Euphoria

Yeah I think the Steelers had more to lose in that game. Also I think maybe just maybe if it was planned to give them what we did last year not to give anything up early for the upcoming season.

SAINTNHEAVEN

I have to say that you all, are right! saint did look horrible But at the
same time it is pre-season. I do have to bring this up, Mooch (from nfl network) Said that the Siants off. looked very "Vanilla" which means that they did not go out there showing anybody anything. It made sence to me, Unless I'm in denial.(hehehe) Pre-season you gotta love it.

BleedBlack&Gold

I think the offense was vanilla on purpose, we arent going to show much right now, and what we do, I think is what the coach wants the others to see. The sloppy play by the secondary, and 1st string offense I know wasnt planned but if its plays that they havent been practicing, then sure they will probably botch more than a few. Fife, and Pittman looked good on there drive,
our DL looked good, PRE-SEASON is just that, whens the last one we actually had a winning record? (HASLETTS 2nd Year?????).
DONT throw in the towels yet gentlemen, Its a long season. I am just glad I didnt see any major injuries, THATS what scares me.
P.S.
The NFL NETWORK SUCKS!
Friggin, anouncers with their noses up M. IRVENS A**!
Just show the Darn game!

If A equals success, then the formula is this
A = X + Y + Z
X is work
Y is play
Z is keep your mouth shut
-Albert Einstein

GumboDawg

A few comments, not necessarily in order:

1. It's the first pre-season game
2. We looked just as bad last pre-season.
3. Two series of starters running base vanilla packages vs. the Steelers: a rookie coach taking multiple shots downfield.
4. Yeah, Fred Thomas started, but that's a courtesy to a long-time veteran. Just politics.
5. The Saints hold training camp in the most grueling environment of any NFL team. Period. Factor in that you're playing an earlier-than-usual pre-season game after basically a week of two-a-days.
6. Fife good, Martin bad. Fife looked (or as important, perhaps faked) the part of a leader out there. He showed fire and made the most of his opportunity.
7. Palko worse than Martin. This is a no-brainer: cagey NFL vet having a bad night vs. undrafted rookie who threw a pick and nearly got our 1st-rounder killed.
8. Pittman looked good in space, but fell at the first hit each time. I'd still rather keep him over Stecker for a host of reasons.
9. D-line did look good, on both run & pass
10. No injuries to key components
11. It's the first pre-season game.

AllSaints

last preseason we looked horrible.... look what happened .... I really don't understand why some of you are mad about the game or worried how our defense looked ITS PRESEASON !!!

I have no worries.....

Any won see meachem dude got JACKED UP !!!!!

lumm0x

After watching how Payton called offensive plays last preseason and this first game one thing seems consistent to me. He is only utilizing these games to dissect our protection/blocking schemes, the route running and seeing who stays in position and gets their assignments correct and who does not. His play calls are very simplistic. He's not doing a ton of calls where we run various looks from a single offensive line up. He's lining the guys up in a formation, running a staple play in it and then moving to a new formation and running another well used route or run block scheme.

I am certain that just like last year, these formations will suddenly have a myriad of options thrown in them and wrinkles that are intended to throw defenses off their plans.

I really don't think he entered this game with a goal being to win or to strut his stuff as an offensive mind. He wanted to see some youngsters and how they've grasped what he's taught them so far in camp. To see if their repetition in camp translates to a real game scenario.

Take nothing negative from the fact that we didn't light it up. I doubt he wanted to, and if we did it would have been because the Steelers blew their own assignments. I think Tomlin had the Steelers fired up for his first real action and they wanted to win one for their rookie coach and use it as something to build momentum off of after a poor outing last year.

The only things I saw that mattered were:

Colston had some sharp routes even if the defense anticipated them. Bush looks equally or more elusive. Smith and Grant look solid on the ends. Hollis needs to trim it up...alot. Kaeshviharn can tackle better than anyone else in the secondary. David looks lost as a m2m corner. Lance Moore looks like he really wants this job as does Pierre Thomas.

WillMacKenzie

I do agree with this assessment, and about Payton just throwing out some standard plays and formations for his players to grasp while the game doesn't mean anything - instead of opening night against Indianapolis. Nobody wants to look lost THEN.

I agree that Colston still looked good, Bush looked good (even with only 2 carries). I can tell he's been working on trying to settle for those few tough inside yards if nothing is there, rather than dance for a loss of yards and a wasted down.

I agree that Kaesviharn can tackle wonderfully, and I'm sure we weren't seeing everything from him. We have to keep in mind he's coming into a NEW team with new man-to-man schemes and possibly weaker corners. By week 1 of the regular season he should be sharp and playing smart.

Our defensive ends. They're the bright spot. I hope our offense gives them more time to rest on the sidelines in the coming games, because you have to factor in that they're wearing down the more they're out there. And the more time they spend on the field, the more risk of injuries.

BlueDevil1978

There's been a lot of misery on these threads since the thumping last night. I'm in the corner that it's only a pre-season game -- a very early preseason game at that. If any of you have ever gone through two-a-days, imagine a week's worth in the Mississippi August heat and then playing a game that weekend. That might be the reason for the sluggish play -- lack of legs.

As long as we come out with no injuries (Meachem's headache and I read somewhere that Fain strained his calf), we're doing o.k.

Still, lack of legs does not explain why Jason David looked absolutely lost at corner. I'll give the Predator the benefit of the doubt on his biting on the receiver's "fancy foot action" - he'll come around. And hey, did anyone see Fred Thomas come up and make an open field stick on the RB? Never saw Deion do that!

/"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Billy Ed Hatfield (Walton & Johnson) /

hagan714

For the love of god it was 1 pre season game. No free agent will start at any position till they understand that position. Relaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

SaintFanInATLHELL

Only one question: Were there any injuries?

Nope? Then mission accomplished.

As I said last week, this was a nationally televised intersquad practice. Note that Coach Payton didn't even bring the guys in early for training camp for this game.

It meant nothing. I was happy just to see them play some downs and no one get hurt.

Now if this were the 5th preseason game with the starters going 2.5 quarters, then maybe I'd have some concerns.

SFIAH