changing money and also fame and a chance at personal glory. I think he could make $10 million a year if he is the hottest HC candidate. What are we going to pay him as HC? It possible, some people think differently, just not most. But the hope is that even if Kubiak did move on, another protege could retain his system.

I am glad the team is fun to watch. I got tickets to our home game against the Falcons and road game against the Chargers.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

Quote:

Originally Posted by leilung (Post 1001319)

I'm wondering how much tape will be needed before Defensive Coordinators catch on to Kubiak's Offense?

I'm guessing by Week 4 we may see some defensive wrinkles. It's still fun to watch tho.

You KNOW that everyone on our remaining schedule is studying it closely, after what just happened to Dallas.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

Quote:

Originally Posted by leilung (Post 1001319)

I'm wondering how much tape will be needed before Defensive Coordinators catch on to Kubiak's Offense?

I'm guessing by Week 4 we may see some defensive wrinkles. It's still fun to watch tho.

Half the league is using the same basic offense. There's several years worth of tape out there. The problem is that the offense is so unpredictable. The same look can end up in ten totally different plays. Add in the fact that the motion will almost always give a tell to what the defense is doing so the play can be adjusted on the fly.

Of course, the personnel running the offense is critical. Look at Miami and the Niners. They've had the right type of players and run the same basic looks. We also have the right players.

Re: Observations from the Saints beating the Cowboys 44-19

The Cowboys knew what was coming but remain unable to defend it.