hagan714

Reality Check

Ok what did we learn? The saints once again we folded against the NFL elite. We where beaten straight up. We are not there yet.

Offensive Line: The Colts came out and dared us to run. We did and they stuffed us. Our offensive line was once again beat in the trenches. The one to me that stunk up the field the most was big Jon. He missed blocks and got beat through out the night. He was not alone but he did stand out, as did the entire right side of the OL. The Colts dared us to play ball control and we could not do it. That is what we needed to do in order to keep Manning of the field and win the game. If you recorded the game watch it, if you can stomach it and keep an eye on big Mike. As a lead back he is suppose to clear the hole of secondary level defenders. All night he was forced to block first level defenders that the OL was suppose to be blocking.
We failed.
Grade D- Only because Drew did not get killed out there

Running Backs: I do not know how much blame I can put on them with the poor play of the OL. Reggie still looks a bit to tentative at times. His timing is off by that split second in deciding what to do at the end of a play. That split second allowed the defenders to close in and make the tackle to prevent a couple of 1st downs. He still need to learn how to get tackled going forward and get that extra yard or two.

Wide Receivers: Again like the RB it is hard to put blame on them when the OL failed so badly. But no one stood out to even remark on. Well Henderson did catch a couple of short passes and that was good see.

Quarterback: Well Drew seemed ok I guess. He did have a melt down in the second half. One interception he stared down the WR during the entire play. He did it a couple of times. There was no doubt were he was going with the ball. He made a few very bad reads on the defense and threw to WR in double coverage. Not his best game by far. But we should expect a few of these. That was the knock on him in San Diego and he had them last year.

Tight Ends: I save the best for last. This was the key to the game. Eric could have been the man last night. In the passing game he was the player the colts were giving us. To many times his defender would peal off of him and break the pass up intended for a wide out. I like what I saw out of him. I also see why he gets injured so much. Like Bush he needs to master the art of being tackled going forward. Well in his case just accept the fact he is tackled and go down.

The same applies to our defense. We stunk up the place.

Defensive Line: Addi had a field day. They were man handled the entire second half. The Colts OL did what they want with us and it only took 5 of them to do it. The DT played much better than our great DE’s. This was not hard to do. It still took 3 linemen to neutralize them. Smith got pushed around all game. Ugho owned him in the running game. He was a great draft pick by the Colts. There #2 pick out played our #1 pick in the draft. LOL just had to say it.

Linebackers: They were dropping 10 to 15 yards deep and making tackles trying to make up that ground. I do not know how much blame to put on the coaching and the players. But it did not work. Drafting a LB corp. is needed. I never bought into this one year contract rotation system we are running. We are just not athletic enough here. None of them played really well. Scott was probably the best of the group as usual.

Cornerbacks: Jason David is not the answer. Once again we are going to play the year without a true #1 CB. Sorry I was never a fan of this signing. He is best suited as our #3 in the slot against smaller and faster slot receivers in our system. McKenzie should be our #2. So here we go again. I have CB at the top of my FA and Draft list. Unless we get Young on the field and let him develop Ok they did play much better in the short to intermediate game. That’s something.

Safeties: Like the LB’s they were giving up way to much cushion. But the play was much improved from last year. Welcome back Harper. He allows Bullocks to play FS. Both played much better together. The coaching here I think was to blame, again. The way to neutralize the colts is use a Jacksonville game plan. Secondary must play a lot of zone. We did it in the first half and got away from it in the second.

Coaching: We started and finished the game with our game plan in tack and failing. The Colts made half time adjustments and scored 28 unanswered points. Sean failed to adjust the offense to what the defense was doing. Gibbs went away from what was working in the first half. Maybe that turn over for a touchdown and the lack of offense made them think we had to be more aggressive. So here I say in the first half the coaches get a C. In the second half: a big fat F.

To sum it up our OL once again has proven it is not among the best in the NFL. They are good but the right side of the line is a work in progress. Maybe that explains why we only gave Jon a 2 year contract and we drafted Alleman. Strief and Alleman maybe the answer but how long will it take, if ever, for them to win the starting positions. The DL and LB’s are in the same boat but we do not have money or the picks invested in young players to take over. Let’s face facts here, the saints approach is one of putting a fairly good defense on the field and putting the money into the offense. So I have already decided what we need to draft on day one next year: OG/OC, OT, CB, DT, and LB. Not in that order. Hmmm, same list for me as last year.

Let us hold our collective breathes that we do not have a mental melt down against weaker teams and we can pull off one or two victories against the elite teams of the NFL and we maybe able to get home field advantage through the playoffs. That is the only way we are going to get a shot at super bowl. So let’s hope this is a wake up game to the team. As fans we need to step back a bit here. Let’s win the division first then worry about the rest later. Let the media do there thing and we as fans do ours. 12th man at home is the key.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

Big Easy D

the Colts are the defending Super Bowl champs.....just throwing it out there....

WhoDat205

That was on point Hagan. I agree 100%. Payton and Co was out coached last night. I kept thinking that in the second half the team would put a long drive together for a TD by taking all the underneath stuff, you know, using Johnson (who played well, considering) before the game was over.

I also want to give credit to the Colts. They showed this fan how far away this team is. Wayne and Harrison are amazing, and Manning...probably the best ever. The "question mark" D out played the "great" Saints offense, too.

This crow doesn't taste very good, but I think it might be just the right medicine.

"defence's personal to allwats double team or watch is over, that one reason why the saints or not any good." - Vador101

JKool

Overall, a fine assessment. The Colts were a much better team out of the gate.

I'd have to disagree on some smaller points:

(1) I thought both Colston and Patten looked pretty good. Devery dropped a couple, but the other two stretched out for the rock and both made catches in traffic. Without a running game, they weren't getting much room - but what else would you expect.

(2) I thought both Duece and Reggie looked pretty good. They were given pretty much only draw plays to work with in the second half, and Duece was near 4 yards a carry.

(3) I thought Drew was having a way bad night. He threw one to the defense when he got pressured in the first, and what was that one that got picked in the second half? I couldn't even tell what he thought he saw - there were three defenders there.

(4) Will Smith! He was our ONLY pass rush all night. He didn't get man-handled, what he got was NO HELP at all. Charles was good in run defense, but he rarely even got close. The DTs provided next to nothing.

(5) Defensively, we're just not strong in the middle. The DT rotation and MLB are just really unimpressive, and even as a group had trouble. Too many zone runs were effective - no one is clogging up the middle.

(6) David is playing zone, when he's in man. Sheesh. He looked like a goat, even when he got our only TD.

(7) Fugita looked great! I thought he made unexpectedly good plays, especially in coverage.

(8) I thought McKenzie looked really good. He took away his side entirely. Against Harrison and Wayne, that is really saying something. He's a number one CB in my mind. Further, David needed safety help - that was either a coaching error or Harper just isn't there yet. I'm not saying that David is a good #2, but we can make adjustments to help him.

(9) Starting against the Colts was a rough way to go in. I think we'll rebound and be fine. That is a good team. Few other teams could beat them (if any) when they are playing that well. I saw a pretty good Saints team in the first half - we got forced off our game plan in the second, and I think Drew lost it a little after the first pick, which he knew full well was his fault.

"... I was beating them with my eyes the whole game..." - Aaron Brooks

hagan714

The Colts were a much better team out of the gate.
Not in this game. The first half we held our own defensively. Then they let us know what a great is all about. Gibbs went away from what was working in the second half.


(1) I thought both Colston and Patten looked pretty good. Devery dropped a couple, but the other two stretched out for the rock and both made catches in traffic. Without a running game, they weren't getting much room - but what else would you expect.
I expected that too. Dungy is no defensive idot. He let players go that he knew he could replace.

(2) I thought both Duece and Reggie looked pretty good. They were given pretty much only draw plays to work with in the second half, and Duece was near 4 yards a carry.
Prevent Defense. they will give you those yards all night to eat up the clock.

(3) I thought Drew was having a way bad night. He threw one to the defense when he got pressured in the first, and what was that one that got picked in the second half? I couldn't even tell what he thought he saw - there were three defenders there.
He did not look them off. He was locked on. One was from Johnson I believe, joining up the middle. I will force myself to watch it again a third time to double check that. Got plenty of vomit bags to do it.

(4) Will Smith! He was our ONLY pass rush all night. He didn't get man-handled, what he got was NO HELP at all. Charles was good in run defense, but he rarely even got close. The DTs provided next to nothing.
Which side did the Colts get most of there running yardage on? I can not put the blame it all on him alone. That blame is on Gibbs and the deep drops he had the LB's take. You had to be impressed with Ugho's play as a run blocker.

(5) Defensively, we're just not strong in the middle. The DT rotation and MLB are just really unimpressive, and even as a group had trouble. Too many zone runs were effective - no one is clogging up the middle.
Hollis won the starting job back last night. We try to use Clancy like the Cards did, as a starter. Did not work there and it wont work here. The colts were basically snuffed out running inbetween the guards. Their yardage came from outside the gaurds. As for the MLB play I agree but today Gibbs gets 80% of the blame.

(6) David is playing zone, when he's in man. Sheesh. He looked like a goat, even when he got our only TD.
I can use him in my front yard. Got an empty leash and a steak were the last goat was. The grass is getting long. Put him in the middle of the field were he has the help. That is how he plays and he does it well.


(7) Fugita looked great! I thought he made unexpectedly good plays, especially in coverage.
As usual. Gibbs is going to keep from the pro bowl if he plays him like he did last night.

(8) I thought McKenzie looked really good. He took away his side entirely. Against Harrison and Wayne, that is really saying something. He's a number one CB in my mind. Further, David needed safety help - that was either a coaching error or Harper just isn't there yet. I'm not saying that David is a good #2, but we can make adjustments to help him.
Why go after him when you have that grazing goat on the opposite side? I have a dream...M&M at the #2 and stud at the #1. sweet dream isn't it? M&M is not getting any younger. then you got david at the #3 on the flanker. Where he can get the help he is use to having. He is good in that set up. Now we are talking about a shut down secondary. We are only one piece away and some playing time away from something great. Let the rookie play and lets see what we got by years end. Work him in

(9) Starting against the Colts was a rough way to go in. I think we'll rebound and be fine. That is a good team. Few other teams could beat them (if any) when they are playing that well. I saw a pretty good Saints team in the first half - we got forced off our game plan in the second, and I think Drew lost it a little after the first pick, which he knew full well was his fault.
Let the media flap there their gums and hype all they want. It is all about ratings. We as fans have to remember this. We all got caught up in it and now we got b-slapped back to reality. Win the division first. The fans need to carry this team at home. We are the 12th man. Go undefeated at home and then we can talk about the rest.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

JKool

A fine reply Hagan.

It seems we're pretty much in agreement.

I'll note the following two points: (1) I agree if we get somebody better than McKenzie, we'd have a fine looking set of corners, and (2) props to the Colts' line, which is among the best, even with a new LT.

SmashMouth

Agreed ....

Time to start looking at starting the rookie Usama Young .... he can't be any worse than Jason David ...

btw .... I just banned from that other site a couple of weeks back just for suggesting that Jason David was one of the most disappointing players. I said he was going to be tested and beat regularly, since at 5'8", and with cover 2 experience, he could not compete with the likes of tall NFL receivers in the Saints mostly man-to-man scheme... something Manning was going to take fully advantage of and did. Go figure.

Colts are the defending champs afterall!

ssmitty

that's what i like about you hagan, always the optimist...........
always seeing the good...................
lol..............................
now let me repeat mora along with whodat...........
PLAYOFFS............PLAYOFFS????????????????????????????????????
LOVED IT WHEN MORA DID IT, STILL DO.........................
all fans better take this season one game at a time...........
don't even think playoffs til it's time to...........
it's possible the saints could be sitting at the bottom
of the nfc south come mid season.........
with that said, i really do hope we go 1-1 against the bucs,
i don't wanna be in for a long season and i sure hope payton
turns it around immediately..........smitty

bobcat4u2

excellent coverage hagan.offensive line hasn't reached point of physically beating anyone but are usually decent pass blockers.defense is,sorry to say what was expected.if they improve over season, this still will be very good team by play-offs

saintsfan1203

a great post Hagan! I think this first game is a great wake up call, and I think we need to settle on winning the division first. As far as drafting goes; we have been needing a corner since haslett days. The front office is the blame on this one.