alsaints113

Totally agree! Hey you should read my post Here\'s to the 2004 season! It\'s clear that the problem is with coaching. These guys lose once and then have no confidence. Three years ago, you could use the excuse they are a young team, but not anymore. Seriously, our offense was the top scoring in the league last year and now we can\'t even average 20 points. That offense hasn\'t changed except for the loss of Turley. But when you watched the Saints all 7 games so far this year (including the preseason) you see that it is the system. Our offense can\'t get up the field. We used to be a big play team, moving up the field vertically. Now we are throwing flat routes, screens, little 4 yard patters. Deuce is doing his part but the pass plyacalling is not confident. The longer we stay on the field in an offensive drive, the eaiser it is for a fumble, dropped snap, mysterios Brooks-patented ball slip out of hand while preparing to throw, and interception. The coaches have gotten away from their working formula and wonder why they lose? The defense is patchwork and injured so I don\'t expect Carolina or Tampa Bay like efforts, but in at least two of the three games we have lost this year, the offense could have overcome the defensive problems if the playcalling was more confident as it was the last few years. In my opinion, the coaching staff doesn\'t trust the players, and vice versa. I think we can expect to stay in the basement a few years until the coaching staff gets its act together, is fired, or some serious changes are made on the roster.

BillyCarpenter1

I guess I\'m from the John Madden school. I believe that it all starts up front on the offensive and defensive lines. Great offensive lines are able to open up running lanes and make even the most average of running backs look good. So far Deuce McAllister has looked average. Is this because Deuce is not a good back or can you really blame his lack of production on play calling? Or, is this offensive line just not able to move their men off the line of scrimmage? From what I\'ve seen of this offensive line they are failing to open up any holes in the defense. On pass blocking assignments it isn\'t always the same offensive lineman who miss the block, but most of the time someone is always harrassing the QB. Again, great offensive lines who give only an average QB time to throw will make them look great. But, if they allow pressure to be applied to a good QB then the odds are that the QB will struggle. So, my assessment of what the BIGGEST PROBLEM with this offense is the offensive line.

On defense it\'s the samething. Lack of pressure from the D line results in our secondary having to cover too long and add in the fact that they are unable to stop the run and it all adds up to big problems. It\'s not like we have the best secondary in the world, but they are receiving no help from the pass rush. Peyton Manning could have written a book with all the time he was allowed to stand in the pocket last night!!

It\'s easy to get caught up in looking at the skill positions and laying the blame on them, but you show me a team that doesn\'t have a good offensive of defensive line and I\'ll show you a team that is losing more than it is winning.

WhoDat

Here here Gator!

ssmitty

and a aaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmeeeeennnnnnnn back to ya, gator......smitty

JOESAM2002

Hell, I read it but I figured it was so right on that no answer was needed. BTW how is your fantasy football team doing?

TheOriginalSwampdog

Billy C, are you simply Duece average? Other than the Titans game, he\'s averaging close to 100 per game and has two tds. In that debacle of a game Sunday, he had 100+ yards on 17 carries. That\'s an average of 5.95 per. If that\'s average for you, I\'d hate to see below avg. Duece is one of the few players who actually produces every week. Get a clue, man.

[Edited on 30/9/2003 by JOESAM2002]

JOESAM2002

Surely you can\'t mean me? I feel like Haz. Not coaching worth a shiiiiiite! LOL